Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-01-11
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 cu1prit.
What did you talk about? But, pshaw,
1 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 I not guessed
aright?"
Partially, at least; gome such ex-
pressions were used"
''Of course, they always are. 1 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 1 make fun
of his impossible stories she becomes
angry in an instant"
Il am afraid you do not greatly ad-
mire this Miss Spencer
"Oh, but do; truly l do. You must
not think me ungrateful. No one has
ever helped me more, and beneath
this mask of artificiality she is really
a noble-hearted woman. / do not un-
derstand the necessity for people to
lead false lives. Is it this way in all
society-eastern society, 1 mean? Do
men and women there continually
scheme and fiirt, smile and stab, for
ever assuming parts like SO many play
actors?"
TT 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 its miserable de-
ceits, its shallow make-be1ieves. 1t is
no wonder you shock the nerves of
such people; the deed is easily accom-
plished.''
But 1 do not mean to- And she
looked at him gravely, striving to
make him comprehend. Il try so hard
to be-be commonplace, and-and sat
isfied. Only there is SO much that
seems silly, useless, pitifully con-
temptible that 1 lose all patience
Perhaps 1 need proper training in what
Miss Spencer calls refinement; but
why should 1 pretend to like what
don't like, and to believe what 1 don't
believed? Cannot one act 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-
ble," he said. thoughtfully; yet, 1
confess, the search is not fashionable,
nor the earnest seeker popular"
A little trill of laughter flowed from
hot r. \ =
was not altogether merry.
Most certainly I am not They all
scold me, and repeat with manifest
horror the terrible things say, being
unconscious that they are evil. Why
should 1 suspect thoughts that come
to me naturally. 1 want to know, to
understand. 1 grope about in the
dark. 1t seems to me sometimes that
this whole world is a mystery. 1 go
to Mr.. Wynkoop with my questions,
and they only seem to shock him.
Why should they? God must have put
all these doubts and wonderings into
my mind, and there must be an an
swer for them somewhere. Mr.. Wyn-
koop is a good &,an, I~truIy respect
him. l want to please him, and ..d
mire his intellectual attachments; kat
how can he a&cept SO much ON sxfth
and be context? 1 know 1 am \ per-
feet heathen.-Miss Spencer says /
am.-but do you think it is so awful
for me to want to know these things 81
You merely express clearly what
thousands feel without the moral cour-
age to utter it The saddeat part of ii
all is, the deeper we delve the less we
are satisfied in our intellectual ma
lures We merely succeed in learning
that we are the veriest pygmies. Men
like Mr. Wynkoop are simply driven
back upon faith as a last resort. ALSO