The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-11-08
CHAPTER XXI.
A BORROWED CONSCIENCE.

The conversation on the Brentwood
porch was chiefly of Breezeland Inn
as a health and pleasure resort. until
an outbound electric car stopped al
the corner below and Loripg came up
to make q quartet OF the trio behind
the vine-covered trellis.
Later, the eX-manager confessed to
a desire for music-Pepelope's music
and the twain went into the sitting
room and the piano, leaving Elinor
and Kent to make the best of each
other as the spirit moved them.
II was Elinor's chance for free speech
with Kent-the opportunity she had
craved. But now it was come, the
simplicity OF the thing 10 be said
had departed and an embarrassing
complexity had taken its place.
What IL the matter with MS this
EVENING"" he queried. We have been
sitting here talking the vaguest trivial
tiles ever since Penelope and Doring
side-tracked us. haven't been doing
anything | am ashamed Of; have your"
Yes" she confessed, looking away
from him.
what is it?"
81 asked a certain good friend OF
mine to come TO see me when there
is good reason to believe he didn't
want to come"
what makes you think he didn't
want to conner"
WHY don't know; did he?" She
had turned upon him swiftly with an
outhash OF the playful daring which
had been one Of his major fetterings
in time past-the ecstatic charm that
goes with quick repartee and instant
and sympathetic apprehension.
"You have never yet asked anything
OF him that he wasn't glad enough 10
give" he rejoined. keeping up the
third person figuratiye.
us that saying very much-or very
lntle?"
every little, indeed. But Il is only
your aslxings that have been lacking
not his good will"
THAT was said like the David Kent
I used to know. Are you really quite
the same?"
Il hope not" he protested gravely.
1
late. and year by year as look back
I can see that II was a true saying.
I have done some desperately boyish
things since l was a man grown:
things that make me tingle when
recall them"
Like wasting a whole summer ex-
plorlng Mount Croydon with IA
somebody who did not mature late!"
mo; 1 wasn't counting that among
my lapses An older man than ever
hope to be might find excuses for the
Croydon summer ! meant in other
ways. For one thing have craved
success as / think few men have ever
craved It; and yet my plowings In
that field have been iil-timed and
boyish to a degree"
She shook her head.
II don't know how you measure suc-
cess; It is a word OF so many. many
meanings. But l think you are your
own severest critic"
THAT may be; but the fact re-
mains. II is only within the past few
months that ] have begun to get a
true inkling of things; to know, for
example, that opportunities are to be
compelled-not waited for"
She was looking away from him
again.
IL am not sure that Ike you bet
ter for your having discovered your
| self. liked the other David Kent"
Somebody has said that for every
new point of view gained we have TO
sacrifice all the treasures OF the old.
am sorry If l am disappointing you"
! Il don't know that you are. And
yet, when you were sitting at Miss Van
Broc6's table the other evening tell
ing Tvs about our experience with the
politicians, | kept saying 10 myself
that didn't know you-that had new
er known you"
II wish | knew just how to take
that he said obviously.
Il wish knew how to make you
understand" she returned; and then:
81 could have made the other David
Kent understand" 4.
"You are in duty bound to try TO
make this one understand. don't you