Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-11-18

CHASTITY under its coat Of sun tan. She
walked away wrestling with herself.
Smith stood as impassive as fate.
But on his brow a dampness had gath
cred, and she had seen the sweat beads
ooze there as he spoke.
The little cool clad form with its
clinging skirt returned slowly.
"Jimsy, why did he charge you to
tell me these thingsr
why? ] don't know. Because I'm
his friend and yours, I suppose. Be
cause there was no one else could do
it."
"And, like the good man you are,
you were governed in your decision by
the rule Of right and wrong"
''That was about it, If you cut out
the qualification Of me-"
"And, having been Influenced to as
sumo this role Of ambassador by a
sense Of duty and loyalty feeling
bound to do so for the very reason that
would have deferred man Of ordi-
nary moral callber, you would have
adhered to the rule though every word
of your counsel had been to you as the
scar of white hot iron and its utter
ance had been death"
For the first time IN her life she saw
a look Of sternness pass over his face.
And 1t was mingled with pain.
"Emma," he said, 81 guess wen go
down now. And we'd better take q
short cut, II there Is one. or we won't
be home for dinner You must be
hungry, and Of all the
mo, Jimsy, hear me-" she interrupt
ed. you must and shall hear me.
You have said what you had to say.
Now 1t Is my turn, and l. too, will
speak plainly. You believe-you know
Il am and always have been a good
woman. You believe that l was faith
full, as far as was humanity possible,
to the spirit as well as the letter OF
my marriage vows. made fervently,
trustingly. / swore to love and honor
Joe Brooks. 1t was easy. for / did
then love and honor him beyond I'M
Outstanding now. But neither love
nor honor is kept alive eternally by the
virtue of an oath in the face Of de
lnsi0n and worthlessness. Gold was
tinsel; diamond was glass You were
witness to the slow numbering Of love,
and you saw it strangled and thrown
down at the last as he would have
strangled me had you not prevent
ed"
He would have spoken. but she
checked him with a gesture OF COM
mand.
mo, don't interrupt Hear me to
the end and then speak What is this
thing that you are asking me to dor
You are asking me to go to a living
death, to make of my heart sep
ulcher Of all sweet or elevatlng emo
ton, to surrender my lips to the fetid
kiss of an lscariot. to deliver my body
to his loathsome embraces, while my
soul sickens with disgust and horror
my body that he would have betrayed,
hired out for piece Of silver and.
gloating, taken back again You are
asking me to immediate myself with all
that hold sacred and beautiful on an
altar that you style duty. Now apply
your rule 70 this Is It right? Is It
wrong? Oh Jimsy. answer mel Be
fore God, is 1t rightr'
She stood trembling with the vehe-
mence OF her defense and the strength
Of her feeling. her arms outstretched
m Interrogation and appeal
great sigh was the indication of
the conflict that was raging In Smiths
heart, and for one single instant the
mask Of impenetrability fell from his
face.
She read the answer there.
Removing feverlshly the glove from
her left hand. she forced from her
finger the wedding ring that In the
years had frightened closely upon It
and hurled It from her. 1t rIcochetted
on rock and went bounding over the
outer edge Of the plateau far down
into the painless. tangled brush Of the
almost perpendicular decllvIty.
Smith turned away IN silence, and In
silence they made their way back
along the little path up which they
had come. Neither spoke. even at the
difficult places when he stretched out
his hand and helped her with its
strong, sustaining clasp.
Jimsy was grave and distracted. In
LIS ACAh1CAuauI uC nuU 100
deeply OF the waters OF knowledge,
and they were bittersweet, heavily
impregnated with regret and dismay.
Emma had discovered the secret
which for years he had guarded so
jealousy and-oh. the blissful torture
Of iti-had revealed to him that she
loved him. This was the outcome OF
his self sacrificing mission on behalf
Of the husband who stood between
them with the right Of the might OF
law and the conventions and whose
trust was in the keeping Of his honor.
His role Of platonic friendship was
ended His privileged relations with
the woman who was dearer to him
than life could no longer be main
tanned. The home Of the Harris fam