Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-02-05
CHAPTER XV.-continued.


The case seems fully proved" she
confessed, laughingly, and it is sure
ly not my duty to punish the culprit
What did you talk about? But, pshaw,
l know we'll 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 / not guessed
aright?"
Partially, at least; some such ex-
pressionS were used"
"Of course, they always are. l do
not know whether they form merely
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 l make fun
of his impossible stories she becomes
angry in an instant"
Il am afraid you do not greatly ad-
mire this Miss Spencer" D.,
"Oh, but l do; truly l do. You must
not think me ungrateful. No one has
| ever helped me more, and beneath
this mask of artificiaiity she is really
a noble-hearted woman. l do not I'M
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 flirt. 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 uncortaminated by it's miserable de-
ceits, its shallow make-believes. It is
no wonder you shock the nerves Of
such people; the deed is easily accom-
plished."
But l do not mean to-" And she
locked at him gravely, striving to
make him comprehend. Il try so hard
to be-be commonplace, and-and sat
is1ied. Only there is so much that
seems silly, useless, pitifully con
temptible that l lose all patience.
Perhaps | need proper training in what
Miss Spencer calls refinement; but
why should l pretend to like what l
don't like, and to believe what | don't
believe? Cannot one act a lie as well
as speak one? And is it no longer
right to search after the TRUTH"
Il have always felt it was our duty
to discover the truth wherever posi-
bic" he said, thoughtfully; 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 l am not. They al
scOld me, and repeat with nantes
horror the terrible things l say, beins
unconscious that they are evil VIII!
should l suspect thoughts that com,
to me naturally. l want to know, t
understand. l grOpe about in tn
dark. 1t seems to me sometimes tina
this whole world is q mystery. | g
r TO Mr. Wynkoop with my questions
and they only seem to shock him
, Why should they? God must have pu
all these doubts and wonderings int
my mind, and there must be an ar
swer for them somewhere. Mr.. Wyr
; koop is a good man, | truly respec
him. l want to please him, and | aC
mire his intellectual attainments: bu
how can he accept SO much on fait
| and be content? l know l am a pel
feet heathen,-Miss Spencer says
+ am,-but do you think it is SO awfr
I for me to want to know these things ?
!, You merely express clearly wha
thousands feel without the moral cou
age to utter it. The saddest part of
7 all is, the deeper we delve the less W
p are satisfied in our intellectual nj
lures. We merely succeed in learn
that We are the veriest pygmies. Me
like Mr.. Wynkoop are simply drive
bac.: upon faith rs t l:t resort, abs