The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-08-02

NSVpS IiBhe, Wy la
He was waiting patiently. The ex-
preston on his face was anxious,
rather than careless. His eyes were
| fixed on the girl near him, as though
trying to read the thoughts that were
f. aiming in her mind.
well, Alice, aren't you ever going
to tell me what you think of it? Is it
good,-or bad; or. is ii both? Sus-
pense is wearing you know, and mans
patience limited"
The photo sets my thoughts TO
wandering, Ned, but / will reward
your patience and suspense. That
| picture is as near perfect as anything
Of its nature have ever seen. II real
ly could not be more life-like, and be
lnanimate."
She spoke the words slowly and de-
| liberately, as though thinking as she
went. The words were all he could
have expected. yet, something in their
tone suggested vague feeling of dis
appointment. There was in them, as
though unconscious Of its presence,
smothered note Of sadness, and 1t
was this that made the man ask
Does that quite cover it?"
mo, not quite, Ned. 1t is the pic.
ture of a real man, alive, fearless,
| honorable. The jaw is strong and
firm; mouth, tender and human; the
nose has the clear-cut lines Of an
| Apollo, and the eyes-they are beau
tiful. Their depths are deep, deep,
down, and their ring is true. The
high, broad forehead stands out bold.
| ly in its might of fulness and intellect
| There is forcefullness, daring, and
withal, CLEAN of kindness about the
/ face, to which one would never appeal
in vain. 1t is the face of man from
whom we should expect big things
high ideals and a character above re
proach. l have been reading the face
in the picture, Ned, and it is all ]
have said. Is it enough?"
A glance at the mans face. looking
into hers, must have shown her tina
it was indeed enough. With her de
scription of each feature. the expires
sion on the face had frightened, and
when she finished, none could deny
least of all herself, that she had said
one word too much It was the face
in the picture, with the additional
coloring and beauty of life.
The words set his heart 10 pound
| ing. The warm blood mounted to his
brow, and the JOY of living and breath.
/ ing brought radiant sparkle to his
serious gray eyes. Yes, indeed. ii
was the face in the picture.
Alice Hamilton" he said playfully.
Il would never have accused you OF
| fattery. Is this your first oifense?
Tell me, Alice, do you really think !
am the embodiment of what you read
! in that face?"
The quiet seconds hurried onward.
At last, raising her eyes, until they
looked straight into his, she said:
mo, Ned, not only don't think you
are what that picture says you are,
but l know you are not"
Perplexity and surprise shut out
every other emotion from his counte-
nance.
How can be so different from my
own likeness, Alice? Be serious, won't
you?"
do you want me to be honest,
Ned? l am afraid If am it will hurt,
and you can't stand hurts very we'll.
Don't ask me to play the surgeon, un-
less you are prepared for the keen
edge of the knife"
81 am afraid | shall have to ask you
to perform it just the same. What is
there about me that makes my photo
graph so much a counterfeit"
We'll, | will tell you, Ned 1t is
another instance where all that gilt
tiers is not gold. Instead of the
strength one expects to find, they find,
not weakness, but only a strength for
that which is wrong A stubborn ,obsti-
stinate resistance to any condition or
influence that shows you are wrong. I
have sometimes wondered If there was
ever another, who could manipulate
his conscience so skillfully as you do.
You can always reason yourself into
making 1t approve. when IL you would
only stop, and listen, you could hear
the inner voice trying to reason you
into recognizing the right from the
wrong. You admire lofty ideals, es-
pecially when personified in men, but
that is not the type of man you seek.
No, rather the reverse, and oh, 1t is
so easy for you to pat yourself on
the back and say, Well, anyone would
have done II. can't make conditions,
and after all, II is Just as people look
at things You are a giant In intel
lect. You could think great things,
but you could not accomplish them.
Before your thought grew cold you
would decide IL would entail too much
bother. You are kind enough, but
even that resolves itself into unkind-
ness. II anyone appealed to your sym
pathies, a woman especially, there is
nothing you would refrain from doing
for her, and there, again you would
lose sight of that delicate dividing
line, between chivalry and honor /
know you so we'll, Ned. Forgive me
for saying these things. They do