The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-26


could. fred mp at her accusations.
Il think, May" she demonstrated
with al her dignity. that you cannot
say any more such things In my hus-
bands house."
Yes" added. I'VE have had too
much talk all around You can't change
my character any more than you can
make wheat grow In Arizona or sugar
cane in Dakota. And don't want to
change your views either. May"
For though she made me pretty an
CRY. I admired the way she stood to
her guns. She was q aghter. And
WIN must act as she decided. Who
ever travelled with her would have to
travel by her star.
Yes" my brother replied. ITS gone
too far now TO change. Words don't
do any coed. Come. wife. let us 60"
Il am sorry for Sarah" May said.
taking Sarah's hands in hers. ''She
suffers for you. Van. and she will suf-
fer for this all her life. But I am
sorrier for you. Van. for you have
gone too far to suffer"
Thereupou she swept out OF the
room, her little figure swelling with
dignity. sud Will followed her as the
needle swings to its magnet. pausing
only long enough to reach for my hand
and press 1t. When the front door shut
upon them the house seemed suddenly
cold and empty. Sarah had slipped
back to the lounge and was staring up
at tho ceiling. a tear trickling across
her face.
Il suppose May won't ever come back
again. And We were planning to take
q cottage this summer 80 that the chill
dren could be together"
That detail didn't seem to me very
important, but 1t was the one that
showed to Sarah the gulf which had
opened between Us. Sarah's little
world by that token had suffered an
earthquake.
"Oh." l said. trying to comfort her.
like as not this will blow over! May
has disapproved Of me before this"
But in my heart I felt there wasn't
much likelihood that this breach would
be healed. knowing May a. I did,
had no idea that she would let WIN
continue with me. even In another po-
sition. No compromise for her. To-
morrow or next day VIII would come
into the ONCE to take his leave.
II guess Van. III 60 to bed"
1t was the first word Sarah had spo-
ken for half an hour. The tears had
dried on her face. She gave me q
light kiss and left me.
The house seemed cold and desolate
as IL the pleasant kindness Of life
had gone out of 1t when my brother
and his wife had left. I made up the
fire, lighted q fresh cigar and sat down
to think. Somehow years had gone
by in that evening. was heavy with
the heaviness Of middle life.
To take the other road. her road
that was what May demanded OF me.
How little she knew the situation!
That would mean immediate ruin foa
me- and mine, and for those men VIII
had trusted me with their money. The
world that had been building al
these years would crumble and vanisf
like smoke into the void out Of whict
I had made 1t! Not that Mays tall
had meaning or sense to it either. MOI
do men made as l am alter at thu
sound Of words. We are as we are
and We grow with the power to do thai
which We must do May was merely
an unreasonable and narrow woman
who saw but one kind Of good.
In all the forty years Of my lif'
there had been no evil as I know evil
No man could say that he had harm
from me-unless it might be poor Et
Hostetter-and for thousands Of sucl
workers as live from day to day, de
pending on men like me to give then
| their chance to earn bread for thei
wives and children, had made tn
| world better rather than worse. Cn
thinking thousands lived and had chill
dren and got what good there was II
life because Of me and my will.
But to the others. the good ones; t.
Farson and Dround ana May, l wa
but q common thief, q criminal. VIII
fattened on the evil Of the world. VIVA
had they done to make life7 Wha
was their virtue good for? They tool
the dainty paths and kept their clothe
from the soil Of the road. Yes, ant
what then? A removed sense Of irri
tation rose within mo. Why should
be psstered Nike tAis7 Why should
lose my brother and May? VII.
should Sarah be hart1 Because the,
were too COED 70 do 40 I had dooe7
50 my brother and May went thei
way. They left me lonely. Fer tn
f1rst time since the day, many year
before, when I walked out Of the pc
lice station alone into the city. tn
loneliness Of life came over me. To
morrow in the daylight. In the nerc
light Of the day. that weakness woul'
20. But tonight there was No han
to reach. no Voice to speak, from tn
multitude Of the world. One perso,
only of all would know, would plac
big and little side by side and reckon
them rightly-would understand tn
ways I had followed 70 get my ends
Jane Dround would throw them all
smile Of contempt. the little ones VIII
weigh and hesitate!
There was the soul Of the fighter.
CHAPTER XIII.
| HAPP1NEsA.
Learn Of Mr. Dro,sn6s tssteneions-1
plea for myself-Despots-A ,co,ndn
| he0rf-ThE tsco n the tcOrl0 tE0t az