The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1910-03-25
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she had wrecked her life and brought
herself to this pass. The revolt In
her soul at the thought Of the man
who had so degraded her, or who had
so taken advantage Of her ignorance
and innocence-the more complete
since they were covered by a conf
dence Of knowledge and sophistication
AS to allow her to degrade herself,
convinced her that what she had mis-
taken for divine light was only a false
fire, an ignis fatuus which had led her
into the marsh and slough of slime
and shame. She loathed the thought
Of that man. She had loathed, when
she had been thrown upon that island,
the thought of all men. This one
had given back her confidence in her
kind. Yet sometimes she wondered
whether that confidence were war
ranted or not because Of him. Sup
pose he should come in touch with
the world, what would happen? Was
he, too, capable of breaking a wo-
mans heart? Would he do it? Was
hers the heart? What would the soil
ing touch of the sordid conditions I'M
der which life was lived, as she had
known It, do for him? Would he still
be unspotted? Would he think her
the same? She had taught him many
things. But how should he learn to
fight temptations, temptations with
which he had no experience, which
never came to him, she fondly
dreamed.
Yet she had confidence in him. She
had confidence In God, and we cannot
have confidence In God without some
confidence in man. The converse, too,
Is true. Therefore she believed. She
was confident that he would rise SUI
preme in the face of every test. She
wondered II the test would ever be APP
piled to him, If she would be there to
see. She found herself praying for
affirmation in both matters. Her be-
lief in him would only be belief
founded upon hope until he had been
tried. There was doubt about him
that must be resolved; she must re.
solve 1t. She could never be satisfied,
in spite of her belief, until she had
done so. The very fact that she
thought so keenly upon the subject;
crossed in the situation was evidence
to her that she cared more for the
man than she lad dreamed it possible.
And what of him? For once her in
tuition failed her. She wanted to see
him tested and tried; she wanted to
see him tempted and triumphant, but
he was all of that in those very hours
in which she faneied him SO unthink-
ing. It never occurred to her that he
might entertain an earthly passion for
her. She still, from ancient habit, be-
lieved herself so far above him that
such an ambition would have been lit
tie less than sacrilege to him. She
lulled herself to sleep with that idea.
She believed, she knew, Of course,
that all that was needed was a sug-
gestion from her. To love is the lot
Of man. This man had seen no other
than her. If she said the word, it
would be accomplished. She held
the only key to his heart; her hand
could unlock 1t on the instant. She
forgot the master key and the Master
Hand.
He had controlled that strange
ludI uscu u ldhS ullu Wu6u-
ever he touched her, but she could
feel his pulse beat and throb when by
chance there was any contact even
Of the casual between them. Some
times he had asked her strange ques-
lions which she had put by, and some
times she caught him looking at her
in strange ways that sent the blood to
her skin, and sometimes turned her
pale. Yet she lived In the fools para
disc. She did not awake to the posi-.
bilities Of that which she had made
him because her apprehension OF him
had not kept pace with his apprehen.
sion of her. To her he was still In
some degree the creature that he had
been and sometimes she thought upon
her growing love for him with feel.
Ing of shame as If it were a conde.
scension, derogauon.
She did not know what blood was
leaping In the veins of the man and
how he taught himself, because she
had 1nstilled In him honor and de-
cency and Christlike self control, to
repress these things. She did not
know how much faster he had learned
SCA IdAh IA1u6D tAdA 5ue uhu intended.
She did not know how instinctively
he had lsaped to conclusions which
she imagined were still latent in his
mind. This was 4 good man, this
was an honest man, this was gen.
tleman, this was a Christian man.
There was no question about his faith.
1t was as simple and abiding as 1t was
sincere. The early Christians who
had been brought in personal touch
with the Master and his men were
not more faithful, acceptant and de.
voted. Yet this was a very human
man in spite of all these things. a
man Of splendid vigor and health with
all a mans impulses. hopes, dreams
and aspirations. And he loved her.
He, too, sat upon the white sands
Of the gemlike island and looked out