The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-09-01


ans creed-but my wife will have tc
come up to my standard.
For long time after Ralph Merton
had left the room Margaret sat quietly
| looking into the fire. In one short hour
her whole point Of view of life hac
changed She had thought her lover
would be proud of her success. and she
hoped he would even understand her
motive in writing her look 1t was
even more outspoken. and dealt eveL
more deeply perhaps with the subiec
OF sin and passion than that other
book of which he had spoken with
such contempt and open loathing Ii
YVES horrible to her to think that Ralph
would imagine she had used her sub
iect-the sad story of frield's mis-
fortune-as an ignoble means OF at
| tanning success and money.
Margaret realized as She sat there
with closely clasped hands. her heart
beating with heavy thud OF nervous
excitement, that she had reached g
crisis in her life. How much was this
mans love worth TO her. and what was
love when weighed IN the balance
against her art? Two alternatives lay
before her She must either give up
Ralph, OF give up publishing her
book
She knew her aim had been single.
and her desire quite pure; but Raiph
would never understand that aid
therefore she need not put his faith
and trust to such a test. If she pub
lished the story she knew he would
never marry her To lose him would
be torture-aId yet to lose her book
would be torture. too. She sat there,
torn first one way and then ano ther,
commun:n, with herself-facing life
and pain and pride. she felt bitter
sense of disappointment that amount.
ed almost to despair. Gradually the
glowing freight died slowly down and
only the gray ashes gathered and gath
cred until the last red glow began to
fade, and still Margaret sat battling
with ambition and her love
Shall make the fire up for you,
miss"
No. thanks. Mallam."
The maid waited. 'tIt's a chilly
night. miss. and it's raining, too
Shan't | bring a few sticks in?''
Margaret stirred impatie1tly. wait
cd a moment. and then said in her
usual gentle voice: Very well, thank
you-n,ake it up If you like.
The maid left the room To o-fetch the
wood. and Margaret rose with slight
shiver and crossed to the writing
table on which she had laid her
precious proofs Beside them stood
her lovers photograph. She took it
up and looked at it long and intently
It was q frank and open face, and she
recalled with th"o5 Of womally
pride the blue eyes that grew so ten
der when they locked at her and re-
membe:ed with thrill of tenderness
the touch of the strong, warm haad
ard the voice that had said to her
only that very day:
my dear Margaret, may be lit
tie narrow: but my wife will have to
come UP to my standard
1t was a good standard-she recog-
nized that-for it touched the high
level that avoided "even the appear
ance of evil" and it was & standard
she might do we'll to reach not only
in his opinion of her, but in her life
AID work. We each live in our own
isolated world of thought, and the
most bitter sacrifices we ever make
are those only known to our secret
selves Margaret bent her head and
looked once more at her lovers photo
graph. and then, with hand that
trembled almost uncontrOllably, she
gently replaced it on her table, and
taking her proofs. crossed quickly tc
the fire. and. kneeling. tore them Leaf
by leaf and nressed them steadily into
the flame Gazette.