The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-23
Copyright 100 by the Bobhs- Merrill Co.

he did not answer for minute, the
truth being that he did not know what
1t was best to say, and wanted to
wait and let her make statements that
he could either contradict or seek to
Justify.
What made you think I wanted to
marry Dominick Ryan," she said slow
ly, her eyes on the fire.
This was a question that went to
the core of the subject. He knew now
he could not put her off, or slip from
the responsibilities of the occasion.
Drawing himself to the edge of his
chair, he leaned forward and spoke
with sincerity and feeling that made
his words very impressive.
zone evening when I was at Ante
lope, / came into the sitting-room and
saw my daughter in the arms Of Domi-
nick Ryan. knew that my girl wasn't
the woman to let man do that unless
she loved him. That was how I came
to know"
"Oh," said Rose in a faint tone.
"Afterward l heard from Dominick
of what his marriage was. l heard
from his mother, too. Then I saw his
vito and l got better idea from her
what 1t was than did from either of
the others. That fellow, the man my
daughter cared for, was tied up In a
marriage that was hell. He was bound
to a woman who could only be man
aged with a club, and Dominick was
not the kind that uses a club to a
woman. What liking he'd had for
her was gone. She stuck to him like
a barnacle because she wanted to get
money, was ready to hang on, feet and
hands. till Della Ryan was dead and
then put up claim for a share Of the
estate. Do you think a mans doing
such horrible thing to break up a
marriage like that?"
EYES," said Rose, "I do. 1t was a
marriage. They'd taken each other
for better or for worse. They'd made
the most solemn promises to each 9TH
er. Neither you nor any one else had
a right to interfere"
She spoke with a hard determine
ton, with something of an inflexible,
unrelenting positiveness, that was
very unusual in her, which surprised
and, for the moment, silenced her IA
Their. 1t rose from source of convic-
ton deeper than the surface emotions
Of likes and dislikes, Of loves and
hates, of personal satisfactions and
appointments. At the core of her
being, with roots extending through
all the ramifications Of her mental
and moral nature, was a belief in the
inviolability of the marriage tie. 1t
was a conviction founded on neither
tradition, nor reason, nor expediency,
q thing of impulse, Of sex, an heredi
tary instinct inherited from genera
lions Of virtuous women, who, in the
days Of their defenselessness, as in
the days of their supremacy, knew
that the most sacred possessions OF
their ltves-their husbands, their chill
dren, their homes-rested on its sta
bility. All the small, individual preoc
equations of her love for Dominick
her pity for his sufferings, We're swept
aside by this greater feeling that she
did not understand or reason about
She obeyed an instinct, elemental as
the instinct Of motherhood, when she
refused to admit his right to break
the bond he had contracted.
Her father stared at her for the mo
ment, chilled by a sense Of unfamili
arity in her sudden assumption of al
attitude Of challenge and authority
He had often heard her inveigh agains
the divorces so lightly obtained in the
world about them. He had thought i
one Of those pretty ornamental preju
dices Of hers, that so gracefully
adorned her youth and that he liked
her to have when they did not inter
fere with anything of Importance
Now, set up like barrier in the path
he stopped before this one particular
prejudice, perplexed at it's sudden In
trusion, unwilling to believe that 1
was not frail, temporary obstruction
to be put gently aside.
Nov listen, honey" said he per
suasively, that's all very we'll. I've
got no right to interfere, and neither
We'll admit, has anybody. But some
times you have to push away thes'
They're very nice for everyday use
but they're not for big occasions.
suppose the Good Samaritan didn'
really have any right to stop and bint
up the wounds Of the man he found b,
the wayside. But guess the Teller b,
bound up was almighty glad that th'
Samaritan didn't have such a respec
for etiquette and wait till he'd found
somebody to introduce them"
"Oh, papa, that was different. Dom
confuse me and make me seem &
| fool. l can't talk like you L cam
express 1t all clearly and shortly.
only know it's wrong; it's a sin.
wouldn't marry Dominick Ryan If h.
was divorced that way If It killed me
to give him up"
$50 If the woman voluntarily tool
the money and went away and go
Dominick to grant her the divorce
Dominick being, as We know. a mar
Of good record and spotless honor
you'd refuse to marry him?"
Il would. certainly would. 1t would
be perfectly impossible for me to mar
ry him under those circumstances.
should consider / was committing {
sin, particularly horrible and unfor
givable sim
See here now, Rosey, just listen t
me. for a minute. Do you know whar
Dominick Ryan's marriage is! 1 dom
suppose you do. But you do know tina
he married his mistress, woman who
lived with him eight months before h'
made her his wife. She wasn't an in
nocent young girl by any means. She
knew all right where she was going