Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-06-10

&I fortu e /
enough, You diff
!" =" nc s"'" fer from your
SS'' ancestors. You
are unable to understand marital
lively for us ALL"
1T is true" said Sylvia deliberately
''that could not be treacherous Il
anybody. But l am wondering am
asking myself just what constitutes
treachery to myself. I was In love
with him. You knew it,"
"You liked him." insisted Grace pa
tientiy.
mo; loved him. know. Dear
your theories are sound in a general
way, but what is girl going to do
about it when she loves a man? Could
you tell me?"
"If you marry him." said Mrs. Fer
rail- quietly, your life will become a
hell"
Eyes. But would 1t make life any
easier for himY' asked Sylvia.
'How-to know that you had been
dragged DOWN.
mo; | mean could l do anything for
him"
mo woman ever did. That is a sen
timental falsehood OF the emotional.
No woman ever did help a man In that
way Sylvia, If love were the only
question and If you do truly love him.
well. | suppose I'd be fool enough
to advise you TO be a fool. Even then
you'd be sorry. You know what your
future may be You know what you
are fitted for What can you do with
out Howard? In this town your role
would be a very minor one without
Towards money, and you know It,"
yes, l know IT"
"And your sacrifice could not help
that doomed boy"
Sylvia nodded assent.
Then is there any choice? Is there
any question Of what to dor
Sylvia looked out into the winter
sky, through the tops Of snowy trees.
Every where the stark, deathly rigidity
Of winter! Under 1t, frozen, lay the
rain that had scented the air. Under
her ambition lay the ghosts of yester-
day
"No." she said, there is no question
Of choice. know what must be-"
For week or more the snow con-
tinued. Colder. gloomier weather set
In, and the impending menace of Ash
Wednesday redoubled the social pace
eliminating In the Westervelt ball on
the eve of the forty days, and Sylvia
had not yet seen Siward or spoken to
him again across the wilderness OF
streets and men.
In the first relaxation OF Lent she
had instinctively welcomed an oppor.
tunity for spiritual consolation and a
chance to take her spiritual bearings
not because of bodily fatigue. for in
the splendor OF her youthful vigor she
did not know what that meant
To ST. Berold's she went In cure OF
I her soul. She was fond OF Father
! Curtis. who, If he were every inch q
/ priest, was also every foot OF his six
feet man-simple, good ard brave.
However, she found little opportu
/
a word with Father Curtis. 1t was
fashionable to adore Father Curtis
and for that reason she shrank from
vcniurlng any demand upon his time
and nobody else at st. Berold's ap
pealed TO her.
Agatha Caithness was there q great
deal. looking like saint in her sub
dued plumage and very devout, dodg
ing nothing. neither confession MOI
Quarters occasionally lifted eyes
though their gaze. meeting, seemed
lost In dreamy devotion or drowned II
the contemplation OF the spiritual ant
remote
Plank came docilely from his Dutcl
Reformed church to sit beside Leila
AS for Mortimer, once vestryman
he never came at all. There was Q
new set Of men among whom be hat
recently drifted, to the unfeigned dis
gust OF gentlemen like Major Bel
wether-"club" men in the commonel
and more sinister Interpretation OF IN,
word.
Mortimer stayed out at night yer,
frequently now; also he appeared tC
make his money go further or wa
luckler at his card killings" becaus,
he seldom attempted to bully Leila
being apparently content with his al
lowance
Once or twice Plank saw him will
an unusually attractive girl belongin.
to world very far removed from
Leila's. Somebody said she was al
actress when she did anything at al
-one Lydia vyse. somewhat celebrat
ed for an audacity not too delicate
But Plank was no more interested
than any man who can't afford to en-
danger his prospects by a closer &C
quaintance with that sort OF pretty
woman.
Meanwhile Mortimer kept away from
home. wife and church, and Plank FIRE
Quented them. 80 the two men did no
meet very often, and the less they
met the less they found to say to one
another.
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