The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-10-14

lhoukht / should i've and die VIII
out knowing Il, as many women do.
wish 1 might give you something 4
great"
Il am already overpatd." he aaaerte
For a man there Is nothing 80 grea
no influence so nearly omnipotent, Z
the love OF a good woman. Il ls III
lever that moves the world-what littl
Il does move-up the hill to the his
planes"
Silence while she gathered the awes'
smelling tangle In her lap into som
more portable Arrangement And al
terward. when they we're drifting slow
ly homeward In the lengthening shad
ows, small asking,
MI Moreloek is coming out to-mor
row 10 hold service in ST. Johns, and
shall 30 to play for him. WIN you h
with me, Tom2"
lie smiled out Of the gold and sap
phire depths OF a lovers reverie.
one week from the day after the da
after o-morrow-and Il win be Tn
longest week-and two-d days of my life
dearest-your grandfather will TAX
| you 70 church, and / shall bring y0l
away Won't that be enough2"
She took him quite seriously,
II shall never be a Felicia Young
Dickson, and drag YOU" she promised
But, o Toni / wish"
u know" he said, gently, You arr
thinking OF the days to come; when thl
paths may diyerge-yours and mine
ever so little; when there may be chill.
dreR to choose between their mothers
faith and their fathers Indifference
But / am not Indifferent, So far from
H. / am only anxious now 10 prove
what / was once so bent on disprov-
ing"
You yourself are the strongest
proof she interposed. you viii see
II. some day"
Shall ~ l hope so, and that is an
earnest hope. And really and truly,
think / have come up a bit-out OF the
wilderness, you know. ] am willing 20
admit that this Is the best Of all pos
stble worlds; and want to do my part
IN making II little better because /
have lived in It. Also. I'd. like TO be-
lieve In something bigger and better
than protoplasm."
Her smile was OF the kind which
stands halfway in the path to tears,
but she spoke bravely TO the doubt IN
his reply.
You do believe, Tom, dear; you have
never seen the moment when you did
not II was the doubt that was unreal
When the supreme test came, IL was
Gods hand that restrained you; you
know II now-you knew II at the time
And afterward 1t was His grace that
enabled you to do what was Just and
right Haven't you admitted all this
TO yourself7"
They had crossed the white pike 10
the manor-house gates and were turn
ing aside from the driveway into the
winding lawn path when he said:
ITO myself. and to one other" Then.
very softly: Il sat at my mothers knee
last night, Ardea, and told her all there
was TO tell"
Ardea's eyes were shining. What
did she say. Tom, dear-or is 1t more
than / should ask ?"
There is nothing you may not ask
She said-it wasn't altogether true, I'm
afraid-but she put her arms around
my neck and cried and said For this
my son was dead. and is alive agaia
he was lost, and Is found"
She slipped her arm in his, and there
was a little sob of pure joy at thu
of her breath. The moon was
lust rising above the Lebanon cliy.
line, and the beauty Of the gloriou.
night dawn possessed her utterly. An
il was a good world and a generouC
rich gifts to the steadfast
she felt that Toms little
did not require an answe e:
hat he was battling his way to the
heights which must be taken alone.
So them came in the sacred hush of
he young night to a great tulip-tres |
IN the lawn, and where a curlonsly
water worn limestone boulder served |
Is a rustic seat wide enough for two |
whose hearts are one they sat down to- |
,ether, still in the companionshlp thai |
reeds no speech. 1t was Tom who fir
,roke the silence.
II have been trying ever since tha
light last winter to feel my way out
Ie said, slowly. But what is to come
f 1t? l can't go back to the boyhoo,
in a way have hopelessb
utgrown them. Let us admit that re-
gion has become real again; but, Ar
ga, girl, is isn't Uncle Sllas' religion
r-or my mothers, or even yours. And
don't know any other"
1T is all right, dear; there is ONLY
he one religion in all Christendom-
erhaps in all the world, or in God,
art of it. The difference is in peo-
le."
But this thing that has been slowly
to me-this thing dan try
lg to call confinement: shall wake
p some day and find it gone, with all
lie old doubts in the saddle again?"
E asked 1t almost wistfully.
Who can telI?" she said, gently
ut it will make no difference; the i'm.
utable fact will be there just the
Cme, whether you are asleep or wax.
g. We can't always stand on the
ount Of Certainty, any of us; and to
,me, perhaps, 1t Is never given. But
hen one saves his enemys life and
rgives and forgets-O Tom, dear
mt you understand"
But now his eyes are lOve-blinded,
Id the white gowned figure beside
m fills all horizons.
II can't see past you, Ardea. Never
eless, I'm going to believe that feel
e good old pike solid underfoot
ID they say that the House Beautiful
somewhere at the mountain end Of
If you Will hold my hand. believe
can make out to walk In it.; blind
lded, if have to--and without think
g too much of the yesterdays"
"Ah, the yesterdays!" she said, ten
rly. "They are precious, too; for out
them, out of their hindrances no less
an their helpings. comes too day. Kiss
;, twice, Tom; and then / must go a
.. NTo5ow