The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-01-12


stark with agony and amaze.
Il guessed you'd be kind OF sur
prised to hear from him. Since you
left Joe he's been leading a strictly
honest life. He has a good Job In q
bank at a good salary, has saved mon
ey, and all he wants is for you to for
give and forget and start over again.
Joe's all right now. there's no doubt
about that, for I've looked up the rec
ord he's made since you've been sepa-
rated. Not only that, but he loves you
more than ever. That's gospel truth,
too. know"
Forgive and forget Yes. l have
forgotten, and oblivion enshrouds for
giveness with 1t. Joseph Brooks is
dead, as dead for me as though he
were In his grave. l have even ceased
to bear his name. Sometimes I have
wondered II he ever existed. II re-
member him It is as one recalls a night
mare from which one is glad to have
awakened"
She laughed a little mirthless laugh
and. plucking a fern branch, began to
pick the fronds from II nervously, let-
ting them fall to the ground
That's all very well, Emma" he
objected gently, but Joe is none the
less very much alive, and he is your
husband. You mustn't forget that
ever. And he's all right, honestly
believe. If he did fall into temptation
he meant well. He thought he could
put the money back easily enough,
and he wanted you to have more COM
fort and be happy. The best Of us
amt no better than we should be II
you come right down to the contem-
plation of the naked fact. You know
that the book says, There is not a
just man upon earth that doeth good
and stnneth not To me the man who
is real sorry for having done wrong,
especially when his wrongdoing had
such pardonable motive as Joe's had,
is as good as he was before he did the
thing
/ would never have suspected of har-
boring a treasury Of such homely plat
itudes," she said scornfully
IF 1t were only a question Of for
giving a man who had sinned so weak
ly as that, but It isn't" he went on.
More is involved-his absolution and
salvation by duty If not by love. EN-
ma, you are Joe Brooks wife. You
took oath before God-and you meant
II then-to stick by him in adversely
as in prosperity, to help him in time
of trouble. Your place is by his side
now. Yours is the only hand that can
guide him right"
She rose and placed both Of her little
gloved hands on his shoulders and
looked into his eyes.
'Do you believe what you are telling
me, Jimsy SMITH" she asked gently.
do you. speaking from your inmost
heart, order me to return to the arms
Of that man"
He rose, holding her wrists firmly
against his shoulders and speaking
with intense earnestness:
Emma, there are some things ON
this earth that we're called on to do,
ordained by an all wise and merciful
Providence. We may not like to do
them, but it is not a matter of inclina-
ton. We have TO make our decisions
by the rule of right or wrong. Is it
right or is it wrong? It's an arbitrary
rule, but l guess it works out for the
best in the end. II has always seemed
to me so. Therefore / say go back to
Joe, your husband. Joe pleads to your
heart that was his. Tell her. he said.
that I'm more sorry than | can ex-
press; that I'm sorry and miserable.
Tell her that there is no light in life
without her. Those were about his
words"
He released her wrists. She had lis
tened to him at the last with averted
face that was bloodless and looked
CHASTITY under its coat Of sun tan. She
walked away wrestling with herself.
Smith stood as impassive as fate.
But on his brow dampness had gath
cred, and she had seen the sweat beads
Ooze there as he spoke.
The little cool clad form with its
clinging skirt returned slowly.
"Jimsy, why did he charge you to
tell me these things"
"Why? ] don't know. Because I'm
his friend and yours, I suppose. Be
cause there was no one else could do
1T"
And, like the good man you are,
you were governed in your decision by
the rule Of right and wrong"
That was about it, II you cut out
the qualification Of me-"
And, having been Influenced to as
sumo this role OF ambassador by
sense Of duty and loyalty, feeling
bound to do so for the very reason that
would have deferred a man of ordi.
nary moral caliber, you would have
adhered to the rule though every word
OF your counsel had been to you as the
scar OF a white hot iron and its utter
ance had been death"
For the first time in her life she saw
a look Of sternness pass over his face.
And II was mingled with pain.
Emma" he said, II guess Wen go
down now. And we'd better take a
short cut, II there is one, or we won't