The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1909-11-25

80 S"N "HoNNiNu, V"hiDutsiAiH
the word-fo. You do not unde
t stand. Tomorrow | shall so to S
d John to live under his roof as his con
+ panion and fellow-worker. There is {
be nc empty ceremony
2 AS the idea came home to Wilmer
his chest heaved, his features swelle
with rising rage. Good Lord h
cried, you surely won't do anythin
so mad as that It's been tried befor
and it isn't good enoughi'
She answered. unmoged, coldly d,
cisiye: we are quite determine
in the stand we shall take. Where III
%cowardly draw back, we dare"
Listen to me-" He spoke earnestly
the anger dying away in his voice. .
can't see you ruin Yourself II yoI
can't live without this young scam
III give you your freedom and you car
marry him decently."
Still you do not understand" sh'
said. You urge on me the conven
tional ~cowardice; you would rob my
act Of its soul. Ours is to be a purely
spiritual communion, a fearless union
of predestined souls
He threw back his head. Cod
You can't be deceived by such rot!
Iou can't be duped, like a green girl,
by a vulgar fellow who sugars his low
motives with a thin coating of
ethicsl"
Her spirit rose to arms in defense
OF the absent one.
"Dcre-a.
understand that | VIII listen to no
abuse Of st. John. When we have
won IL battle. when he has proved
himself, then it viii be time enough
to pass Judgment
Then" he gasped-"then L viii be
700 late. He will have dragged you
through the mire.7
She ~shuddered; his reference to the
mud with which a conventional world
bespatters the unconventional con-
jured up an unpleasant picture. Yet a
sense of heroism buoyed her up: all
women are potential martyrs.
jim she said, almost p~leadingly,
won't you try to understand? Our
union is to be purely spiritual, a COM
munion of mind, a marriage of souls.
no more" :.
know my world, he observed,
brutally, and men are men the world
over
A fine scorn burned in her eye.
There are men, she said, who can
understand a noble alliance between
a man and a woman. Evidently things
OF the spirit pass You comprehen-
sion
His ear caught the accent on the
your and he WINGED, feeling the
edge.
"And st. John" he cried. passionate
ly, "he, l suppose. is an adept in
p~latonism. How do you judge between
him and me2 Have you put him TO
any test? Has he been with you
when the lights were low, when the
passion of the night burns in the
blood? Has he leaned towards you as
l do now and felt the air throb with
the beating of your heart? You've ex-
changed notions on ethics in crowded
room and you judge him by
that! If he were with 0 now, do
You think he'd still pirate of platoon
ism? III wager not for longi"
She drew back, drawing her draper
les away from his concentrating
For your own sake l wish | could
to you the mans purity of pur-
pose, his holiness of SOUL"
The thought came to him in a fash:
Here was his chance. "Pf,ve it, he F:
Urged; put him to a tesf. All I ask f;
S a fair chance :
She raised her eyebrows in interro- ;
'Ogation: How"
In the thronging thou ats of the /:
moments silence his deg..tior to her |:
ose to heroic heights, topping mere
igoism and personal vanity. Fear of :
he leering, hooting world faded from j
lis mind; his one thought was to save i
Ter. H
Go to him now!' he cried. breath |;
go to him tonight Go 10 him !:
S yog are' Let him feel the mystery j:
I your beauty, the power of your /:
resence, and then The gap was i
loquent beyond mere words. !;
For answer she turned and deliber- !:
tely pressed the button summoning j:
er maid. He will not fail me-" she i
aid, simply. The maid appeared and Il
TODD behind her mistress, discreetly !;
conspicuous. #
In the doorway Mrs. Winners turned. !;
am unafreid. Good-by." Her hand !:
as outstretched, but he did not see !:
He was leaning against the mantel- II
Iece, his face in his hands, his shout !.
srs heaving. Col" he cried, "goi" /:
A moment later the slam of the fl
rect door echoed through The house. i;
In the dim, ~high-ceiIinged room VIII il;
ers sat alone. sunk in the Morris i;
lair, his chin on his crumpled shirt H:
'som, his arms hanging limp at his z:
des. The Louis Quinze clock which -.
70 silt Cupids forever bore on their n:
'lifted palms struck u in persistent 4:
Il:
His watery glance wandered aim IT:
ssly about the room and paused for n;
at the dOorwav- II bod NJ: