The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-02-06

lou Will not, because you are
that sort of woman. But 1t would
make no difference anyhow. 1t
would still do him harm"
1T seems" she replied mock
ingly, that Mr.. McAdoo, in spite
of his boosted friendship, cares
nothing for the happiness of his
friend"
your interest doesn't neces-
sarily mean his happiness, does
it?"
MY interest isn't to be de-
spised, Mr.. McAdoo."
"Despised? No. But feared
yes. 1t would be a dangerous lux
ury, Mrs. Gilbert"
She leaned back in her chair
and looked up at him with an
irritating, insolent smile. Dan
gerous, Mr.. McAdoo? To whom ?
To himr-or to your
ITO him!"
She laughed skeptically.
Bob's brow knitted in a trou-
bled, angry frown. This beautiful
woman, whose life and standards
were the very antitheses of his, In
whose spirit was a quality that
seemed to mock his worshiped
strength, who had the power tC
arouse what his most dangerous
political foes had never beer
able to stir within him--strone
personal enmity-was a mystery
to him. Her laugh impeached his
strength. 1t convicted him OF
fear-fear of a woman whom he
could crush with his hands, but
whose inner life he was powerless
to reach! 1t put upon him the
strange, unaccustomed necessity
necessity of defending, justifying
himself to her. His hands gripped
the edge of the table fiercely.
you won't understand, he
said at last, slowly. when l ex-
plain it. You're right when you
say 1 care nothing for his happi.
ness--at least, what you mean by
the word. You don't mean happi-
ness, Mrs. Gilbert. You mean
to glut the appetite, to yield to the
mating instinct, to follow the lines
vi oHly tllc Wei
strong can afford happiness as
you mean it. To a weak man that
sort of happiness means crippling
his natural force, enslaving him.
self to outside influences. There
is only one true happiness--the
content that comes from being a
real, original force. The man who
would be this, Mrs. Gilbert, must
own and control himself absolute
ly. For Paul Remington's great
er, true happiness I do care"
For minute she studied him
in silence, frankly and intently.
Then she laughed. 81 had no idea
you could talk so we'll"
"Humph!" he growled, strug-
Cling to control his rising anger.
ANY one can learn to talk. 1t
takes brains to learn silence"
"A maker of epigrams! And a
philosopher, too! have read
somewhere that philosophy is the
refuge of the loser. But you're a
chronic winner"
Doesn't that prove that my
philosophy isn't to be ridiculed?"
"The philosophy of a successful
man is always to be taken serious
ly. ] wasn't laughing at what you
said, but at my first notion of
you. Decidedly | must revise it.
Only you haven't been as inexor-
able with yourself as you would
like to be with Mr.. Remington. -
But | have!" he contradicted.
I'm promitive man, Mrs. Gill
bert, with all the elemental pas
sions and weaknesses. But
have's been a slave to my weak
nesses. Do you suppose | don't
tire of the unceasing grind? |
haven't had one days rest from
work in twenty-one years. The
physical appetites are as strong
in me as in other men. | have
lived a clean physical life. 1, too,
am capable of dreaming of ideal
women. l have refused to allow
the mating instinct to influence
me. Do you suppose l don't pos
sess the lazy instinct for peace?
l have never hesitated to make an
enemy. You boasted that men
have feared to displease you.
would make a finer boast, because
L have been inexorable with my
self. Men fear you because you
appeal to their weaknesses. They
fear me because have made my
self strong"
You're inconsistent-if what
you say is true. You have pro-
claimed yourself Mr.. Remington s
friend"
You're like the rest" he cried
in angry defensiveness. ~"l GU
think l became his friend because
l couldn't resist his fascination. l