The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-10-21

T:aasEst
"No Christian Ever Believed In
this man in compliance with any sug-
gestion of the world, following any
dictate OF society, subservient to any
convention. cannot see but that |
would be doing as great or greater
wrong than I did before in faunt-
ing all of these forces. have learned
what love is and what marriage should
be. will not give my hand and yield
up my person where cannot yield my
heart. And there is no expiation or
reparation that requires 1t Of me, no
voice that can coerce me into 1t. l
will not marry you, Valentine Lang
ford. I will accept your expressions
as evidenced by your words, by your
presence here, as testimony to your
regret. Indeed, realize that your con-
fession was itself a great humiliation
to a man like you. And perhaps have
spoken harshly Of it. But the bare
fact remains, do not love you, could
not love you, don't even want to love
you. My heart, my soul goes to this
man." she turned to her companion of
the island, whom up to today l have
made and fashioned and taught and
trained until these hours when he has
broken away from me. I love this
man who stands silent, who thinks Of
me as a thing spotted, polluted,
damned. Him | love, though he STAY
me, yet will I love him. Him l trust,
though he disobey me, yet will l love
him. Him | will serve, though he cast
me off, yet will love him. And with
this in my heart in which glory and
which | confess as openly and with
as little hesitation as you confessed
4 your shame, l give you my final, abso
lutte, utterly irrevocable decision.
: will not marry you, will not go back
with you. No, not for anything that
you can proffer, nor for any reason
that you can urge, will come to you
when in my soul l belong to another
There may be no end to this but my
despair This man may cast me off
This man may trample me under foot
The spots upon my soul may loon
larger in his view and hide what else
is there know have been for
given by God, / will not be for
given by men, but tell you here ant
; now, again and again, that I will no
be your wife l will be his wife o.
no mans"
Langford turned away and hid hi!
face In his hands. Whitaker stepped
forward and laid his hand upon tn,
shoulder Of the man of the island
He shook him for a moment.
"You stand lmmobile," he cried
sharply, latter such a confession a.
that, after such an appeal? VIVA
have you to say, man? You ought t
get down on your knees and than]
God for the love of such a woman"
AYE, ave." burst out the deep tone
of the old coxsWain Of the cutter. IS
Z say all Of u.s.
God help me-" cried the man, lift
! ing his hand and releasing his shou
der from the grasp Of the officer, Il di
9 love this woman. Think how it was
think how believed In her. No Chri!
tian ever believed in his god as l bt
U lteved in her, She told me what purit
was, what innocence was, what swee
4 ness was, what light was, what trut
was, and looked at her and sa'
i, them
t And you can look at her and Sc
e them now" cried the officer.
G No. said the man. ! can neve
+ look at her and see her the same
/ "Oh, Man! Man! cried the woman
j, The test was upon him. He Wa
l.. failing, Her sorrow, her g;ief wel
:. more for him than for hersalf.
3. Don't mistake me- said the ma
ri i can't help loving you, whatever yc
4, are. II you had been as guilty q
/, when he began to speak and whe
o you coErc- grated him, fancied ii,