The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-03-19


Mrs. Penrose watching her curiously.
"Of course you never really loved
John Gordon. II you had, no question
Of Hope House weuld ever have risen.
Seeing you have never yet loved any
one. maybe you will allow me to pre-
sent the name OF sultor."
Luella stopped in her walk and faced
Mrs. Penrose angrily. Mrs. Penrose
continued In the sweetest manner:
Archie claims your attention. He
| has wearied me with his persistent
appeals for my pleading in his behalf.
And this seems as good a time as any
to bring his claims forward. You are
not going to marry John Gordon; there
| fore marry somebody. And II cannot
| bc denied that Archie is somebody, at
least IN his own estimation. He has
| money. he Is no worse than a good
! many other young men like him, and
| he will not ask you to live In Hope
| House. What more could you ask. Lu-
clla2 And what more could | sayf IL
IL not every day that one has an offer
Of marriage from such young man as
Archie The occasion will never come
| again"
| Mrs Pcnruse spoke with smile that
could be Interpreted as meaning any
one of hnlf a dozen things.
stop" cried Luella. "Never men
/ tion Archie Pcnroscs name to me again.
II he were the only man In the uni
verse. would never marry him"
And yet" continued Mrs. Penrose
slowly. you throw away, like an old
shoe. the true love of a good man sim
/ ply because you are not willing to give
mp few OF the fieshpots Of civillza-
/ tlon. Vanity Of yanities. saith the
preacher. Yet we prize these vanities
beyond the best thing in the world.
which no doubt is love"
"Oh. do not talk TO me any more!'
| cried I.uclln. She resumed her walk,
i and Mrs. Pcnrose placldly resumed her
/ talk
Now that / have done my duty by
my nephew at his request | am going
! 10 plead the cause of John Gordon,
I though he has not asked me 10. Lu-
/ ella. do YOU realize what you are going
10 fling out Of your life II you go TO
John Gordon aud tell him In cold blood
that you lied To him when you prom
lsed To be his wifcg lie II u young
man OF splendid ability aud spotless
character lie has chosen Il career that
Is unselhsh. noble and full OF posslbill-
ties. As his wife you could share IN his
struggles. hut no less also In his
D - lul
Is at the front In our republic Men
who, like John Gordon, stand up Tor the
rights of humanity especially the
rights of childhood. are bound to com
/ mand hearing from the world. You
are missing the rlrest opportunity a
| woman ever had Ia ally herself with u
| man who has something IN his plan OF
! life worthy of ofiort. What will you
! have To give upi \ few baubles that
make the physical life a little softer
/ aud few that civilized power can get
along without aud In the most cases
/ bc the better for not having. For these
hauhlos you are going TO commit an act
~ deliberate murder Of the best feeling
woman ever had. murder Ot love for
true man, lie Is perfectly right TO
demand that you live With him In
Hope House. You would have every
reason Ia dcspise him II he did not ask
that OF you. \ man who has a great
life work like that OF John Gordon
could not ask any woman To share Il
! wi.h him who did not gladly accept all
that went with H. Remember, Luella,
my married lfe!" Mrs. PcnrOse WAS
speaking with deep earncstness; she
had been leaning forward. all her usual
careless. reckless manner gone com
pletely. Il married for money. | was
poor. longed for the physical softness
OF things | need not tell you, Luella,
that my marriage was failure so far
as love is concerned. got the money;
missed the love. What has II been
wOrthY The poorest mother In the city,
struggling with saddest poverty bus
sure OF the love OF her husband and
children. has been heavenly happy com
pared with me. ~ | never had Il
home. l had an establishment | am
homeless woman. shall grow Old
aud die without ever having known the
enrthly joy OF a home. Luella, do you
choose TO be one OF the army of home
less women in the citiest The poor
envy our line houses, our swell turn
outs, our uNnries our leisure, our din
ners. our dresses. our money. They
envy he'll. Tor that is what IL all me9us
when love is absent. John Gordon of
fers yuu heaven. I.uella. You choose
the other place II you refuse him. You
arr mad Ia refuse him. Luella. You
will live to regret IL in time and eIer
nifty"
"Oh. do not talk 20 me any more. J
am miserable over it, Luella nearly
lost all control she threw herself
down ON "A couch ana buried her head
in the cushions.
Mrs. Penrose got up and looked at
her Sternly.
Il almost wish John Gordon may not
live. for your sake as well as his" she
said I.uella shuddered. aud Mrs. Pen,
rose after pause went out OF the
ROOM