The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-02-24

thing besides hunt Tor pleusuIe hh tho
time. You--you have no business.
Yon waste every energy God gave you
IN senseless expenditure of time and
means. And, I'm addition to all the
rest. you are fool enough to think Luel-
Ia Marsh viii be the wife Of the most
useless man in the city"
'Tf I am a fool to think 1t, am ] a
fool to wish for itT
Mrs. Penrose stared.
"You don't mean to say you actually
love Luella"
81 do. | 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, bis hands
cllnched and his eyes angrily 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
selfY When II comes TO wasting ener-
gy. who wastes more than you In what
Won call senseless ways2 may be
useless and all that, but | don't toady
TO a lot of good for nothlngs 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 aunts real weakness as a
society woman, and she was In the
mood to be deeply angered at what he
said. But he went on recklessly, and
before he finished Mrs. Pentose had
settled back again into the easy, care
less attitude habitual with her.
Il know what you invited the Four
neys here for the other night when
that ass Emory and Gordon got of
their stun about the slums. But all
that is Of no account to me. You have
no business to interfere with my af-
fairs with INella. That's my own
business. II | can get her consent, l
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. 81 don't mind saying l
love her, aud Nm going TO have her
for my wife II Il II possible"
"She will never have you. She loves
a far better man than you ever can be-
Archie Penrose.'
"Who? John Gordon2 He's a crank.
Luella has broken with him.
"Yes. her eyes looked It the other
night Did you see bow her eyes FOL.
lowed Gordon all the evening"
PcnrOsc was In torture Of Jealousy.
lie almost cried:
"No. she didn't! / tell you she's
broken with him
m she has. she will never marry
you. Luella Marsh has too much sense
to put her life into the hands Of man
who never lifted his nnger TO help
make a better world"
"You have set me the example by
your own conduct" the young man
sneered fcplly lie walked back into
the bow window and sulleuly turned
his back ON his aunt.
you're right Archie she replied
calmly ITS practically case Of pot
aud kettle one Is as black as the
other The guilt Of nearly an unjust and
wrCtched conditions In this city can
without doubt be- laid at the door Of us
rich people. who have the power that
wealth can use, aud use IL for our am.
billions. II Is probably true that the
Judgment day will rightly condemn Us
as the cause Of most uf the misery
Grace Andrews ana John Gordon are
living TO relieve We have IL absolute
ly ln our power 10 change political aud
social conditions that create nearly all
the human wrongs that exist in socl-
ETY., aud Instead Of exercising that
great privilege we 20 our ways with
colossal egotism aud monstrous selfish.
ness, shlrkng an duties aud burdens
Of citizenship and flnglng our money
into a rlotous and demoralizIng luxury
Of life that lnfames the passions OF the
poor and keeps constantly ia sight the
vast inequality OF human existence.
1T Is a fact Archie. that we rich
people. with a few noble exceptions so
rare as 20 excite constant newspaper
comment, are as class the cause OF
practically an the misery OF the city
We have no place Tor service In our
programme OF life. We neither know
nor Gaze for th" brotherhood. We exist
Tor our own pleasure. And suppose II
vii he NO more than fair that In the
olief World We shall long for drop OF
water 10 cool our tongues while the
Lazarus We despIsed here shall recilne
~ Ahraham's bosom. bo YOU ever think.
Archie, of the time coming when things
are going 20 he eyened up. when the
first shall he last aud the last frstg
or course God viii never permit an
this human Injustice TO continue for.
ever aud hc viii see To 10 that our
earthly se.ushucss shall some time or
other face some Kind ot judgment"
Archie tuuvd around and laughed n
WasN laugh that made bis aunt shud
der 10 was the laugh on society m its
worst the pagan Indifference that for
an the centuries bas faced humanlty's
MnHa Nt|F|I HnrH. ....I