Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-07-09

adopt little boy. who must be pro.
| vided for and 1t is this little fellow
| whose quaint sayings and sweet ways
enliyen the book and provide the
| bright spots in it, The story is a
sad one and yet very true to life.
| Helena was married when young to
man she did not love and who made
her life very unhappy. After the
death of her child which occurred
| through the drunkenness OF her hus-
| band, she fell under the influence OF
Lloyd Pryor who makes her believe
that he really loved her and that she
| would be doing the right thing TO
leave her husband and establish her
self some place where they are nm
known and where he may visit her
as her brother 1t is upon the occas
ion of his first visit to Old Chester
that he meets Dr. Lavender and little
David, who Is to change the course
o. his life and that of Helen Richie
from that time on. Complications
arise In Old Chester. Sam Wright
believes Helena a young widow and
falls desperately in love with her.
His grandfather. knowing Helen to be
much older than Sam. visits her and
begs her to use her influence to get
the young man away and then the
shrewd old man discerns what no one
else has ever suspected. When later.
he in sudden passion with Sam
tells him that Llody Pryor is not
Helen's brother but her lover. the
young man leaves him In fury and
rushing to Helena learns the truth,
Within half an hour he has snot him
self. Then begins the awakening OF
Helen Slowly and painfully she be
gins to see herself as she is and
when shortly after she receives tel
esram announcing the death of her
husband she sends In all haste for
Pryor and insists upon en- immediate
marriage But Pryor is not in a hur-
ry. He has a grown daughter. He
does not wish to take Helena to mis-
home and then seeing that she is pas
sionately fond OF little David whom
she has now had for some time, he
makes 1t condition that sne give
David up This she will not do and
it seems that her secret is secure.
Sam Is dead and so is his grandfath-
er, but poor Helena is driven into
confessing to DIR. King that she is not
the good woman he thinks her to be
and then DIR. King says she must give
David up or he will tell Lr. Lavender,
oh. ..G,~ ,IH 10. IAx. \
ender and makes preparation to leave
Old Chester, but good, wise old DR..
Lavender learns the story from her at
last. And yet she begs to be allowed
to keep David. She said, When Dav-
ID came | thought Now | am going
to he happy and now you will take
him away | cannot do him any
harm" Woman" said DIR. Bavend'
er, solemnly, Can You do him any
good? Can you teach him to tell the
truth-you who have lived lie2
Can you make MIN brave-you who
could not endure? Can you make
him honorable-you who have de
celyed us all? Can you make him un-
selfsh--you who have thought only
of self? Can you teach him purity
you who -" stop. cannot
bear it," Helena Richie was at last
awakened. We will leave the final
chapter to the reader and recommend
the story as beautifully and carefully
written and full of serious thought.
II Is a difficult matter TO select
books really worth while from among
the mass of late fiction. The amount
OF money which our library has to
spend for new fiction is small and an
effort Is always made to buy books
that will stand the test of time. The
new books in the library this week
are, "A Dark Lantern" by Elizabeth
| Robbins; "The Soul of Raphael" by
| Marah Ellis Ryan, and 1.-The Wood
carver of Iympus." by NJ. T.. Waller,
Lady Baltimore" by Owen Wister is
| a recent edition. Readers of THE
| vlrginian" will find nothing In the
| book to remind them of the irrepres.
sable cowboy. II is quiet story of
| southern life, a true picture OF old
| time southern pride of birth, of pres
| ont southern poverty and exclusive
ness The story hinges upon a young
woman's choice as usual This time
| the choice Is between a wealthy
| northern stock broker and a hand
some young southerner with very
correct and certain ancestry but an
uncertain income. After the ysung
lady has assured herself that his in.
come is going TO be all right and his
future is likely to be prosperous
through some mines that he owns,
she decides in his favor. but too late,
as he has found out in the meantime
that her interest Is mercenary one,
that, though she really loves him as
much as she is capable Of loving any.
one. she will marry TIE northern man
with money rather than risk power
ty with the southerner So, after he
has been forced TO save her life in
quite an unnecessary manner he
leaves her to marry the northerner
while he consoles himself with a