The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-02-20

lou waste every energy GOd gave you
In senseless expenditure of time and
means. And in addition to all the
rest, you are fool enough to think Luel-
Ia Marsh will be the wife of the most
useless man in the city,
IF l am a fool to think 1t, am l a
fool to wish for it?'
Mrs. Penrose stared.
You don't mean TO say you actually
love Luella?"
81 do. l love her with all my SOUL"
That's not saying much. Your soul
has been reduced to the smallest COM
mon denomination"
Aunt Constancer' The young man
came out from the bow window and
stood In front of her, his hands
clinched and his eyes aDgrily blazing.
"What right have you to talk SO to
| me? How big is your own soul? What
do you ever do for anybody but your
self? When it tScomes to wasting ener-
gy. who wastes more than you in what
you call senseless ways? I may be
useless and all that, but I don't toady
| to q lot of good for nothings like the
| Journeys and the Carlisles and the
| Cranstons just to get into Washington
circles next season." He was treading
on dangerous ground now, for he had
touched his aunt's real weakness as a
society woman. and she was I'm the
mood to be deeply angered at what he
said. But he went on recklessly, and
before he finished Mrs. Penrose had
settled back again into the easy. care
loeo ottfruda N xx-itb har
II know what you invited the Four
neys here for the other night when
that ass Emory and Gordon got Off
J their stuff about the slums. But all
that Is of no account to me. You have
no business to interfere with my af-
fairs with Luella. That's my own
business. II I can get her consent,
am going to marry her"
1T is kind of you to get her consent.
Archie" his aunt said, with quiet
| irony.
"You have no right to interfere" he
said sullenly. Il don't mind saying I
love her. and I am going to have her
for my wife If 1t is possible"
''She will never have you. She loves
a far better man than you ever can be.
Archie Penrose."
who? John Gordon? He's n crank.
Luella has broken with him.
"Yes. her eyes looked it the other
night. Did you see how her eyes fol
lowed Gordon all the eveningT'
Penrose was i'm q torture of jealousy.
He almost cried:
mo. she didn't tell you she's
broken with him"
"If she has, she will never marry
you. Luella Marsh has too much sense
to put her life into the hands of a man
who never lifted his finger to help
make better world"
"You have set me the example by
your own conduct" the young man
sneered feebly. He walked back into
the bow window and sullenly turned
his back on his aunt
You're right, Archie" she replied
calmly Its practically a case of pot
and kettle. One is as black as the
other. The guilt of nearly all unjust and
wretched conditions I'm this city can
without doubt be laid at the door of us
rich people. who have the power that
wealth can use. and use 1t for our am
bitions. 1t is probably true that the
judgment day will rightly condemn us
as the cause of most Of the misery
Grace Andrews and John Gordon are
living to relieve. We have ii absolute
ly in our power to change political and
social conditions that create nearly all
! the human wrongs that exist in soci
ETY., and instead OF exercising that
great privilege we go our ways with
colossal ecotism and monstrous selfish
ness. shirking all duties and burdens
of citizenship and fiinging our money
into n riotous and demoralfzfng luxur,
of life that infiames the passions Of the
poor and keeps constantly In sight tn,
vast inequality of human existence.
1T Is a fact. Archie. that we rict
people. with a few noble exceptions Sc
rare as TO excite constant newspaper
comment. are as a class the cause o
practically all the misery of the city
We have no place for service in ou'
programme of life. We neither know
nor care for the brotherhood. We exis
for our owB pleasure. And suppose 4
will be no more than fair that in tn
other world we shall long for drop ol
water to cool our tongues while tn,
Lazarus we despised here shall reclint
I'm Abraham's bosom. Do you ever think
Archie. of the time coming when things
are going to be evened up. when the
first shall be last and the last first
or course God will never permit al
this human injustice to continue for
ever, and he will see to II that oul
earthly selfishness shall some time o
sther face some kind of a judgment"
Archie turned around and laughed. L
was n laugh that made his aunt shud
der. 1t was the laugh OF society at ii
worst, the pagan indifference that TO
all the centuries has faced humanity
woes with dance and Jest, and flung Il
the beggar the crumbs of the feast.
"Well. aunt. you're a good one. Mis-
Andrews couldn't do better. Why dom
you offer her your services as lecturer
II you got off all that stuff in the draw
ing rooms. 1t would create a sensation
and of course 1t would fill the contribu
tion boxes when they were passed 70
: the cause"
Mrs. Penrose did not answer. Sh
lay back in her chair, her eyes closed
and to Archie's great surprise whei
she opened her eyes tears were on tn
lashes. To his added surprise his aun
arose and went out of the room. Sh
was gone several minutes. When sh
came back. she ;poke as IL nothing ha,
been said of an unusual nature.
Miss Marsh and are going down I
Hope House tomorrow afternoon to sc
!. Miss Andrews and the place. Will yo
: 20 with usf'