Evening star., 1908-01-16


as IL | ought TO go right up and comfort
her"
No no, ii isn't necessary. William
said. "I'll go. on my way tn the Top
Mrs. King drew back, coldly. and SYM
pathy wavered into common sense. Well.
perhaps it's just well you should. I'm
afraid | couldn't make her feel that she
had no responsibility at alias you seem
TO think That's one thing about me. !
may not be perfect but / am sincere: l
think she ought to have stopped Sans
love-making months ago, Unless. per-
haps. she returned it?" Martha ended. in
tone that made William redden with
silent anger. But he forgot his anger
and everything else when he came into
the long parlor at the Stuffed Animal
House. late that afternoon.
I've thought of you all day" he said.
taking Helena's hand and looking pitt
fully into her face. IL was strangely
changed. Something was stamped into IL
that had never been there before. .
Weeks ago hurricane of anger had up-
rooted content and vanity and left con-
fusion behind il. But there was no con-
fusion now: IL had cleard into terror.
William found her walking rcstlcssly
up and down: she gave him a look and
then stood quite still. shrinking little 10
one side. as IL she expected a blow
Something in that frightened sidewis>
attitude made him hesitate To tell her of
Benjamin Wright she hardly knew the
old gentleman, but IL would startle her.
the doctor reasoned. And yet. when very
carefully. almost casually. he said that
Mr.. Wright had had a slight shock-"his
life is not In danger just now said Will
Ham, but he can't speak'-she lifted her
head and looked at him. drawing full
breath. as IL eased OF some burdening
thought.
"Will he ever speak," she said
Il don't know: ! think so. But prob
ably 1t is the beginning OF the end: poor
old man."
Poor old man." she repeated. me-
chanically: poor old mani
Il haven't told DR.. Lavendar about
last night" William said: but IL you
have no objection l would like to just
hint at--at a reason. He would know how
entirely blameless you were
'Oh, no. please. please. DON'T she
said. And William King WINGED at his
own clumsness: her reticence made him
feel AS II he had been guilty of an i'm
propriety. almost OF an indelicacy
After a pause he said gently. that he
hoped she would sit with Mrs King and
himself at the funeral on Wednesday.
Helena caught her hands together con-
vuisively; II go? Oh no, no! / am not
going
The doctor was greatly distressed. Il
know ii is hard for you. but I'm afraid
Samuel and his wife will be so hurt IL
you don't come. They know the boy was
fond of you-you were always so good to
him. l don't like to urge you because |
know 1t pains you: but
'Oh, l cantLI can't
She turned so white that William had
not the heart to say anything more. But
that same kind heart ached so for the
father and mother that he was grateful
to her when he saw her on Wednesday
among the people gathering at the church.
Just like her unselfishness.' he said to
himself.
All Old Chester saddened and awed.
came to show its sympathy for the
stricken parents. and its pity, IL nothing
more. for the dead boy. But Helena.
CHASTITY pale. had no room in her mind for
either pity or sympathy. She heard Mr..
Dilworth's s(bdued voice directing her TO
pew, and a few minutes afterward
found herself sitting between DIR. and
Mrs. King. Martha greeted her with an
| appropriate sigh, but Mrs. Richie did not
notice her. There was no sound in the
waiting church. except once in a while
long-drawn breath. or the faint rustic
of turning leaves as some one looked for
the burial service. The windows. with
their little borders of stained glass. were
tilted halfway open this hot morning.
and sometimes the silence was stirred by
the brush of sparrows In the ivy under
the slls. On the worn carpet In the
chancel the sunshine lay in patches of
red and blue and purple that fickered
| noiselessly when the wind moved the
maple leaves outside; 1t was all SO quiet
that Helena could hear her own half
sobbing breaths. After q while the first
ness. and as 1t deepened into throbbing
chord there was the grave rustic of
rising congregation. Then from the
church door came the sudden shock of
words:
Il am the Resurrection and the Life. saith the
Lord
Helena. clutching at the back of the
next pew. stood up with the rest. Sud-
denly She swayed, as though the earth
was moving under her feet - The step
of the bearers came heavily up the aisle.
Her eyes fed from what they carried
('Oh was he so tall?')-and then shud-
dered back again to stare.
Martha King touched her arm. we sit
down now.
Helena sat down. Far outside her con-
sciousness words were being ksaid: Now
is Christ risen" but she did not hear
them: she did not see the people about
her. She only saw. before the chancel.
that long black shape. After while the
doctors wife touched her again. Here
we stand up. Mechanically she rose:
her lips were moving In a terrified whis-
per, and Martha King, glancing at her
sidewise. looked respectfully away. Pray
ing" the good woman thought. and soft
ened little.
But Helena was far from prayer. AS
she stared at that black thing before the
chancel her selfishness uncovered itself
before her eyes and showed its nakedness.
The solid ground of experience was
and in the midst of the elemental tumult
she had her first dim glimpse of RESPONSE
bility. 1t was a blasting glimpse, that
sent her covering back to assertions of
her right to her own happiness. Thirteen
years ago Lloyd had made those asser-
tiOns, and she had accepted them and
built them into a shelter against the as
sailing consciousness that she was an out
law, pillaging respect and honor from her
community. Until now nothing had ever
shaken that shelter Nor had it's dark
walls been pierced by the disturbing light
of any heavenly vision declaring that
when personal happiness conflicts with
any 0reat human ideal the right to claim
the privilege of resigning 1t. She had not
liked the secrecy which her shelter in
yolved; no refined temperament likes Sc
crecy. But the breaking of the law. in it
self, had given her no particular concern.
behind her eXcusing platitudes she had
always been comfortable enough. Even
that whirlwind of anger at Benjamin
Wrights contempt had only reused her
to buttress her shelter with declarations
that she was not harming anybody. But
sitting there between William King and
his wife. in the midst of decorously
mournful Old Chester. she knew she could
never say that any more; not only be-
cause foolish and Unbalanced youth
had been una BILE to survive a shattered
ideal, but because she began suddenly
and with CONSERVATION to understand that
the whole vast fabric of society rested on
that same ideal And she had been Sc
cretly undermining 1t. Her breath caught.
strangling, in her throat In the crack OF
life she heard for the first time the dread
FIJI of he snf q a