The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-04-25

LAS IeVcldIlOu lOucueu ulm WIFI SUD-
den poignancy. The real strength that
lay beneath his faults, the chivalry
buried under years of callousness, STIR
red at the birth of new emotion. The
resolution preserved at such a cost, the
sacrifice that had seemed we'll nigh i'm
possible, all at once took on different
shape. What before had been a bar
rem duty became suddenly a sacred
right. Holding out his arms, he drew
her to him as if she had been a child.
"Eve," he said gently, II have learned
tonight how fully a woman's life is at
the mercy of the world, and how
scanty that mercy is. If circumstances
had been different believe-I am con.
vinced-I would have made you good
husband-would have used my right to
protect you as we'll as a man could use
it. And now that things are different
I want-I should like He hesitated
a very little. "Now that I have no
right to protect you, except the right
my love gives, want to guard you as
closely from all that is sordid as any
husband could guard his wife.
I'm life there are really only two
broad issues-right and wrong. What
ever we may say, whatever we may
profess to believe, we know that our
action is always choice between
right and wrong. A month ago-a
week ago-I would have despised a
man who could talk like this and have
thought myself strong for despising
him. Now I know that strength is
something more tina the trampling of
others into the dust that we ourselves
may have clear road; that it is
something much harder and much less
triumphant than that; that it is stand
ing aside to let somebody else pass on.
Eve" he exclaimed suddenly, "I'm
trying to do this for you. Don't you
see? Don't you understand? The easy
course, the happy course, would be to
let things drift Every instinct is call
ing to me to take that course-to go
on as I have gone, trading on Chill
cote's weakness and your generosity.
But won't do it. I can't do itv' With
a swift impulse he loosed his arms
and held her away from him. eve,
it's the first time have put another
human being before myself
Eve kept her head bent Painful, in
audible sobs were shaking her from
head to foot.
Its something in you, something
unconscious, something high and fine,
that holds me back, that literally bars
the way. Eve, can't you see that I'm
fghting-fghting hard?"
After he had spoken there was 81
lence, long, painful silence, during
which Eve waged the battle that so
many of her sex have waged before,
the battle in which words are useless
and tears of no account She looked
very slight, very young, very forlorn,
as she stood there. Then, in the op-
lpressive sense of waiting that filed
the whole room, she looked up at him.
Her face was stained with tears;
her thick, black lashes were still wet
with them, but her expression, as her
eyes met Loders, was a strange ex-
ample Of the courage, the firmness,
the power of sacrifice that may be
hidden in a fragile vessel.
She said nothing, for in such a mo-
ment words do not come easily, but
with the simplest, most submissive.
most eloquent gesture in the world
she set his perplexity to rest.
Taking his hand between hers, she
lifted it and for a long, silent space
held it against her lips.