The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-04-03
CHAPTER xv.-Continued.

CHAPTER xv.-Continued.
"The case seems fully proved" she
confessed, laughingly, land it is sure
ly not my duty to punish the culprit.
What did you talk about? But. pshaw,
I know well enough without asking
she told you how greatly she admired
the romance of the west, and begged
you to call upon her with a recital of
your own exploits. Have l not guessed
aright?"
Partially, at least; some such ex-
pressions were used"
"Of course, they always are. I do
not know whether they form merely a
part of her stock in trade, or are
spoken earnestly. You would laugh to
hear the tales of wild and thrilling ad-
venture which she picks up, and actu-
ally believes. That Jack Moffat pos
sesses the most marvellous magma
ton for such things, and if 1 make fun
Of his impossible stories she becomes
angry in an instant"
II am afraid you do not greatly ad-
mire this Miss Spencer"
"Oh, but l do; truly l do. You must
not think me ungrateful. No one has
v helped me more, and beneath
this mask of a~rtificiality she Is really
a noble-hearted m l do not un-
derstand the necessity for people to
lead false lives. Is it this way in all
society-eastern society, l mean? Do
men and women there continually
scheme and firt, smile and stab, for.
ever assuming parts like so many play
actors?"
1T is far too common" he admitted,
touched by her naive questioning.
What is known as fashionable social
life has become an almost pitiful
sham, and you can scarcely conceive
the relief it is to meet with one utter.
ly uncontaminated by it's miserable de.
lceits, it's shallow make-believes. It is
mo wonder you shock the nerves OF
ssuch people; the deed is easily accom-.
Eplished."
! But I do not mean TO-" And she
looked at him gravely, striving to
make him comprehend. II try SO hard
to be-be commonplace. and-and sat
Asfied. Only there is so much that
seems silly, useless, pitifully con.
4temptible that I lose all patience.
Perhaps 1 need proper training in what
Miss Spencer calls refinement; but
why should I pretend to like what !
don't like, and to believe what 1 don't
Hoflieve? Cannot one act a lie as well
as speak one? And is it no longer
right to search after the TRUTH"
II have always felt it was u duty
to discover the truth wherever posi-.
ble," he said, thoughtfuliy; yet,
confess, the search is not fashionable,
nor the earnest seeker popular"
A little trill of laughter flowed from
between her parted lips, but the sound
was not altogether merry.
Most certainly / am not. They all
scold me, and repeat with manifest
horror the terrible things I say, being
unconscious that they are evil. Why
should l suspect thoughts that come
to me naturally. 1 want to know, to
understand. / grope about in the
dark. 1t seems to me sometimes thai
this whole world is a mystery. l &c
to Mr.. Wynkoop with my questions
and they only seem to shock him
Why should they? God must have pu'
all these doubts ahd wonderings init
my mind, and there must be an an
swer for them somewhere. Mr.. Wyn
koop is a good man, l truly respec
him. I want to please him, and l ad
rmire his intellectual attainments; bu
how can he accept so much on faitl
and be content? / know I am q per
feet heathen,-Miss Spencer says
.am.-but do you think 1t is SO awful
for me to want to know these things?
"You merely express clearly wha
thousands feel without the moral coui
age.to utter 1t. The saddest part Of 1
'kii Is. the deeper we delve the less W
Sars satisfed In our intellectual ns
lures. We merely succeed In learninI
that we are the veriest pygmies. Me-
like Mr.. Wynkoop are simply drive
shack upon faith y Z last resort. abst