The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-04-02

i. to be herself only when we are alone.
Perhaps" she suddenly looked up at
him, IF l saw you with other Ieoplc
you, too, would seem artificial to me
and to be actiI g part"
| There's no telling, Eunice, what
your unclouded eyes would seer'
"Some things seem so strange she
went on; Amt Eunicc and all the
people who mike up what she calls her
set (meaning a sort Of clam are so
hemmed in by social laws, so ham
pered on all sides by perfectly meaning
less rules and customs, so taken w
with details which are trivial and un-
essential-and very tiresome to them
selves, but which they nevertheless
take heed to-for what reason 1t is
hard to make out-that at times they
all seem like puppets moving at the
pull of string-with no freedom of
motion at all and no spontaneity. 1t
stiles mev'
go on" he urged when she paused.
her fresh Impressions interesting him
Il ask myself sometimes, Is all life
slavery, only in different forms? Ev-
cry one seems to be in bondage of
some sort. The men of Aunt Eunicc'S
clan are slaves to the women: a man
allows himself to become a mere mon
ey making machine for no other ap-
parent reason than to keep his wife
and daughters in idleness or to give
them opportunity to cultivate them
selves. 1t seems that the man doesn't
need time for culture. It's no obiec-
t1On to him if he does have some cul-
ture, but it must not interfere with
his money r.aking But the women
must have leisure for the study of art
for society and other feminine occupa-
tons. Aunt Eunice says that if n
man is gentleman he will work night
and day to give his wife or daughter
absolute leisure to do as she pleases
I don't see the sanity Of it or the
justice. If woman does not rear
at some vocation. IL she is simply the
daughter Of a household, spending her
time cultivating herself in music and
literature and gracing social affairs, of
what significance is her existence in
the economy of the universe? What
point has her life?"
She turned to him with her old visit
ful appeal. These commonplace prob
lens. so new to her. were evidently
vexing her sorcly.
'1s it perhaps enough just to be- he
suggested. eff only one be lovely and
good and n delight to others?''
But" she objected. 'is 1t possible
to be anything worth while-anything
strong and wOrthy-without work. eff
fort. responsibility? I am looking on
at life not to judge and criticise. but
only to learn. but sometimes Judgment
is forced upon me by what I see.'
"And perhaps you, with your unso-
phisticated eyes, may be able to sec
deeper truth than is vouchsafed to old
buffers like us-yOur aunt and me-
mean"
But" she answered impetuously.
whatever impresses me I try to see
through your eyes as we'll as my own.
wondering what you would think
about this or that which bewilders or
puzzles me. In everything that | do
or see your presence seems to be with
me constantly. have longed so I'M
speakably to have all these experiences
with you actually and not just in
fancy"
Kinross felt the blood surge to his
very forehead. He answered her with
an abrupt question.
"Why did you leave my letter unan-
swered, Eunice?"
Her eyes fell She did not reply at
once
II couldn't write to YOU"
"And Why"
"Aunt Eunice kept urging me to
write. She said I must express my
gratitude to you for all you had done
for me, but my feeling for you is SO
far above gratitude-it is a feeling SO
much larger and greater than that
Yet" she added. her head dropping Il
could not write of it to you, and so
could not write at all, for there is to !
me sacredness In my feeling for you
WHICH, NOulu Seciu UeIIttIeu anu even
by my not being true to it.
could write to you out of the fullnesS |
Of my heart or be silent"
He suddenly caught her hand, hang |
ing at her side, and clasped it in a |
grip that hurt her. IF you had writ |
ten to me out Of the fullness Of your |
heart, oh, you Incompatible He
checked himself and dropped her fin |
gers with an abruptness that made her |
feel as though he had flung them off.
Life is such farce, Eunice." he |
answered coldly. that, generally |
speaking, it is wiser to do as you did |
TO refrain from speaking out of the
'ullness Of the heart. But what may
ask, restrained your
She looked panied and hurt, both at
his tone and his words.
Il feared" she answered, with 4
gentle sadness, that l might weary
vou, DR.. Kinross''
His laugh sounded to her sardonic.
Weary me? Let me tell you some
hing. The night l saw you off on
FOUR train for New York there was a
sudden drop in my spiritual thermom-
ter that left me torpid. bored, SICK to
leath of the not-worth- whileness of
.hings. After few days l wrote to
you, and the expectation of hearing
Rom you revived me somewhat. But