The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-01-17

little while. and after you have learned
that you cannot do anything you viii
come back and let father work out his
plan for you, which, / must say, is FAR
more sensible than what you propose.
SO don't intend to say gcodGy, John,
and I hope Luella wifi be as good TO
you as I am"
She instantly went back TO the plano,
sat down aud began to sing and play
gayly John Gordon looked at her for
moment, then went into the other
room and found his father still writing
there. He went up TO the desk and
waited until his father laid down his
pen.
"Wcll?' he said as he lifted his head
and looked up at his son. You have
something more to sayT
There was not HUT I'm the tone or
manner to suggest to John Gordon any
affection or feeling. He was not sur
prised. He had not expected anything.
But he put out his hand toward his
father almost like one who is sinking
and sees some floating object swept out
of reach on n receding wave.
"You understand, father, that do
not ask anything of you. Grand
mothers share of the Waller estate is
due me next year. l will take care OF
myself until then"
Rufus Gordon did not speak, and
John Gordon continued
"All this-my action is aud always
will be strange to you, father. The re-
ligious experience through which
passed while abroad makes any other
course impossible for me. AS said TO
you before, the life we have been llv-
ing I'm this city seems now to be a
monstrous life for civilized people 20
live. The term Christian has no mean.
Ing at all unless 1t means service sac.
rifce. sharing In some real sense with
the worlds needs. The civilization
which means simply getting all It can
out Of the world instead Of putting all
II can into It Is a civilization that can
not be called Christian. My soul Is un-
able TO rest, my life cannot go on with
such contradictions torturing It, That
is the reason, father, that our ways di-
vide. Would TO God that we could see
and walk togetherw
The cry was wrung from him by a
sharp and sudden pain that took ac-
count OF the fact of blood kinship. It !
was the cry of human fellowship. the /,
exclamation of personality that had |
always placed great stress on the value +
Of companionship. But there was no
cry from the man who sat coldly look.
ing at him. Rufus Gordon was n father,
but he was also that personihcatiou I.
OF the net product of our un-Chrlstlan |
methods-he was crystallized selfish
ness-none the less selfish because civ |
ilized, all the more selfish because IL |
was more effective In civilized form. |
Ignorant self Is not so destructive as /
educated self.
"Is there anything more?" Rufus |
Gordon asked the question as a bust
ness proposition TO close an interview |
that was taking valuable time needed 1.
for more important transactions.
Nothing more except that / hope
you will-you viii not bear any hard
feelings toward me. oh, fatherw John
Gordon suddenly exclaimed, taking a
step toward the impasslye figure. "You
said you loved me. Cannot you believe
In me ana the life have chosenT
For moment over the hard face
here swept a tremor Il was gone In
a moment and Rufus Gordon answered
slowly:
you have chosen. When you change
your mind, YOU may come and see me
about IT,"
Il shall never change my mind"
THAT Is all, thcn?'
"Yes. except that my love for you
and Mary Is still the same. Some
lime. when you have felt what | have.
You will believe as l do"
Rufus Gordon made no answer, aud
John Gordon slowly turned TO leave
he room.
Il VIII arrange 10 have my things
aiken over 10 Rarton's. l am going to
stay with him until | arrange for my
permanent quarters
He left the room and went upstairs,
where he busled himself with packing
lie few possessions he had brought
lome with him from abroad During
{ all his highly imaginative and even
'oetical nature took account OF the
,rOsaic and matter OF fact way in
which he was taking leave OF the
louse where he was born and OF the
lone In which he had been reared
There had been no melOdramatic dis
Inheritance of him by his father, al
hough he knew him well enough TO
now that the life he had chosen. di-
ectly contrary 20 his fathers lifelong
wishes, practically swept him outside
he financial thought, 50 far as Rufus
iOrdon was concerned. The impossible
~ Of staying In a home, with all It's
cts OF disObedience 10 the greatest rule
Z life, was what made the removal
{ John Gordon absolutely imperative.
hat this removal was taking place
'ithout the outward spoken words of
ragedy made the real action no less
sal or painful
When he finally came downstairs, he ,
'und no one In the house. At first he