The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-06-18
CHAPTER xv.-contlnued.


The case seems fully proved" she
confessed, laughingly. "and 1t is sure
~ not my duty TO punish the culprit.
What did you talk about? But, pshaw,
Z know well enough without asking
she told you how greatly she admired
che romance of the west. and begged
you to call upon her with a recital of
Sour own exploits. Have not guessed
Arigbtf"
Partially. at least; some such ex-
bressions we're used"
'Of course, they always are. do
not know whether they form merely a
part Of her stock In trade. or are
spoken earnestly. You would laugh 70
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 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 l do; truly do. You must
not think me ungrateful No one has
ever helped me more, and beneath
this mask Of artificiaii;y she is really
asnoble-hearted woman do not I'M
-derstand the necessity for people to
head false lives Is It this way In all
.society-eastern society. ! mean? Do
men and women there continually
scheme and firt. smile and stab for
ever assuming parts like so many play
-actors?"
III 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 II Is TO meet with one utter
ly uncontaminated by its miserable ae-
-ceits, it's shallow make believes. IL is
no wonder you shock the nerves ~
such people; the deed is easily accom-
piished."
But | 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
&. fed Only there is so much that
Aeems silly. useless. pitifully con
semptible that | lose all patience
Perhaps need proper training in what
Miss Spencer calls refinement; but
why should pretend to like what
-don't like, and to believe what l don't
believe? Cannot one act lie as well
as speak one, And is il no longer
right to search after the truth? %
L have always felt it was our duty
TO discover the truth wherever posi-
bIe." 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 ! am not They all
scold me. and repeat with manifest
horror the terrible things l say. being
unconscious that they are evil. Why
should suspect thoughts that come
20 me naturally. want to know, to
understand. ! grope about In the
dark. II seems to me sometimes that
this whole world Is a mystery. l go
60 Mr.. Wynkoop with my questions,
and they only seem to shock him.
Why should they? God must have PIT
oil these doubts and wonderings into
my mind, and there must be an an-
aver for them somewhere. Mr.. Wyn-
koop Is a good man. truly respect
him. l want to please him, and ad-
smire his intellectual attainments; but
how can he accept so much on faith
and be content? | know | am a per
sect heathen,- Spencer says /
am,-but do you think 1t is so awful
for me 20 want TO know these things?"
You merely express clearly what
thousands feel without the moral cour-
age to utter IT, The saddest part OF It
all is. the deeper we delve the less we
are satisfied in our intellectual ma
tsrss. We merely succeed in learning
that we are the veriest pygmies. Men
ifke Mr.. Wynkoop are simply driven
ssok upon faith as last resort. abso-