The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-08-26
Il suppose that It does make some
dfffororco Voncod


difference" she mused
Much" replied Sarah warmly. Il
am getting a hold. l have worked at
all manner of employment and this
seems to be the only thing in which
neither age, color, sex nor social
standing makes difference"
Irene was listening with her grace
full head bent in thought. Presently
she unfolded the plan to Sarah John
son.
Il dare not offer you money, Sarah" )"
she said, "any more than | dared Of
fer to bribe you in the old days, But
you see the trend of things and it
means lot to me. | ask you to do it
as a favor-merely between friends
as when in the old days, you helped
about the birds"
And both were severely spanked
for it," interrupted Sarah reminis-
Gently.
That is true" assented Irene
Perhaps l ought not to lead you into
this"
'Tll take my chances now as l did
then" replied Sarah, and after thank
| ing her, Irene departed.
Things went on for several weeks,
until Irene knew that the time for the
mating of her husbands soul had
come, and she dismissed him with
smile, feeling rather Judas-like
1T Is too bad, too, poor boy" she
said. "But he will come home COM
pletely cured and would thank me, if
he knew-whch he never shall"
The last article from Sarah John
sons pen had won a letter from Will
son. The article in question had been
on the "Allness Of the One" 1t was
full of gold, SO he told her, and she
had replied in like coin. Now, after a
months correspondence, fervid in it's
intensity, he, with heart beating under
his well-fitting coat. went to see the
author of these epistles. He felt
many qualms on going to this ap-
pointment, but he tried to smother
them by holding the thought" of
Oneness.
Should the friendship be purely
platonic, or should he divorce Irene
Irene, whom he still loved despite the
glamor of the other-and marry Sarah
Johnson?
1T shall be just as Sarah says" he
breathed. Soul mates should do soul
work together and nothing, however
dear, should interfere"
Clearly from her letters, Sarah
Johnson understood him as he had
never been understood before, as he
had longed to be understood when a
child. Yes. 1t should be just as she
said
The hour for which the appointment
was set was late, for Sarah Johnson
was busy woman. That night she
was billed to speak at the Negro Wom-
ans league-"How dear and kind of
~" he apostrophzed. Irene, with
III her winsome ways would never
have consented to mix so. Indeed, he
&imself, he had to confess, was fas-
tidicus to degree. All. WE'LL Sarah
must teach him her broad ways
He was at her door now, modest
home in Hoyne avenue He rang the
bell and a smart negro girl admitted
him and went to summon her mis-
tress. After waiting moment, he
heard deep. melodious voice. such
voice-sweet toned and clear, as he
had not dared to hope for
Mr.. Edgerton Wilson, I believe"
said the voice.
He turned at the sound of the
mellow tones and encountered a wom-
an of magnificent proportions. II am
Sarah Johnson" sais the woman.
Wilson stared, gasped, and stared
again. He shuddered and choked;
and despising himself for a coward;
tried to pull himself together. For
though the voice was melodious, the
form magnificent, the woman fault
lessly attired, she was black-unde-
niably black.
You thought I was white" said
Sarah Johnson, her full lip curling
slightly.
Yes" said Wilson, recovering him
eslf, "and thought l was white my.
self, but l now see my mistake. !
beg your pardon and l bid you good
evening"
For an hour he paced the streets,
| trying to regain his composure and
readjust his thoughts, but to no avail.
Despise himself, he certainly did, for
after all, he was man, and not a cur.
The scales dropped completely from
his eyes; he allowed himself but one
solace to his wounded, bleeding, dying
selfesteem - Irene should never
know!
Remaining away until the house
should be quiet, he crept home at last;
for the first time in his life he was
without a latch key, wondering duly
how 1t happened, not knowing that
Irene, who had abstracted it from his
pocket while he was guiltlly kissing
her in parting, had sat lingering it for
an hour, before rising to admit some
one who tapped softly at the basement
entrance.
It was late before Wilson stood
baf1ed, before his house. He found
by investigation that he could creep
indoors by way OF the pantry window.