The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-05-26

after some hesitation she had acceded
to his proposition. 1t was species OF
self-immolation not far from heroism
that made her consent. Indeed, she did
not realize how heroic it was. With
no other ceremony than a clasp of the
hand and an unspoken, wordlesi
promise of trust, devotion, single
hearted alliance, publicly and before
God and man, without a thought for
the one and with no full realization
of the thoughts of the other-at least
on her part-they had gone away to-
gether, hand in hand; he and she to-
gether, in love like any other pair
since Eve mated with Adam in the
dawn of the worlds first morning.
Yet there has never been an Eden
of which man has known without its
serpent. In the cabin of that gorgeous
yacht, Sathanas reared his head. The
first week or so of the adventure had
been filed with idyllic happiness, hap.
piness so great that it was strong
enough to quiet certain low, still, small
voices of conscience which the woman
rightly ascribed to strange atavism
of ancient prejudice to which her phil.
osophy was as yet unequal.
However, such conditions did not
long persist. Her disciple was in.
clined, presently she found to her sor-
row, to take a somewhat lower view
of the situation than suited her own
high-souled views. The ardor of her
devotee cooled as his passion in.
creased. Shut up in the narrow con-
fines of ship-great and splendid
though this yacht was beyond imagina-
tion-little characteristics heretofore
unsuspected developed in the mere
man. The course of true love was not
so smooth as the summer seas over
which they sailed. The air in which
they lived was ruff1ed by furries in
which experience would have found
presage for coming deeper storm. The
image that had feet of clay sought for
similar earthly alloy in the companion
image which was made of pure gold
all through, and finding it not, re.
sented it desperately. The convert
having gained his desire, weakened in
his principles. There was no relaxa.
ton in his devotion, in his tenderness,
in anything outward and visible, but
the high philosophy which had made
the joint effort almost a self-sacrifice
of demonstration was slowly vanish.
ing from one heart while the other
clung the more tenaciously to it.
1t was the old, old story. In little
the catspaw developed into the TEN.
pest. When it appeared it came with
surprising swiftness. The woman
found that in neither abstract thought
nor mental speculation was there any
protection for her. There might be
no God in heaven, but there was con-
science in her breast. Finally she
broke away from the man so far as
she could do so when they were both
in the same ship of which he was lord
and master. She would have nothing
more to do with him save that which
common decency and the bare civlli-
ties of life demanded of her. Denied
the privileges upon which he had
counted, the man grew savage and
showed the cloven foot. The disagree
ment became a quarrel. The quarrel
ran through several phases Ashamed
of himself he had rec9nted at first.
Then he had sworn again allegiance
to the specious philosophy which she
now realized be had only professed,
consciously Or unconsciously, that he
might possess her But she was not
deceived. There was no truth in his
words; his asseverations carried no
conviction to her soul. Again he
stormed and ragged; once more he
apoiogized and appealed, but the
periods of calm grew shorter and the
periods OF storm grew longer and more
vehement. The woman alone was
steadfaSt. She was overwhelmed with
shame, the horror of the situation was
rising upon her.
(To BE coNTINUED.)
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