, 1910-01-20

"@ thC SuDlcCl.
You love me-" she said at last, be
cause o think me more than I am,
oecause," she ran on In spite of his
protesting gesture. checking his deny
Ing word, because you have seer no
other woman, because"
Il will not hear another word" he
cried, finding voice at last and stop
ping her. 81 know not m or man
save as I know you and myself, save
as you have taught me by the women
OF whom o have read me in that
single book we have, the women of
whom you have told me who have
played their parts in the world. All
OF them together are not like you"
That is because l am alive and
here and they are dead and away"
II they all stood here by me on the
sand. If all their ex~cellencies and vir.
tues were conferred upon one and she
TODD by you on the sand, my heart
would turn to you. 1t isn't because
you are beautiful. You are beautiful,
are you not?"
Poor man, he had no standards of
comparison, only the instinct for the
lovely.
Men said so,' she answered. smil-
ing at him and blushing in confusion.
Mem" he cried. What men?"
Il will tell you tomorrow"
She sighed deeply at the thought of
the revelation.
We'll then" he continued. ut isn't
because you are beautiful, or because
you are wise, or because you are
learned, or because you are kind; it is
because you are you that l love you"
And If were none Of these
things?"
81 would love you Just the same"
But l am not what you think me in
some ways"
Il could never think highly enough
of you. l know that"
No, no, it isn't that. When l tell
you"
She stopped and looked at him pa
ling. After all the greater test was
to COM then. To err" she remem-
bered the ancient Latin proverb, was
human; to forgive divine" Would he
be human or divine in this trial? Had
she SO trained him that he could for
give the unforgiveable? In more ways
than one her happiness depended
upon what would be his curse. If
he forgave her and condoned her
fault, their love could have free
course If ever opportunity for beni-
son upon 1t presented. But II he
followed the common course of men,
not only would any future union be-
tween them on the only terms to
which she could consent be impos-
sible, but he would kill her heart. her
trust in man-soms!imes, she wildly
believed. her trust in God.
Nothing. nothing" he repeated,
that you could tell me would make
any difference"
So lovers have protested. she re-
called, since time and the world be-
gan. And yet things told have made
differences. What would 1t do for their
future, this revelation Of the morrow?
And again she realized that the test,
If she herself were compelled to make
1t, would not be exactly fair, for she
would be at once prosecuting attor-
ney. advocate for the defense, even
In some phase the passer of judgment.
She would be the criminal and the
world to hi~. 1t would hardly be
possible for him to arrive at a correct
view and come to a determination I'M
biased and free. II she could have
transported him by some magic pow
er among the children Of men, and
with them for auditory have told her
story, the test would be a r one.
What he would do then after having
heard the worlds voices, the worlds
appeals, the worlds mockeries, would
truly determine what he was, and In
no other way could that determine
ton be arrived at. Though she strove
to be as impartial as divinity. she
could not but make her defense coin
cident with her revelation. her justifi-
cation at the same time with her con-
demnation. He knew nothing Of life
but what she and instinct had taught
him, and neither would be safe guides
in this emergency. He could protest
and she could believe his protests. but
unless they were uttered not merely
before high heaven but before sur
rounding men. they would be Of little
value.
She put this by resolutely at last.
are the creatures OF circumstance
and environment. She would have to
do the best that she could on the
morrow. Meanwhile she would, as she
had said, enjoy the day. And SO the
morning hours wore away until the
time came for the customary parting.
At first she would have abandoned. In
the luxury Of the new passion, or b
new revelation of the old passion, the
customary rule, but she still preserved
some lingering remains of her common
sense and she clearly perceived that
It was necessary to go on as they
had. Society cannot proceed without
its conventions and these simple regu-
lations we're their conventions which