The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-05-27
,f,on no en- mucn nseded.

"You once promised
"Plank, I'll go anywhere except
there with you. I'd rather be with
you than with anybody. Can l say
more than that?"
81 think you ought to, Siward. A
fellow feels the refusal of his Of
fered rooftree."
MAN Mani 1t isn't your roof am
refusing. 1 want to go. I'd give any
thing to go If 1t were anywhere ex-
cept where it is, I'd go fast enough.
Now do you understand? Tiff Shot
over House and Shotover people were
not next door to the Fells I'd go. Do
you know what's the matter with me-
PlankT
II think So"
IL have wondered. 1 wonder now
how much you know"
every little, Siward."
How much?"
Plank looked up, hesitated and shook
his head, zone infers from what one
hears"
"Infers what"
1.-The truth, suppose" replied Plank
simply.
"And what" insisted Siward, "have
you inferred that you believe to be the
truth? Don't parry, Plank. 1t isn't
easy for me, and II never before
spoke this way to any man. 1t is
likely l should have spoken to my
mother about it. l had expected to. 1t
may be weakness-I don't know, but
I'd like to talk little about 1t to some
body. And there's nobody fit to listen.
except you. You know what a pillow
is to q tired mans shoulders. want
to use your sane intelligence to rest
on a moment. It's my brain that's
tired, Plank"
Although everybody had cynically
used Plank, nobody had ever before
found him necessity.
Go on" he said unsteadlly. eff
can be of use to you, Siward, in Gods
name let me be, for have never been
necessary to anybody in all my life"
Siward rested his head on one
clinched hand. How much chance do
you think have" he asked YEARLY.
"Chance to get well?'
Eyes"
Plank considered for moment, then,
"You are not trying, Slward."
81 have been trying since - since
March. In March Miss Lands spoke
to me. I've made better fight since"
Plank's serious face darkened "ls
she the only anchor you have"
"Plank, l am not even sure of her.
have made better fight since then.
That is ali dare say. l know what
men think about a man like me.
know they demand character, pride,
self denial. But Plank, l am driving
rlster and faster toward the breakers,
and these anchors are dragging For
it is not in my case the physical fail
ure to obey the will. 1t is the Will IT.
self that had been attacked from the
first. That is the horror of 1t. And
what is there behind the will power
to strengthen It? Only the source of
will pOwer-the mind. 1t is the mind
that cannot help me. What am l to
do?"
There is a spiritual strength" said
Plank timidly.
81 have never dreamed Of denying
It," said Siward. 81 have tried to find
1t through the accepted sOurces-ac-
cepted by me too. God knows that l
desire to be decent. He must he
aware, too, that all anchors save one
have failed to hold me-"
"YOu mean Miss LandisF'
no
be to my shame that the cables of
pride and self respect, even the spir
itual respect for the Highest, cannot
hold me when this one anchor holds
She said that l might see her. 1 have
waited a long time. l have taken my
fighting chance again, and I've won
out so far"
He looked up at Plank, curiously en-
barrassed.
"Your body is normal; your intelli-
gence wholesome, balanced. sane, and
want to ask you II you think that
perhaps without understanding how l
have found in her or through her In
some way the spiritual source that l
think might help me to help myselfT
"You ask me II believe 1t possible
that she can be the medium"
"Yes"
Plank said deliberately, Eyes, 1 do
think So"
The silence was again broken by
Plank: "Siward, you have asked me
what think. Now you must listen to
the end. If you believed that through
her-her love, marrying her-you stood
the best chance in the world to win
out, it would be cowardly to ask her
to take the risk. AS much as / care
for you l had rather see you lose the
fight than accept such risk from her.
Now you know what 1 think, but you
don't know all Siward, say to you
that If you are man enough to take
her, take her! And l say that Of the
two risks she is running today the
chance she might take with you is in
f1nitely the lesser risk, for with you,
II you continue slowly losing your
fight, the mental suffering only will be
hers. But if she closes this bargain
with Quarter, selling to him her body,