The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-09
THE WAY
OF
A MAN
BY EMERSON HOUGH
Copyright, 1907, by the Outing Publishing
COMPANY

the identity Of the Ellen Meriwether,
who wrote the clause preceding it.
Gentlemen" he went on. taking a
turn. hands behind back, his big red
kerchief hanging from his coat tails,
"I take Mr.. Cowles' word as to acts
before and after this contract. / think
he has shown 10 us that he is a gen.
tleman. In that world. very different
from this world, he acted like gen.
/ tleman. In that life he was for the
time freed Of the covenant of society
Now In this life, thrown again under
the laws of society, he again shows to
us that he is gentleman here as much
as there. We cannot reason from that
big enough man to say-that we can
. not blame him. arguing from that
world to this. We can exact of man
that he shall be gentleman in either
! one Of those worlds. but we cannot ex-
act 1t of him to be the same gentleman
in both.
''Now the question comes to which Of
these worlds belongs John Cowles?
The court will say that this bit of hide
is a wedding ceremony. Gentlemen"
he smiled grtmly, I'VE need all the pro
fessions here today-medicine. minis
try and law. At least, Colonel Shera-
ton, think we need legal counsel be-
fore we go on with any more weddings
for this young man here"
"But there is no record of this
said. "There Ii no execution in du-
pIicate."
mo" said the doctor. 'sIt is only
question of which world you elect"
looked at him. and he added: eft is
also only question Of morals. If this
record should be destroyed you would
leave the other party with no proof on
her side Of the case.
eft is customary" he said as he turn
n to me, Ito give the wife the wed
oeng certificate. The law, the ministry
aAd the profession OF medicine all unite
IL their estimate of the relative value
q marital faithfulness as between the
sefes. It is the woman who needs th,.
prof. The woman Is the apple Of
nat.are's eye, and even the law knows
thaC"
walked to the mantel and took up
the knife that lay there. returned to
the table and with long stroke I rip
psd the hide in two. I threw the two
pksces into the crate.
"That is my proof said I, "that FL
len Meriwether needs no marriage GER
tif ate! / am the certificate for that
and Tor herr
q lionel Sheraton staggered to me.
4 Vn~>
are rec to marry my poor girl -
| Seg
"r y lrcof also," went q, "tkAA
{ shall never see Ellen Meriwether
| again, any more than l shall see Grace
| Sheraton again after l have married
her. What happens after that is not
| my business. 1t is my business, Colo
nel Sheraton, and yours, possibly even
| your son's"-I smiled at Harry-''to
lind Gordon Orme. claim him first.
II do rot kill him, then you-and
you last, Harry, because you are least
| ft.
Gentlemen, is it all agreedY' I ask
| ed. I tossed the knife back on the
nantel and turned my back to it and
] them.
"Jack," said my old wire hair, DR..
Bond, 81 pray God may never see
this done again to any man. thank
/ God the woman I loved died years
| ago. She was too good-they're all too
i, good. I, physician, say they are all
. too good. Only in that gap between
! them and us lies any margin which
! permits you to lie to yourself at the
! altar. To care for them-to shield
F.: them-they. the apple Of the eye. That
+, Is why we men are here" He turned
away, his face working.
SIS 1t agreed" 1 asked OF Colonel
Sheraton sternly.
| His trembling hand sought mine.
Eyes," he said. sour quarrel is dis
charged and more than so. Harry,
shake hands with Mr. Cowles. And
now, men. our quarrel now runs to
Gordon Orme! Tomorrow we start
for Carolina, where we had his last
address. Mr.. Cowles, my heart bleeds,
It bleeds. sir, for you. But for her
also-for her up there. Inc courts
shall free you quickly and quietly as
soon as it can be done. It is you who
udFc lIccu US Ill. LOU nave OCCA
tried hard. You have proved yourself
! 4 man."
| The door at the stair burst open. A.
black maid, breathless, broke into the
room.
/ "She's a-settin' there-Miss Grace
! Just a-settin's there"-she began and
| choked and stammered
"What is it?" cried DR.. Bond sharp
) ly and sprang at the door. I heard
him go up the stairs lightly as though
| he were boy. We all followed.
| say that we men of Virginia were
| slow to suspect a woman. I hope we
| are still slower to gossip regardinc
nne. Not one of us ever asked DIR
,ond question. fearing lest we nigh
arm what perhaps he knew. He stoo
avond her now, his head bowed.
nd feeling for the pulse that was
niger there. The solemnity Of
&c was louder than speech. 1t see
| to me that I heard his silent dt
land that we should all hold on
! eace forever.
Grace Sheraton. her lips just parte|
] in q little crooked smile, such as sh'
| might have worn when she was
| child, sat at low dressing table, star
| ing directly into the wide mirror which
swung before her at its back. Her
| Leo orvo Low pf lonpth ALONG tho table