The San Francisco call., 1906-07-01
Continued From Last sunday.)


noisily. The tramp of the
boarders coming in could be
n heard on the bare floors out
side The child nestled on
his mothers knee. She tried to
quiet him. but there was no tenderness
in her touch. With a fierce, insisting
movement Clement caught him from her.
The boy screamed and struck at him.
fighting like a little wild. frightened ami
nal. Della laughed ard held out her
You'd better let us so" she said
roughly. You can't DO anything with
US"
.,Go-where2" he asked. bewildered.
4 don't doubt you'd be well pleased to
lie rid Of Us" she pursued.
He drew I'D his chair beside her and
took hex hand. She pulled ii away
Della what do you mean TO doT' he
exclaimed ia despair.
Il don't lcuow-yet she answered re
belliously- I came here TO md out
wanted 10 see how you felt, and wanted
10 see how / felt. ! came over in the
steamer as Mrs. Clement Vaughan. but
when ] saw you with that woman / said
again I was no wife Of yours. l said 1t TO
your friend. who was there on the corner
He made ne promise not TO say anything
70 any one else Til I'd seen YOU well
W seen YOU" She laughed.
Again he took her hand, and again she
drew il away.
We're not either Of US. Hugh or l. just
what YOU want she said bluntly. But
how can we be-. We were left 20 our
selves You can't get what you want if
YOU don't put what YOU want into H.
That isn't the question, he returned
quickly. 4 might say the same. I'm moi
what you want. I'm quite well aware OF
that II YOU had loved me you would
have made an effort to get 10 me.
She looked at him. then shook her
head. oh that's not the same at all.
she said. but she made no attempt to
explain why.
He leaned forward, regarding her ear
nestly. What was il that had drawn ano
held him in the o4u days. She sazeo
back at him, asking herself the same
question. A little f1utter of the eyelids, q
slight culver Of the lip betrayed that ir
her, al least. emotion was not all dead
lie saw. and she knew that he saw. ano
mated herself and hlm.
What do YOU mean to do?" she asked
What can I do without your cooper
ation?" he returned. 4 could take {
house. my income has increased sufh
. Gently 70 warrant tiat now
Stay here2' she exclaimed Never
What would you have me dO-deser
these people. discontinue my worA-?
our work. your work, forever youl
work. she interposed. A house oi
cards I could blow it down with Z
breath" She blew, as L upon the struc
tire she described and there was a ma
levolent look in her eyes as if she saw i
tumble
Would you do that. he asked.
4 would she answered. See here
clement Vaughan. we may as well com'
10 the point. II you'll go back to Eng
land with me I'll let bygones be bygones
II you won't She paused and looked
him over. from the masses Of dark .haii
ihr4gh which ner fingers mad strayed II
The days Of their 'sweethearting' TO th'
sensitive lips her own lips had pressed
and spasm OF womanly feeling wruns
aer. "Clem.' she whispered, go bacl
with me"'
Go back. and leave the little church
The little flock. the stir. the struggle. th'
conquest2 Go back to a SNUG, comfort
able. effortless. irksome existence?
can't. Della ] can't" he said piteously
You viii like il here; every one doe!
after a while"
II shouldn't" she said coldly. and h
knew that she spoke the truth.
And you wOuldn like il If / was her
with YOU" she added. This. alas. VA
also true. The chaIng. the complaint. tn
lack Of sympathy. the outward rebellion
. he could foresee them. He knew Della
knew what she would do.
4 know why you won't 60" she sai'
in hard. rasping voice. It's because o
that woman; you won't leave her. II
tell you one thing. Clement Vaughan:
[ don't have You IA spoil you for an.
one else. Tell that friend said so.
promised him ] wouldn't say anything til
I'd seen YOU. That's of now, She aros
and lifted the child 10 her shoulder.
Pleased at the escape from what ha'
been 20 him a most Uninteresting inter
view and hungry for his dinner. the lit
tie fellow stretched out his thin. whit
hand in token OF a farewell. "By-by." h
called shrilly. "By-byi"
Vaughan watched them mechanically q
the door opened and closed upon them
his wife and child, his wife and child!
He found his way back to the study an
set there, drained Of all strength and con
ndenoe. as he had been before. by thi
same influence. That was why he ha
shirked * Was this not an excuse,
palliauon?
And the other-it crept softly back upo
him: the tingle of the sense, the raptur
Of communion. With them came the con
viction Of wrong. and. to his horror an
surprise. intensified the charm, For tn
first time the thought Of Katharine CHS
holm. Of her. the bright. shining one. wa
"a temptation.
He turned from side to side like a viii
thing caught in a snare. The life int
which he was born, the habits OF austeI
ity. Of remuneration. Of sacrifice. to whic
ne had been trained. which he had vo
Lntarily assumed. strove with that othe
Inheritance Of an earlier generation, tn
abandon. the deliriun.
20 God.' he cried, but il was as Lucife
might have cried, in vain, rebellious pre-
test.
Did they feel Ike this. the men whol
he had so lightly coDdenned2 Was tn
unlawful TO them thing 10 defy heave
for. TO risk hell? Then why call on God
Jacks question REQUIRED to him, 'Wha
are We, parson?" What was he indeed
No saint for all his strivings and pray
ers. his deeds Of charity, his hours Z
holiness, but a man. swayed by passion
subject to temptation. a bruised reeS
smoking flax, But the bruised reed woul
not be broken. the smoking fax would M
be quenched-with every temptation we
promised the way OF escapel He must h
would find il.
CHAPTER Xxx.
EUREKA CHANGES FRONT.