The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-10


deavor to balance her future attitude
toward him with her conception OF his
ethical code.
An army oficer on siok leave he
oh nnened to be demoraliztng in ia
nan" as he mockingly averred, though
nothing Of a mock entered into his SEN
sittye enjoyment of the wonderland OF
the Mikado at one Of whose garden par
ties he and Edith Daingerfteld met
His own brilliant record more than
the fact of his sister being the wife Of
the American Minister won him much
recognition in the capital where he
was a familiar figure to the, native and
foreign residents alike. To these latter
he was an especially interesting study
OF desirable bachelor magically PROOF
against the active campaigns TO capture
his entrenched affections. His escape
had been through the dominant cnarac-
teristic that he was first ana always
a solder. and woman had offered no
connection against the satisfactory
Joys of his profession.
There was an inconceivable survival
lin Rosemarsh. The broad ana varied
experiences of his career made II diff
cult to apprehend his immaturity in
matters of the vital passion But this
Same simple ignorance had delivered
him from amatory pitfalls. and he con-
love and surrender until at the royal
garden party Edith Dainfierfild's soft
dark eyes looked beneath lace parasol
into his Indifferent pair
She was tall and beautiful. with
peryasive caress about her that recall
ed the gentle presences in nature-the
timid velvet creatures OF the wood,
floating cloud puff the tendS lowell
ness Of falling snow, the waving silk OF
.uh af ha
evening sky, This charm with her low
voice wrecked mems hearts more insid-
iously than opium destroys reason, and
as John Rosemarsh made acquaintance
with II he was perplexed at the motley
Of his emotions.
As outwardly calm after the intro
duction he walked with her among the
chrysanthemum parterres. he seemed to
himself to have entered upon new In
carnation and never really to have
| lived before. For the first time he was
awakened to a subliminal consciousness
| that made him aware how he had al
was coveted such companionship.
though he had never missed II before
the present moment, and he finally left
her with amazing sensation of hav-
ing found a necessary and valuable
something of which he must possess
himself at once and permanently
|
ly inflamatory to Edith. Many agree
able men had crossed the Kaleidoscope
of acquaintance since her widowhood.
and she had known admiration to the
full, though she had sedulously guard
ed against vanity of her sex which
transforms every male into.a potential
lover. She was not easily touched by
the appeals of f1attery. No doubt this
anemic lethargy of emotion was due
f,,fA nF
morse over the events of Harold
Daingerfield's death. 1t tinged even
her superficial moods and beg at a ter
ror of discovery or of obligation to con-
fess to another her share in the oatas-
trophe that held her in thrall to her
! husbands memory.
BY reason of this bondage she MAIN
tanned a calm front toward John Rose
marsh when any other woman not thus
fortified must have succumbed to the
magnetic personality SO eagerly forth
coming to signal hers.
| 1t was not the soldiers man
ner to deliver himself in emo
ton; familiarity with battle fields
: and the great elemental passions
: of humanity had long since lost him
this avenue OF expression. But he
| abounded in rich and quiet devotion
unbestowed upon any but old ladie:
and children before the moment hi
, lavished 1t with significant emphasis
! on Edith Daingerfield. already learning
to fear his gift while she coveted II.
' Insidiously the mystery descended or
them as on the first pair. but for
r space the secret held their spirit palpi-
tant pet unconfessed as the magician
D trembles to look into the crucible fol
= the miracle of the Philosophers Stone
4 When Rosemarsh walked to knowledge
e 1t was with a shock OF impatience fol
l. his former crude sceptiscism The world
( of faith containe two but essentials now
n he loved Edith Daingerfield. did sh,
a love him?
The light of this awakening falling
r on his transparent nature clearly re-
Q vealed its depths to Edith. who gazet
3 at her own image in the tranquil linn
e pidity until tempted to fling herself
d after It. like the tabled Greek, and b,
r lost in the crystal sweetness. But tn,
n ghostly past doomed up to discourage
}. her by ouickeniug ner perception o
d certain rigid lines in this mean Of
o truth that chilled an outward response
The cornerstone OF his character wal
l. laid in truth. IT shone in his clear
r sweet gaze upon the world Of men
g For him there was no consorting will
n lies and deceit. Not that he could no
+ pardon, but in some sort his spiritua
= man could not survive the faint. a.
= the physical cannot exist in mephiti
n gas
Edith aingerfield admitted that pos
& tulate in her moments Of self-commun
g ION with unfalterine apprehension
, She did not disguise from herself tn
= great danger to her happiness will
le him that lay IN the possession Of sucl
secret as hers. and the paths open
l. ing 10 her choice dismayed her b,
ID the unhappy conclusion Of each. A
ID vet the fibre Of his affection was un
IT tested. and to rest upon 1t the weigh
'r of her confession and repentance with
m ont n deeper knowledge of it's strength
ii nresented the peril of staying Low
" In his temnle without n hope OF resur
rection. The suicide Of Joy that mus
m fellow was intolerahle. and she turne
i'd away from 1t to consider the phase o
n marriage.
al Could the anomaly exist OF han
Mt nv marriage without complete conf
Ia dercpo In her own case the fear O
IL dctnc+ion more than the irritant dis
es 1oy a1tv of silence would iunperil he
chance Of hspriness. In that even
m she dreaded lest the double deaiin
er ~ crime and concealment should 70
It's her Of Roserparsh forever az 1t woul
n surely rob him of the fdaal he Ia
ed cree+ed and welded. All her thinkin
or rcsoIvad itself into the conviction ths
rs ar sNo rotn peaca above love her ~
no ,r safe course was renuncietton. Bt
at .bis was to buy ease Of spirit at to
s.or a nrice, md she cast II asid
of nraserrtnr In live with fire thorn