Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-13
BOB HAMPTON OF PLACER.
BY RANDALL PARRISH,
AUTHOR OF WHEN WILDERNESS WAS KING"
copyright 1907 by A. c. McClurg Coz

| enough without asking-she told you how
greatly she admired the romance of the
west. and begged you to call upon her with
a recital of your own exploits. Have l not
Partially, at least; some such express
sions were used
"Of course. they always are. I do not
know whether they form merely a part of
her stock in trade, or are spoken earnestly.
You would laugh to hear the tales OF wild
and thrilling adventure which she picks up.
and actually believes. That Jack Moffat
| possesses the most marvellous Imagination
| for such things and II 1 make fun of his
impossible stories she becomes angry in an
instant"
| this Miss Spencer?''
"Oh. but do; truly do. You mist not
| think me ungrateful. No one has ever
helped me more, and beneath this mask of
artifciality she is really a noble-hearted
woman. I do not understand the necessity
| for people to lead false lives. Is 1t this
| way in all society-eastern society. 1 mean?
Do men and women there continually
scheme and f1irt, smile and stab, forever
assuming parts like so many play-actors?"
"It is far too common he admitted,
| touched by her naive questioning. What
| is known as fashionable social life has be-
| come an almost pitiful sham, and you can
scarcely conceive the relief it Is to meet
with one utterly uncontaminated by it's
miserable deceits, it's shallow make-believes.
| 1t is no wonder you shock the nerves Of
such people; the deed is easily accom-
| plished.''
"But l do not mean to-" And she looked
| at him gravely, striving to make him COM
prehend. Il try so hard to be-be common
place. and-and satisfied. Only there is so
much that seems silly, useless, pitifully
! contemplate that l lose all patience Per-
haps l need proper training In what Miss
Spencer calls refinement; but why should
pretend to like what don't like, and to
believe what I don't believe? Cannot one
act lie as we'll as speak one? And is it
| no longer right to search after the TRUTH"
Il have always felt it was our duty to
discover the truth wherever possible" he
| search is not fashionable, nor the earnest
seeker popular"
A little trill of laughter flowed from be-
tween her parted lips, but the sound was
not altogether merry.
Most certainly am not. They all scold
me. and repeat with manifest horror the
ter. 1s things / say; being unconscious
| thoughts that come to me naturally? 1
want to know, to understand l grope
about in the dark. 1t seems to me some
times that this whole world is mystery.
I go to Mr.. Wynkoop with my questions.
and they only seem to shock him. Why
should they? God must have put all these
doubts and wonderings into my mind, and
there must be an answer for them some
where Mr.. Wynkoop is a good man,
truly respect him. 1 want to please him,
and I admire his intellectual attainments;
but how can he accept so much on faith,
and be content? Do you really suppose he
is content? Don't you think he ever ques-
tons as do? or has he actually succeeded
in smothering every doubt? He cannot an
swer what I ask him; he cannot make
things clear. He just pulls up few, cheap,
homely weeds-useless common things
when I beg for flowers; he hands them to
me, and bids me seek greater faith through
prayer. l know l am perfect heather
Miss Spencer says am-but do you think
1t Is SO awful for me to want to know
these things?'
He b;v
and she made no motion of displeasure.
you merely express clearly what thou
sands feel without the moral courage to ut
ter it. The saddest part of 1t all is the
deeper we delve the less we are satisfied in +!
our intellectual natures. We merely succeed |
in learning that the veriest pyg-
mics. Men like Mr.. Wynkoop are simply !
driven back upon faith as last resort alb |
solutely baff1ed by an impenetrabe wall, |
against which they batter mentally in vain |
They have striven with mystery, only to |
meet with ignominious dfeat. Faith alone |
remains, and l dare not deny that such !
faith is above all knowledge. The pity of |
1t Is. there are some minds to whom this |
refuge is impossible. They are forever |
thirsty, yet unable to quench their thirst
Are you church MEMBER"
Yes
do you believe those things YOU do not |
understand"
He drew deep breath, scarcely knowing |
at that moment how best to answer, yet |
sincerely anxious to lead this girl toward |
the light.
THE majority of men do not talk much |
about such matters. They hold them sa-
cred. Yet will speak frankly with you |
could not state in words my faith so that |
it would be clearly apprealended by the
mind of another. / am in the church be-
cause believe Its efforts are toward right
eousness, because believe the teachings of /
Christ are perfect. His life the highest pos
sible type Of living, and because through
Him we receive all the information regard |
ing future existence which we possess