Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-03-24

les, IL yOu Will tell lHe pain IFuIl.
Lacking imagination, can't do any
thing else. Nan has had a falling out
with the old scamp of a moonshiner
who calls himself her father. She came
to me for help, and broke down in the
midst of telling me about it. I can't
stand woman's crying any better than
other men,"
And that was all-absoutely all,
Tom?"
Il don't iie-to YOU" he said briefly.
She gave him her hand with an i'm
pulsive return to the old comradeship.
L believe you, Tom, in the face of all
the-the unlikeliness. But please don't
try me again. After what has happen
ed" she stopped in Difference to some
thing in his eyes, half anger, half be-
wilderment, or a most skillful simula-
ton of both.
GO on" he said; tell me what has
happened. 1 seem to have missed
something"
NO" she said, with sudden gravity.
L don't want to be your accuser or
your confessor; and if you should try
to prevaricate, should hate you!"
There Is nothing for me to confess
to you, Ardea," he said, soberly, still
holding the hand she had given him.
You have known the worst of me, al
ways and all along. I think"
Yes, I have KNOWN" she replied,
freeing the imprisoned hand and turn
ing from him. And l have been sorry,
sorry; not less for you than for poor
Nan Bryerson. You know now what I
thought-what I had to think-when l
saw you with her this evening"
1t was slowly beating It's way into
his brain. Little things, atoms of sug-
gestion, were separating themselves
from the mass of things disregarded to
cluster thickly on this nucleus of re-
vealment: the old story of his COM
panying with Nan on the mountain:
his uncle's and Japheth's accusation at
the time; and now the old moonshin-
er's enmity, Japheths meaning look
and distrustful silence, Mans appear
ance with a child bearing his own
name, the glances askance in Hargis'
store when he was buying the little
stock of necessaries for the poor out
cast. 1t was all plain enough
Tell me-" he said. thickly; "you
heard this: you believed it. Have I
been misjudging your"
Not more than I misjudeed Won.
perhaps. But that is all over. now.
am trusting you again, Tom. Only. as
l said before. you mustn't try me too
hard"
Let me understand" he went on.
still In the same strained tone. KNOW
ing this, or believing 1t, you could still
find place in your heart for me-vou
could still forgive me, Ardea?"
L could still be your friend: yes"
she replied. I believed-others believ-
ed-that your punishment would he
great enough; there are all the coming
years for you to be sorry in, Tom. Bnt
In the fullness of time I meant to re-
mind you of your duty. The time has
come; you must play the mans part
now. What have you done with herq"
Wait moment. l must know one
other thing" he insisted. You heard
this before you went to Europe?"
Long before"
And 1t didn't make any differences in
the way you felt toward me?"
1T did; 1t made the vastest differ
ence." They were pacing SLOWLY in
and down the portico, and she waited
until they had made the turn at tina
Woodlawn end before she went on. II
thought knew you when we were bov
and girl together. and. girl-like, sun
pose 1 had idealized you in some wav.
I thought I knew your wickedness. and
that they were not weaknesses: $3.50
it was a miserable shock. But 1t WIS
not for me to judge you-only as Won
might rise or sink from that desperate
starting point. When came home
was sure that you had risen; I have
been sure of 1t ever since until-until
these few wretched hours to-nieht
They are past, and now I'm going to
be sure of it some more, Tom"
What If 1 should tell you that You
are mistaken"
Don't" she said. softly. THAT would
only be smashing what is left of the
IDEAL I think couldn't bear that"
And you've been calling this friend
ship! Ardea, girl, It's Lowell"
Ardea shook her head slowly.
NO" she rejoined. gravely. "At one
time I thought was afraid-that 1t
might be. But now 1 know 1t isn't"
How do you know it?"
Because love. as think of it. Is
stronger than the traditions, stronger
than anything else in the world And
the traditions are still with me- ad-
nit the existence of the social pale,
and as long as live within it I have a
right to demand certain things of the
man who marries me-"
And love doesn't demand anything"
he said, putting the remainder of the
thought into words for her. You ara
right. If could clear myself with a
word, should not say IT."
"Why?"
Because your-loyalty, let us call II,
is too precious to be exchanged for
anything else you could give me In
place of it-esteem. respect. and all the
other well-behaved and virtuous be-
stowals."
"Rut the loyalty is based on the bs-
lief that you are trying to earn the
well-behaved approvals." she contin-
ued.
mo, 1t isn't 1t exists in spite of,
| everything, and not because of any,
thing. The traditions may try to mako
you stand 1t on the other leg. it's a
way they have; but the fact remains. -
"The traditions are about to sena
me into the house, and the pripcinal
problem is yet untouched What have
4 xan coue with Nancys"