Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-06-09
CHAPTER xI.--continued.

"If they all stood here by me on the
sand, if all their e~xcellencies and viz
tues were centered upon n and she
stood by you on the sand, my heart
would urn 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 menu"
Il will tell you tomorrow"
She sighed deeply at the thought of
the revelation.
We'll then" he continued, sit 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 I we're none of these
things"
Il would love you just the same"
"But I am not what you think me in
some ways"
Il could never think highly enough
,of you, l know that"
mo, no, it isn't that. When tell
you
She stopped and looked at him pa
ling. After all the greater test was
to come then. ITO 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. course. If
he forgave her and condoned her
fault, their love could have free
course if ever opportunity for benz
son upon it presented. But If 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-sometimes, she wildly
believed, her trust in God.
Nothing, nothing" he repeated,
shat 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
At. 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 him. 1t would hardly be
possible for him to arrive at a correct
view and come to a determination I'm
biased and free. If she could have
transported him by some magic pow
.er among the children of men, an6
with them for auditory have told hel
story, the test would be a true one
What he would do then after having
heard the worlds voices, the worlds
appeals, the worlds mockeries, woul(
truly determine what he was, and il
nd other way could that determine
ton be arrived at. Though she strovt
to be as impartial as divinity, shs
could not but make her defense coin
.cident with her revelation, her justifi
cation at the same time with her con
domination. He knew nothing of lift
but what she and instinct had laugh
him, and neither would be safe guides
in this emergency, He could protes
and she could believe his protests, bu
unless they were uttered not mereI!
before high heaven but before sui
rounding men, they would be Of littl'
value.
She put this by resolutely at last
we are the creatures Of circumstanc,
and environment. She would have t
do the best that she could OF tn
morrow. Meanwhile she would, as sh,
had said, enjoy the day. And 50 tn
morning hours wore away until tn
time came for the customary parting
AT first she would have abandoned, il
the luxury of the new passion, or tn
new revelation Of the old passion, tn
customary rule, but she still preserves
some lingering remains Of her common
sense and she clearly perceived tina
it was necessary to 60 on as the
had. Society cannot proceed withou
its conventions and these simple regt
iations were their conventions whic
had to be obeyed. And Sc they parted
But parted as they had Q parte
before, torn asunder by their ow,
compliance with their own petty rules
their hearts protesting.
Long before the earthquake the
had erected on the topmost hill Of tn
island a huge pile OF dead wood froI
the groves beneath.
When they had parted she had SUI
gested to him-and 1t was significar
that now 1t was a suggestion; yestel
day 1t would have been a command
that he should take time to ascend tn
hill AND rearrange the great heap {