Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-09-15

this man in compliance with any sug-
gestion Of the world, following any
dictate of society, subservient to any
convention. 1 cannot see but that
would be doing as great or greater
wrong than 1 did before in flaunt-
ing all of these forces. / have learned
what love is and what marriage should
be. Twill not give my hand and yield
up my person where cannot yield my
heart And there is no expiration or
reparation that requires It OF me, no
voice that can coerce me into it. !
will not marry you, Valentine Lang
ford. I will accept your expressions
as evidenced by your words, by your
presence here, as testimony to your
regret. Indeed, l realize that your con-
fession was itself great humiliation
to a man like you. And perhaps have
spoken harshly of it. But the bare
fact remains, do not love you, l could
not love you, l don't even want to love
you. My heart, my soul goes to this
man." she turned to her companion Of
the island, whom up to to-day have
made and fashioned and taught and
trained until these hours when he has
broken away from me. love this
man who stands silent, who thinks of
me as a thing spotted, polluted,
damned. Him love, though he STAY
me, yet will I love him. Him l trust,
though he disobey me, yet will love
him. Him l will serve, though he cast
me of, yet will love him. And with
this in my heart in which l glory and
which confess as openly and with
as little hesitation as YOU confessed
your shame, give you my final, abso-
lutte, utterly irrevocable decision
will not marry you, will not go back
with you. No, not for anything that
you can proffer, nor for any reason
that you can urge, will come to you
when IN my soul belong to another.
There may be no and to this but my
despair. This man may cast me on
This man may trample me under foot
The spots upon my soul may loom
larger in his view and hide what else
is there / know / have been for.
given by God, will not be for.
given by men, but tell you here and
now, again and again, that l will moi
be your wife. will be his wife OF
no mans"
Langford turned away and hid his
face in his hands. Whitaker stepped
forward and laid his hand upon the
shoulder of the man of the island
He shook him for a moment.
you stand immobile," he cried
sharply, latter such a confession a,
that, after such an appeal? VIVA
have you to say, man? You ought Il
get down on your knees and thanl
God for the love of such woman"
"Aye, aye" burst out the deep toesl
of the old coxswain of the cutter. "SC
say all of us"
God help me-" cried the man, lift
ing his hand and releasing his shoul
der from the grasp of the officer, 81 dit
love this woman. Think how 1t was
think how believed in her. No Chris
tisn ever believed in his god as be
lieyed In her. She told me what purit.
was, what innocence was, what sweet
ness was. what light was, what trutl
was, and looked at her and saw
them"
j And you can look at her and Sc,
them now" cried the officer.
mo" said the man. II can neVe
look at her and see her the same"
ooh. Mani Mani" cried the woman.
The test was upon him. He wa
falling. Her sorrow, her gief wer
more for him than for herself
Don't mistake me-" said the man
II can't help loving you, whatever yol
are. If you had been as guilty as
when he began to speak and whei
i you cerroborRted him, fancied TIA