Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-03-03
ACose in Point,
By
LOUISE BLAKE

A WOMAN'S code of honoT!" He
n laughed. as if he considered ii
rather a good joke. Il own" she said,
as she tilted her parasol to shield his
face as well as her own from the rays
of white, quiyering sunlight that
woman does not boast of her honor as
a man boasts of his. No" she went
on, slowly, a woman never talks her
code Of honor; she lives IT,"
"Of course she does-in a way" he
answered, reassuringly "A woman
goes to church on Sunday. she sends heI
dimes to foreign missions. and her dol
/ lars to college settlements She does
! all that sort OF thing; but where is her
I code Of honor in the treatment OF the
women about her, and the men about
her-espeeially the men about herr"
Especially the men about her." she
repeated Just as If woman treats q
man with one-half the duplicity with
which he treats her."
He threw back his head and laughed
at her
IL is the same old story" she went
on. half scornfully, THE old sermon
that perfidious man has always approached
against innocent woman"
why, take the affairs we hear of
every day" he said the things that
happen to our friends Do you know
what it is that changes the poor little
farces into high tragedies? 1t is wom-
ans lack Of eandor. her lack Of a GER
tain sense of honor"
Il demand a case in point" she in
terrupted imperiously
And when | prove my point?"
Then ! shall prove mine!"
They both laughed. Then he looked
over the green water at the gray, des-
olate rocks His face became serious.
We'll the man in question is not
particularly strong, nor wise, nor good
still"
still he has the certain sense OF
honori"
Yes. he has that II he had not.
should never rake mp for your amuse-
ment the dead asheso fhis past. Years and
years and years ago he became engaged
The girl was a babyof is. and he was even
more a baby Of 49, They loved as babies
of is and 10 will love, and life was
beautiful dream"
Was she pretty?"
Yes"
"But-she lacked the certain sense Of
honor?"
"She had the woman's code She
would read her Bible all night 10 a dy-
ing pauper. and the next night would
send some fellow who loved her whom
she had made love her. straight to the
devil. Her name was Constance.
HE went abroad. He was three years
at a German university, and they wrote
to each other every week. Then he trav-
eled, he saw the world. and he found
that life is not beautiful dream.
"The awakening came in Rome. Il
was September. and the night was hot
and close. He had gone to his room di
rectly after dinner. and had started a
letter to Constance. All that was best
! in him went into these letters. all that
he was seeing. feeling, dreaming; his
plans for the future; his memories Of
the past: all this was crowded into let
tiers to the woman be loved. But on
this night he found il hard to write.
A low. persistent murmur in the room
adjoining troubled him. He thought the
occupant was merely drunk. still. the
sound. corning back ceaselessly flled
his mind with vague uneasiness. He
forced his thoughts on his letter, and
wrote a page Suddenly brass band.
passine below his window. disturbed
him. It was insolently playing Nc
Ginty-playing McGinty' in the
sacred city of Romei When the blare
of brass instruments died away in the
distance. the haunting murmur had
risen to a higher key
God. give me life! life.'
"The voice was a cry and my friend
dropped his letter and started 70 his
feet. That man IN the next room was
an American--was ill-was probably
alone
mo one answered his knock. so he
turned the knob and entered the room
The sick man sat up in bed and stared
at him.
"'You have come at last he cried.
4 was watching for you. grave-digger!
THE doctor. whom my friend sum
moned. leaned over his patient and gave
him a hurried examination. Then the
doctor rubbed his hands and murmured.
"'An interesting case-interesting
and desperate
Constance is calling -calling-call-
ing. and cannot go to her They are
holding me down. They are trying to
bury mel