The Washington herald., 1909-05-02

so commonplace, so trivial. that often
and often she was filed with sickening
disgust Of and contempt for them. Why
should they always spoil the Joy OF Ife2
I What was n her that always caused men
I 10 whine and whimper in love. echOing
with wearisome iteration the old. stock
/ phrases? She had often wondered this,
as she critically looked at her face IN
the mirror, blind 20 the answer writ large
IN the reflection. Yet something IN
her. some spark OF a fire unqUenchable
burned 20 have it so-the fattery. the
Eaiety, the diablerie-spite Of periods OF
sickened safety
And now here was an entirely new SEN
sation. Before her stood q man. erect
massive. unmOved BY her charms-a man
| Of another world She felt for the first
time N her Hfe that she was confronted
by 2 mind that lowered over and domi-
mated her own
Yet so far from feeling resentment or
anger. the thought brought with it an in
expIicable thrill OF Joy. He had cham
pioned herl How kingiy he was COM
I
/ how she had ever endured their contempt
| Ible presence. As she glanced tmorously
at the noble face there stirred within her
the trembling desire OF wonlsnhood 70
throv herself under his protecting will
20 have done forever with the struggle
and 10 her the feeling was wondrous
sweet
| Gilbert Rutherfurd stood silent for q
/ long while. and he. too, was thinking
hard-praying hard. once more he felt
those strings Of new and strange pas
sion, and his bounding heart beat a tat
too Of warning IN his breast. He felt
as though he were leaning over the brink
/ Of a terrible precipfce. He knew intultive-
/ " that he had come TO one Of those cen
traI moments in existence 10 which great
and pregnant issues are linked It mat
tered not that he scorned himself-tbat
the surges OF self-contempt swept through
his soul Ike rillrace He was Ike a
man IN a maelstrom. borne slowly but
surely into its seething vortex, against
his viii. his reason, and his conscience.
He ground his teeth IN the awfulness OF
the struggle. AS q man standing alone
/ on some giddy height madly desires TO
hurl himself headlong into the abyss be
| low. so q fierce access Of desire took him
to fling himself at the girls feet.
He felt himself swaying forward, and
as Il the future were spread out before
him like a map, he saw that this would
/ be the end OF Gilbert Rutherfurd, the
minister.
But Lucy Chancellor saw nothing OF all
this. She only saw a man, frnpassive
stern, dominating. She longed for him
% break the tense silence. for she was
thoroughly frightened now.
Miss Chancellor" he said at length,
| in a husky voice, Il have avenged the
aspersions OF your friends. But-but art
thou not thyself TO blame for ths levity
Of their speech?''
| He tried to be angry with a righteous
Indignation, but somehow he could not
| hide the wistful tenderness that was IN
his heart 7 want TO speak kindly TO
YOU" he said. 'T shink have a right
! the right Of one human soul to pluck an
other from the burning. I speak as your
minister You called me a little while
ago your spiritual adviser Have you
forgotten the solemn time when you took
holy vows before the Session OF the kirk7
Have you forgotten the dying request
/ OF your father that you should make a
public profession OF your faIth?' and az
he spoke his face was lit by the enthu-
sissms that burned N his soul. DO you
forget tbs end Of those who trample or