The Meeker herald., 1906-01-13

| than l wouldn't have written 1t. \
good woman couldn't even have
thought OF IT,"
He turned from me in n rage and
walked away.
As I have said. l am no better than
my fellows, and have tolerated many
a bad book in my time; but somehow
this book of Brands weighed upon
my mind. The press blamed it, but
the public bought it. A noted play
wright dramatlZed it and put Its evil
| into concrete form. l could not stop
| the harm which it had done; but l
thought perhaps I might induce his
wife to stop him from writing like it.
So called upon her.
| She rose TO greet me with friendly
smile. She was one of the women that
elderly men like, because they have Il
kindly feeling for elderly men. ]
| smiled at her, too.
Il wondered when you We're coming
| to congratulate me on Charles boob"
she said. She always imputed kind
intentions to one.
III INV I'll I NOIlt lOi mat
owned. my dear, don't like Char
lies book. Yon see. I'm an old fash
ioned man.
Il see." She flushed slightly. You
don't believe In problem stOries!'
Il believe in them? oh. yes! I'm
old. and my eyes have been open for
some years. but don't want to open
other peoples. ! don't want TO open
yours. my dear. I'd rather you believe
the world was good. It's the belief of
you good little women that makes it
better. Charlie believes in you. and L
want you to make him better. don't
mean that he's bad. He's very, very
clever man, as the book shows. He
sees things that most of us miss.
We're better for missing them, my
dear. We don't want to be told about
them. He's told us. That's what's
wrong"
She worked furiously at the embroid-
cry which she had picked up.
rs there anything in the book that
You had missed:" she asked quietly.
I'm afraid not. but want the
world to be better than myself, you
seer
ut isn't. 1t sees things just as you
do. and pretends that it doesn't-just
as you pretend
"Concealment implies cOndemna ton.
Evil isn't so dangerous when it's kept
out of sight. Speak of the-problem
story.'
THE pretence is threadbare," she OBJ
jected. l was surprised that she ex
pressed herself so well. There are
hundreds of published problems, and
many of them are far more lurid The
book is, at any rate. refined. Its prob
lens are such as come to good men
and women: such as leave them some
of their virtues
yes" dropped my hat in my
eagerness. Yes. That is why the
book is so dangerous. Other tales
show worse evils. but they show them
as evils; us temptations that the frac-
ton of goodness in us fights against,
even when it is overcome. Your hus-
band has brought in the Powers of
Light to fight for the Powers of Dark
ness. The plain man shrugs his
shoulders Mt the other books. He
shudders ut this. Even the club smok
ing room condemns it. Some of the
best men go so far as to avoid the uu-
thor
She looked up over her work. Her
face was white.
Does Charlie realize this?' She
asked. l nodded.
We were talking about it the other
evening. He overheard us. He must
have known before OF course he
knows"
She piled her needle again.
Have you spoken TO him." she in
quired.
Yes. He left me in temper W.
cause l counselled him to put the mai.
ter to you. You have n great hold
over him. l am sure. A good woman
always has II hold over IL man. am
certain that, at the bottom of his heart
he is ashamed of the book, but
"But'-she laid down the work
He didn't write il. l did,
Your / cried YOU
Il. No, am not saying it to shield
him. 1t is quite true IL wonder if
you could understand? You see. / am
not pretty or attractive. People gener-
ally left me alone. So l used TO sit
and watch them; and see things. sec
Il great deal. l can't help it. Ii is my
nature. | dare say | looked too much
for what was bad. but 1t is hard for n
woman when she is not attractive. 1t
makes her look for defects il others.
l was very bitter against people then.
I'm not bitter now, because Charlie
finds me attractive. 1t wouldn't occur
to you that | can he. but | can 1t
didn't occur TO him at first. He came
and introduced himself to me out of
sheer pity for my loneliness. He's like