The Hattiesburg news., 1909-11-26
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original relation to the man had been
one OF so great superiority as to be
fatal to the early development of any
feeling but the maternal. Even now
she possessed the superiority which
association with her kind, her longer
training and her greater opportunities
had given her. And yet she could only
recognize that to the impartial view
considering his abilities and oppor-
tunities he stood quite on a level with
her. Perhaps had he enjoyed her
chances he might have stood higher.
She began to idealize him, to dream
about him, to wonder. She trembled
on the verge of passion. She knew his
to be brilliant mind. She OWNED
his to be knightly soul. Physically
In face and figure, no more splendid
man, untrammeled by base convention,
ever stood upon the earth's surface.
Grace and strength mingled in har-
mony that was as striking as 1t was
full of charm. She had no opportuni-
ty to test his courage, for no physical
danger ever menaced them. But she
believed in his manhood thoroughly.
The woman had had bitter expert
ence with love. Following what she
believed to be the highest Inspiration
she had wrecked her life and brought
herself to this pass. The revolt in
her soul at the thought of the man
who had so degraded her. or who had
10 taken advantage Of her ignorance
and innocence-the more complete
since they were covered by a conf
dence Of knowledge and sophistication
AS to allow her to degrade herself,
convinced her that what she had mis-.
taken for divine light was only false
fire, an ignis fatuus which had led her
into the marsh and slough Of slime
and shame. She loathed the thought
Of that man. She had loathed, whom
she had been thrown upon that island,
the thought OF all men. This one
had given back her confidence in her
kind. Yet sometimes she wondered
whether that confidence were war
ranted or not because of him. Sup
pose he should come in touch with
the world, what would happen7 Was
he, too. capable of breaking a wo-
mans heart? Would he do 1t? Was
hers the heart? What would the soil
ing touch of the sordid conditions un-
der which life was lived, as she had
known it, do for him? Would he still
be unspotted? Would he think her
the same? She had taught him many
things. But how should he learn to
fight temptations, temptations with
which he had no experience, which
never came to him, she fondly
dreamed.
Yet she had confidence in him. She
had confidence in God, and we cannot
have confidence in God without some
confidence in man. The converse, too,
is true. Therefore she believed. She
was confident that he would rise su-
preme in the face of every test. She
wondered II the test would ever be ap.
piled to him. II she would be there to
see. She found herself praying for
affirmation In both matters. Her be-
lief in him would only be belief
founded upon hope until he had been
tried. There was a doubt about him
that must be resolved; she must re-
solve It. She could never be satisfied,
In spite Of her belief. until she had
done 30. The very fact that she
thought 80 keenly upon the subject;
that she was SO interested and en-
crossed in the situation was evidence
to her that she cared more for the
man than she had dreamed 1t possible.
And what of him? For once her in
tuition failed her. She wanted to see
him tested and tried; she wanted to
see him tempted and triumphant, but
he was all Of that in those very hours
in which she fancied him so unthink-
ing. 1t never occurred to her that he
might entertain an earthly passion for
her. She still, from ancient habit, be-
lieved herself so far above him that
such an ambition would have been lit
tie less than sacrilege to him. She
lulled herself to sleep with that idea.
She believed, she knew, of course,
that ali that was needed was a sug-
gestion from her. To love is the lot
Oh man. lnlS Idu udu seen uO OIueI
than her. If she said the word, it
would be accomplished. She held
the only key to his heart; her hand
could unlock it on the instant. She
forgot the master key and the Master
Hand.
He had controlled that strange
trembling that used to take him when
ever he touched her, but she could
feel his pulse beat and throb when by
chance there was any contact even
of the casual between them. Some
times he had asked her strange ques-
tons which she had put by, and some,
times she caught him looking at her
in strange ways that sent the blood to
her skin, and sometimes turned her
pale. Yet she lived In the fools para
disc. She did not awake to the possi-
bilities of that which she had made
him because her apprehension of him
had not kept pace with his apprehen-
sion of her. To her he was still In
some degree the creature that he had
been and sometimes sha Thought ,nc-