The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-10-29

work and loaded him in your narrow,
stilted society life, where he couldn't
stretch hand or foot at will, and fed
him on cloying sweets till his whole na-
ture revolved and became mawkish-"
us it kind or just to taunt me with
his weakness?' she asked chokingly. 4
"Truth is sometimes diScourteous and
even cruel, but always just. Is your
love for, Ned big enough to sacrifice
your personal inclinations and in
stincts? Can you go home tonight
and greet him as comrade-as his
best friend, and listen to his confession
| without one word or look ofSreproach?
If so, give him back his freedom. Send
him away for year, or two, Or five.
years, to win back his moral health and
strength and power. He'll do it if you
start him right. Is he worth. say, five
years of separation and waiting?" =
Mrs. Delmar's hand closed spasmodi-
cally over Billy's. Don't uphold any
false hopes, y she said huskily. 1T is
too late .the poison has gone too deep
to be remedied. While he loves that
| woman-"
Loves herr' Billy repeated in whole
/ some scorn. "Don't you see that she
| stands to him only for his one diver
sion from the deadly monotony with
which society through you has cursed
his existence? She interests and sways
him by her amazing vitality. She is to
| him what spar is to drowning man.
Give him a better craft and let him
| fight his way out of deep water. Will
| you take my advice?'
Billy, God is my witness that l
would do anything to save him from
ruin. But feel so helpless, so bewil-
dered."
II know. Everything looks out of
focus. Try my way. Make him tell
you everything, and try; to listen as
justly as If every word did not strike
at. your own heart. Then send him
away Awest, soutA, north, anywhere
that he can work out his own saliva.
tion." -
|, s'I will, Billy. God helping me-"
you'll never regret it, never"
"What If he shouldn't come home"
she asked, with q new terror in her
voice. "'He knows now that saw him
Ewith her, {tzsf3f
''Then You must find him, wherever
he is, and go to him. Remember, this
| day is the flood tide Of events"
Mrs. Delmar delayed dinner half an
hour beyond: the usual time, then she
ordered her carriage and drove to the
club where be sometimes put up during
her absence. AS the servant answered
her ring she heard voice say sharply,
Banks, can see 40 one. ~
She passed the nonplussed man and
went directly to the room where Ned,s
voice came from In the midst Of a set
4 OF ira Yelling paraphernalia stood aa
i young man with q pale, harassed face
4 and weary. dscontented eyes, who
started when he saw her and squared
himself as If for battle. Laura Delmar
closed the door and leaned back against
it.
Where are you going, Ned?" she
asked in a voice that struggled yainly
to be calm. g..
II don't know" he answered, With
dogged obstinacy that gave his face a
sinister hardness. ''To some remote
country where L will never hear nor
see anything that I have ever seen or
heard here tz
i She went over to him and put both
. hands on bis. shoulder TELL me every
thing, Ned. please, just as you would
to a comrade, q man whom you love
3 and trust = your best friend in the
world, for / am that still with all my
5 heart. I will listen understandingly
! and without one thought Of blame
: Only let me help you"
s Ned drew back instinctively, but hel
d hands tightened their hold. "Yol
wouldn't understand" he muttered.
1 II would! I want only your conf
5. dence. know that things have gon'
l. terribly wrong between us, and that
h have been blind and unreasonable. bu
g g try to forgive that and ]"t r, prove, t.
you thatI can be better friend thai
)" have been wife, -~-.-
r "Tell you, Laurar' he echoed, II
I awed amazement. do you mean that
It sounds so unreal, so impossible fron
n your =
ut "Only trust me-" she pleaded. -
"a Then, because he was all wearied ou
ID with the long losing struggle, and be
s. cause the marvel of her changed att
lp tude compelled obedience, he told he
the weary story Of his downfall, Of tn
,u surfeity OF af1uenee, the discomfort ant
ar unbearable ennui of unaccustomet
wealth and its hollow Vanities; of hov
r. he had longed for: the old free, useful
n striving life, with its simple pleasures
x and lastly of his infatuation for th
u woman who stood to him for all tha
It be had missea Of personal achievement
# "I have been horribly slack and neg
Il Hgent of my duties toward you. Lau
G ra," he said contritely, "but the life 70,
II led repelled me. It stifed me.
+ seemed unable to draw a deep breatl
e ! in your presence. Your people affected
a me still more harrowingly; they seen
u so vapid, so useless. Yet 1 couldn'1
tpull away from the hateful surround
e fings because. having married a ricl
| woman, l owed it to her to at least try
J.: to adjust myself to her manner Of liv
= ing. Laura, if you really mean thai
2 you want to be just, you must try to
understand about Miss Eldridge, too
| She is so vital, so masterful! She made
her way by climbing, in utter disregard
of your little idols of traditions and
! public opinion. She is different from
; the vast horde Of puppets one meets,
, and for that reason 1 allowed myself
to be attracted by her. AS for loving
her-I would not care if should never
see her again.
"Poor Ned?' said the listener gently,
| with on 11unontrOllah1a catch in her