Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-05-20
CHAPTER XVIII.

OF argument cropping up dlTesn LII Od1 al
Eastbell's mind, with no Reuben Culwick
at hand to laugh down her logic-with
Reuben CuIwick's power to laugh it
down, perhaps, wonderfully diminished.
John had told of Reuben going to find
Mary Holland at Worcester. Lucq had
predicted evil would come of it, and
Sarah was wretched.
She must give him up-she must not
remain that weight upon his life, that
clog upon his industry, which she had
always thought she was, when her love
was not bewildering her too much. Reu-
ben loved her, she hoped still-she did
not put faith in those strange suspicious
of Lucy Jennings-but Lucy was right
In one thing; that she, Sarah Eastbell,
could not add to the happiness of Reu-
ben Culwick's life. She could only add
to the expenses!-sh could only keep
him poor. If she stood apart now, per-
haps he would marry Mary Holland. and
be master Of his fathers house again, just
asst he father had wished from the first.
She had no right to bind him to his
long engagement, to shackle his energies,
to keep him from "bettering" himself
now that she felt herself as poor-mor-
ally, if not legally as poor-as when he
came in search of her to Potters Court.
1t was a very quiet morning at one OF
those strange Sunday services; those who
came to pray were not disturbed by those
who came to scoff; but the evening was
boisterous and stormy, and made up for
1t.
Lucy Jennings read the signs Of 1t in
the noisy crowd about the door, and COM
pressed her lips and held her breath at
the strong language which echoed from
the street as she and Sarah approached,
under the escort of two policemen, who
were waiting for them.
"You are trembling are afraid"
said Lucy Jennings to her companion;
twill you turn back nowT
"Why"
"There will be but little religion there
tonight" said Lucy, "and you are not
strong woman"
II was not thinking of the crowd-or
the SERVICE" answered Sarah.
"Of what then?' was the sharp in
quiry.
"Of all 1 shall say to Reuben present
~. It's very wrong, know, Lucy, but
you must not blame me for thinking Of
him SO much. 1 can't help it." she said
plaintively.
They passed under the arch, where
the service commenced, and was inter-
rupted-where the old uproar went on,
and the police were tolerably busy for
an hour and a half. The service came
to an end; the stormy elements subsid-
ed men, women and children went their
various ways, and Lucy Jennings and
Sarah Eastbell came out together, and
confronted Reuben Culwick, who was
waiting for them.
"You have come back thenw cried
Sarah in her first delight at seeing him,
In her new forgetfulness of all that she
had resolved upon.
"Yes-it was no use stopping longer in
Worcester, Sarah. Well, Lucy?"
"Well," answered Lucy in her old
short tones.
81 congratulate you on your sermon,
but 1 wish the surroundings had been
more orthodox, and the congregation less
Quarrelsome; for some of these days
Lucy was gone. She had suddenly
doubled" and disappeared down one of
the dark turnings, and Sarah and Reu-
ben were left looking at each other.
Sarah Eastbell took his arm and sigh
ed. This might be for the last time that
they would ever walk together thus, who
could tell? She had made up her mind
now, and the sooner the truth was told
him the better. He gave her the oppor-
tunity to speak at once, and her impul-
siveness leaped toward it, indiscreetly,
desperately.
IL saw Miss Holland this morning-I
gave her the willard you are as poor
as old Job, grill" he said.
eyes, Reuben; l have been waiting for
this poverty to tell you that you must not
share it with me-"
"Indeed!' was his quiet answer.
'That you and I are not fit for each
other. Oh, Reuben" she cried, II am
quite certain of it now!'
Because Lucy Jennings-charming
Lucy!-has been at her old work, reck-
oning after her old style, fashioning out
human lives after her own purposeless
way. choosing for others a path ahead
that no human being out of Bedlam could
follow. doing everything for the best and
for ones good, but scattering dust and
ashes right and left like a violent Vesu-
vius. Come, is not Lucy Jennings at
the bottom of the resolution?''
81 have been thinking of this for
weeks. l have been seeing the neces-
sity for it"
'Ay, through Lucy's spectacles."
"You would lose money by coming to
me-" said Sarah mournfully.
money again." i
"Ah, Reuben, let us understand each
other at last: don't ask me to say any
thing, do anything, but end this unnat-
ural position between US. 1 am unhap-
py."
Because Of this engagemeutw
"Yes."
"You are afraid of poverty WI ith me?"
81 am afraid of making you poorer
than you are-of keeping you POOR all
your life," said Sarah.
IF this is to be our last meeting. or
our last parting, Sarah." he said quick
ly. "let it be marred by no harsh remi-
niscence. We are going to say good-by.
We have discovered that housekeeping
expenses will shipwreck us: that I shall
grow in time a big brute, to whom NO
second-cousin's devotion will bring COM
fort. But we need not quarrel over the
discovery. We can part friendsr
Yes" answered Sarah, ''the best Of