The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-11-27
Ing at him and blushing in confusion.
Mem" he cried. What men?"

Mem" he cried. What men?"
Il will tell you tomorrow"
She sighed deeply at the thought OF
the revelation.
well then" he continued, ut isn't
because you are beautiful, or because
you are wise, or because you are
learned, or because you are kind it is
because you are you that love you"
And If were none of these
things?"
y would love you just the same"
But am not what you think me in
some ways"
Il could never think highly enough
of you, I know that"
mo, no, 1t isn't that. When l tell
you"
She stopped and looked at him pa
ling. After all the greater test was
to come then. ITO err" she remem-
bered the ancient Latin proverb, was
human; to forgive divine" Would he
be human or divine, in this trial? Had
she SO trained him that he could for
give the unforgiveable? In more ways
than one her happiness depended
upon what would be his course. If
he forgave her and condoned her
fault, their love could have free
course II ever opportunity for benz
son upon 1t presented. But II he
followed the common course of men.
not only would any future union be-
tween them on the only terms to
which she could consent be impos-
sible, but he would kill her heart, her
trust in man-sometimes. she wildly
believed, her trust in God.
Nothing, nothing" he repeated.
that you could tell me would make
any difference"
So lovers have protested, she re-
called, since time and the world be.
gan. And yet things told have made
differences. What would 1t do for their
future, this revelation OF the morrow :?
And again she realized that the test,
II she herself were compelled to make
it, would not be exactly fair, for she
would be at once prosecuting attor-
ney, advocate for the defense, even
in some phase the passer Of judgment.
She would be the criminal and the
world to him. 1t would hardly be
possible for him to arrive at a correct
view and come to q determination un-
biased and free. II she could have
transported him by some magic pow
er among the children of men. and
with them for auditory have told her
story, the test would be a true one.
What he would do then after having
heard the worlds voices, the worlds
appeals, the worlds mockeries, would
truly determine what he was, and in
no other way could that determine.
ton be arrived at. Though she strove
to be as impartial as divinity, she
could not but make her defense coin.
cident with her revelation, her justifi-
cation at the same time with her con-
domination. He knew nothing of life
but what she and instinct had taught
him. and neither would be safe guides
in this emergency. He could protest
and she could believe his protests, but
unless they were uttered not merely
before high heaven but before sur
rounding men, they would be of little
value. .
She put this by resolutely at last.
We are the creatures of circumstance
and environment. She would have to
do the best that she could on the
morrow. Meanwhile she would, as she
had said, enjoy the day. And so the
morning hours wore away until the
time came for the customary parting.
At first she would have abandoned, In
the luxury Of the new passion, or the
new revelation of the old passion, the
customary rule, but she still preserved
some lingering remains of her common
sense and she clearly perceived that
1t was necessary to 60 on as they
had. Society cannot proceed without
its conventions and these simple regu-
lations were their conventions which
had to be obeyed. And 30 they parted.
But parted as they had never parted
before. torn asunder by their own
compliance with their own petty rules,
their hearts protesting.
Long before the earthquake they
had erected on the topmost hill of the
island huge pile of dead wood from
the groves beneath.
When they had parted she had sug-
gested to him-and it was significant
that now it was a suggestion; yester-
day 1t would have been a command
that he should take time to ascend the
hill and rearrange the great heap of
wood which they had builded. During
all the time that had elapsed since she
had been there no sail had whitened
the horizon, no curl of smoke had be-
tokened the distant passing of a
steamer. But no spot of the globe
could forever remain unvisited, she
thought. and some day that pile of
wood might make a beacon light to
call civilization to them. He was glad
to comply with her suggestion. glad
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