The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-07

 THE MAN WHO ROSE AGAIN
 ......by...... 1JOSEpH ROCKING Copyright 1909, by George Il. Doran
 Company
.by......

your answer is yes or no, means eV- erything to me. For yoU must be-
 come my wife, I tell you you must. The girls eyes flashed refusal, even
 while they did not lack admiration.
 No woman respects a man the less because he will not contemplate re- fusaI.
 Listen, then,'' he went on. "You have heard all sorts of things about
 me. I am an atheist, I am a drunk
 ard, am a cynic, and I laugh at the standards of Mrs. Grundy. Yes, you
 have heard all that"
 And I have no right to interfere
 with your mode of life, ,"she said,
 "only, MT. Leicester-'
 Wait a moment before you say
 what is on your lips" he interrupted. Tn this case it is for me to speak,
 and you can do no other than listen" " ''Why?" she asked, almost angrily. 'Your sense of what is fair and honorable forbids you,' he said. Yes, I may be what is commonly
 reported, but there is another side
 even to that. Let me tell you, then,
 that I, who never professed to believe in what is called truth and honor,
 never willingly deceived any man, either by word or by deed. Yes, let
 me do myself justice. I, who have
 laughed at Mrs. Grundy and all her
 ways, never broke promise made.
 And more, no man can accuse me of
 sullying either the honor of man or woman. I may be all that is said of
 me, but I am not that kind of man. Something, not only in his words,
 but in his manner, appealed to her.
 In spite of heself, she gave him a quick searching glance. There was
 something noble in his face, there
 was a healthy anger in his words | Whatever his creed might be, he was not a bad man.
 '1 had the right to tell you so
 much.' he went on; ''that at leas, was my privilege, and now, having told you, I must tell you something else. You may refuse me once, you
 may refuse me twice; but in the end
 you will have to accept me-" Again there was a gleam of anger
 in her eyes, and he saw the look of
 scorn which rested on her face. 'I will tell you why. You cannot
 run the risk of sending a man to
 hell. With you as my wife I can
 do anything. Oh yes, I know my words seem like the words of a
 mountebank, but even my worst ene-
 mics have never accused me of be-
 ing a boaster, and I repeat it; no
 guardian angel which your story-books
 tell about could do for man what I could think, could even become
 great and good. But without you even the thought of it is like look. ing into hell.''
 "And l." said Olive, "could have but little faith in a man who dared not stand alone. If a mans future, his character, his career, are dependent on a woman, then he rests upon a | weak reed. A man to be strong must rest on God"
 '"That may be your theory; if it is I know that human nature is always laughing at you. If God is, He's giv- ing you the opportunity of making l a man of me-
 T would try and help you," said | Olive. 'but what you ask is my love, | and love cannot be given for the ask l ing. It can only be given as it
 comes. In such matter we are not | free agents"
 And could you not love me? An swer me honestly, could you not love l rne?''
 This was the first sign of Leicester s advantage. Her eyes dropped, and | the colour came to her cheeks. Leicester's heart beat aloud for joy;
 he could not repress a cry of exulta- | tion.
 But Olive Castlemaine mastered her. | self by a strong effort of will You ask me to speak to you hon. | estly," she said. ''Well, I will. | you would be loved-if I did not re- spect him and I could not respect a man who was the slave to an evil | habit"
 You mean" he hesitated, and | looked on the floor.
 'Yes, mean that" Look here" he said eagerly, "prom- | ise that you will be my wife, and I | will never taste drop of alcohol of any sort again. I give you my word | for that. Neither wine, nor whisky,
 nor spirits of any sort shall ever | again pass my lips"
 1 Again she looked at him eagerly. 1 and he thought he saw her eyes soft. | en.
 l T mean it, he went on. What l
 want is motive power; given that, l | can conquer anything We'll, I will | do this; say yes, and from this time | forward I will never touch it again
 never, never.''
 .If anything is an evil, if it is a wrong," she said, "a man should fight 1 if because it is wrong. If habit
 has mastered you, you should fight | it, and conquer it-because of your
 respect of-your manhood" "You ask too much" he said .eNc l man can do and be without a suffi. cient motive. Take you out of my
 life, and what motive have I?' "The belief in your own manhood. 3
 "Why should I believe in thatq Ii you refuse me, what have I to live for? Yes, I fight for position which
 at heart I despise, I became a mem Der of the British Parliament; many who have not the brains of a rabbit