Evening star., 1908-01-26

His wife was dead AS for Frederick,
have no regrets." she ended fiercely.
The room had darkenad in the rainy
October twilight and the fire was low; DR..
Lavendar could hardly see her quivering
face.
But now it's all over between Lloyd
and me. | sha'n't see him ever any more.
He would have married me, If had been
willing to give up David. But / was not
willing"
You thought it would make everything
right if you married this man?'
.'Right?" she repeated, surprised: why,
of course. At least / suppose that is
| what good people call right she added.
duly.
And you gave up doing right to have
David?"
She felt that she was trapped. and yet
she could not understand why. Il sacri-
feed myself she said, confusedly.
No said DR.. Lavendar, you sacri-
! feed conviction. "A poor. false convic-
ton, but such as it was, you threw it
over to keep David
She looked at him in terror ut was
/ just seltishness. you think?"
Yes" said DR.. Lavendar.
Perhaps it was" she admitted. "oh.
| how fright life is. To try to be happy
| is TO be bad
NO, to try to be happy at the ex-
pense of other people, is to be bad.
But 1 never did that. Lloyd's wife
| NdS dSdu vi SouISc, IL Siic I1du DccH
alive'-Helena lifted her head with the
| curious pride of caste In sin which is so
| strongly felt by the woman who is a sin
ner-'if she had been alive l wouldn't
| have thought of such thing. But no
| body knew: SO | never did any harm
| then she quailed; lat least, l never meant
to do any harm. SO you can't say it was
| at anybody's expense
1T was at everybodys expense. Mar
riage is what makes us civilized. If any
hH6 it1iI II rri ia Qa ypa a ma V
She was silent.
| IF every dissatisfied wife should do
what you did. could decent life go on?
| Wouldn't we all drop down a little nearer
the animals?'
| Perhaps So she said. vaguely But
she was not following him. She had en-
! tered into this experience of sin, not by
| the door of reason, but of emotion; she
could leave 1t only by the same door The
/ high appeal TO individual remuneration for
| the good OF the many was entirely be-
| yond her. DR.. Lavendar did not press it
any further.
/, well, anyhow she said, duly, II
| didn't get any happness--Whether 1t was
| David came I thought now am going to
/ be happy That was all ] wanted-hap-
| piness. And now You will take him
! away"
Il have not said 1 would take him
/ away"
| She trembled so at that that for an in
! slant she could not speak. Not take
/ him ?"
| Not If YOU think it is best for him to
/ stay with you"
| She began to pant with fear. You
mean something by that. ] know you do,
On. what do you mean? / cannot do him
any HARM
Woman said DR.. Lavendar, solemnly
can you do him any good?'
| She covered silently away from him.
! Can you teach him to tell the truth
| you. who have lived a lie? Can you
make him brave. you. who could not en-
dure? Can you make him honorable, you
who have deceived us all? Can you make
| him unselfish. you, who have thought
only of self? Can YOU teach him purity,
| you. who
/ stop! / cannot bear it."
Tell me the truth-can you do him any
| good?"
| That last solemn word fell into profound
! silence. There was not sound in the
| still darkness of the study: and suddenly
| her soul was STILL too > =" the whirlwind
| Of anger had died out: the shock of re-
sponsibiity had subsidized the hiss of
those flames of shame had ceased. She
was in the center of all the tumults.