The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-15
The After-CIow.
BY STELLA MAY COFFIN.

| golf ground and peeped into the rustic
! SIMMER house, Then they danced IN
an coouetted with the woman sitting
on the bench til growing holder they
turned her hair 10 FURNISHED copper
4 The light and shade cast by the lat.
I tice PLAYED Enthusiastically over her face
and figure and threw dark shadows
around the feet OF the man beside her.
The two sat in silence for several
moments The mans voice breaking
The drowsy stiffness called the
woman's gaze away from the sky line
Of the distant hills.
why should we care what the
world saws? It's code of ethics is
warped and inconsistent The nodi
flying circumstances Of an act de-
Iermine its moral character. Those
circumstances the world seldom
knows and even should IL know, would
nor care 10 understand When The
evidence is all in and The Great Judge
prepares 10 bring in His verdict Of
Guilty" OF Not entity feel sure
that He will take into account all the
eXtenuatag circumstances. Is your
Iovele3s marriage sanctiied in he
ewes OF God simply because II has
been legslized in the eyes OF man?
Your husband knows only the desire
of possession; | love YOU with the
complete trinity of body mind and
soul Am SHINING because ! love a
IN no Ia p1tS
God brand her a criminal because she
returns that love- For one mistake
viii lie forever shut MS from Already?
No, No, Such a belief would be a
libel on The goodness OF God
His voice had risen in the intensity
OF his appeal. bur the lasl words end
ed almos in a sob
You are sacrificing your self-re-
spect. DO not high ideals count for
anything Where are yours? rrailed
in the mire Of sonl-shriyelling sen
sualism created aud fostered by the
races the gaming table and the com
partnership of dissolute men and
women 70 me, Won are an Inspiration;
nv Pillar OF Fire Together We shall
begin anew, The best and noblest shall
De ours. You are the one woman
mia carlssimat'
He fingered over tile words OF en-
dearment; his very tone an inyolun-
tary cares but in no way did he try
10 play on The emotional side of The
womams nature He was just sdvo.
cafe seeking 10 present his case from
an ethical standpoint.
You say your husband refuses to
divorce You. My Yacht lies in the
harbor: al a word from YOU she shall
spread her wings We"
On the threshold stood little lad.
simultaneously heir eyes wandered
from the tangled curls down over the
sidiculously short expanse of bare,
sun-browaed legs and stopped at the
dusty socks wrinkled down over the
tiny sandals He held a huge bunch
OF daisies in his arm Entirely I'M
abashed, he returned their look of sur
prise steadily.
Il was sure would find you here, -
fields and brought you these daisies
because you have no little boy; | was
sorry for YOU"
The woman caught the child in her
arms and strained him to her yearn.
ingly. His dusty little feet strayed al
will over the skirt of her green linen
gown.
Thank you she said simply, one
OF the rare smiles reserved for chill
tren iilumining her face 'But tell
me, dear, why you were sorry for
me"
Last night" the child began. .est
ling contentedly into the curve Of her
arm. II heard father and mother talk
ing OF Won, after / lad gone to bed. |
couldn't hear all they said, but
mother to say yot had
lurt yourself Did YOU bump your
head? with sudden Inspiration
cause IL you did. know just how
lorfld You feel / bumped mine once
md II hurt and hurt ever so many
lights After il stopped hurting the
Ugly scar stayed just the same"
The scar John, the woman's head |
lropped lower and lower: painful /
iilence fell on the little company. The I
ad slipped down and. kissing her
land, sped away over the hills. The
hild's quick intuition had perceived
he strain OF the situation.
The man rose and raised the
Somans averted face to his, until
heir ewes met He was the first to
freak the spell which held them
God sends revelations even in these
avs We have entertained one of His
ngels unswares His voice was ten
ef and strangely softened Weighed
o the balance and almost found want
ng. The Grey Gull' shall sail to-mor-
ow and IL must be her only pas
enger Forgive me dear did not
hink about the scar
lie EMBODIED her trembling hands in
is Arm, strong ones and gazed into
be deep. steady glow OF her eyes His
wn we're very bright with unshed
aars as he said. Goodnight; God
less you.'
The daisies. she whispered softly
aFeIully dividing the cluster of
overs beside her and extending half
7 them towards him shyly.
lie TOOK them reyerenuy. a new.