Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-01-07
CHAPTER xil.-continued.

Gradually he came to understand
that her determination not TO marry
him was influenced by something
stronger than a mere personal shrink
ing from n false marriage. She would
not marry. because she would not take
n selfish happiness at the expense OF
her mother and those that depended
on her; but more than that. and deep
or. she would not by rash promise
add one more TO the marriages that
end In vain regret or divorce.
Gradually. too. he came to under
stand more fully what she had meant
by saying that II they were made for
each other they would find IL out with
out promises. and II not. II were a
thousand times better they should
drift apart. And rs he came to under
stand. an element of reverence min
Eled with his love for her. deepening
and intensifying IT,
lie himself would not have ques-
toned. He would gladly have mar
ricd. To him 1t would not have been
n test. but n cousummation. But that
they were not TO marry did not trou-
BILE him. Why should he ask more OF
n love that was proving the fulfillmcnt
Of all the longing OF his boyhood and
youth: II was transforming him
mind. body snd soul. His frame.
which had been tall. spare. and loosely
built. began to NIL and settle into
strength, his step became firm and
quick: his head took a firmcr poise
above the square shoulders: oven his
eyes shared in the metamorphosis-
they lost their dreamy. pleading look
and became alert. laughing. and full
Of happiness and n strange power that
seemed no longer to ask. but to com
mand help and sympathy from all
who met their glance.
Something of this change pcrrinE
himself recognized. He knew that he
was alive, glowing in every fiber: but
hc was less analytic in his happiness
than in his misery: he did not see
that his Overlooking vitality commun-
icatcd itself TO everyone with whom
he came in contact. II was only when
some one spoke OF the change that he
knew that IL was being marked. He
exultcd in his heart that no one
guessed the cause.
lie was settled down and working
with a ytgur Of which he had not
dreamed himself capable. Everything
bent before him. He felt within him.
self power TO conquer the world
should II stand in his way. Sometimes
he clenchcd his hands and stretched
his arms to their fullest TO give outlet
TO the play impulse that could not eS.
haust I7scf in work.
In hi, inner life. too. n change. less
perccptiblc, but no less real. was tax.
ing place sight and hearing were
opened to new beauty. Music had
become TO him medium Of soul
speech; and the soriid city streets.
with their ovcrhansinE clouds Of
smoke. started TO picturesque life and
beauty.
long archway with n slant Of sun.
shine at the farther cud-an Italian
woman stealing into the shadow. a
huge bundle on her hack and colored
kcrchief about her hcad-would stir
hts pulses like an old painting The
unsightly process Of building. with its
debris OF mortar, bricks, and lath.
gained artistic value as his eyes took
In the grouping Of the men at work
around the mortar.beds-ihe soft
rray-whItC Of the mortar. the dull rcd
blue or orange ot the shirts uHon the
supple or sioIid figures Of the men
with the play Of muscle beneath
Sometimes it was n single figure. thai
might have STEPPED from Ram
brandt canvas, appearing for a minut,
aud disappearing in the Shifting
crowd Always. everywhere. IhCr,
was baagty-until DcrriuG, seeing q
all. longcd at times TO relieve his
ovcreharecd senses by a loud cry-sS
wonderful. 50 cvcTpowerinG, had thl
Srar'v Of the world become.