Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-17

Wnen sue was alone her feart sank
into the depths as she contemplated
the dreadful and unsolvable dilemma
in which these two lovers found them
selves so unwittingly and inextricably
involved. 1t was indeed a curious and
bewildering situation. Passionate
alteration for the other rose in each
breast like the surging tide of a
mighty sea, and like that tide upon
the shore 1t broke upon conventions,
ideas, ideals and obligations intangi-
BILE to the naked eye, but as real as
those iron coasts that have withstood
the waves assaults since the worlds
morning.
The man had shaped his life upon a
mistake. He believed absolutely in
the unquestioned devotion of a won
an to whom he had been forced to
mete out death in an unprecedented
and terrible manner. His unwilling
ness to d~erogate by his own conduct
from the standard of devotion which
he believed had inhabited his wife's
bosom, made it impossible for him to
allow the real love that had come into
his heart for this new woman to have
free course; honor, pride and self-re-
spect scourged him just in proportion
to his passion for Enid Maitland.
The more he loved her, the more
ashamed he was. BY a curious COM
bination Of circumstances, Enid Matt
land knew the truth; she knew that
from one point of view the woman had
been entirely unworthy the reverence
in which her husband held her mem
DRY. She knew that his wife had not
loved him at all, that her whole heart
had been given to another man, that
what Newbold had mistaken for a pas
sionate desire for his society because
there vas no satisfaction in life for
the wife away from him, was due to a
fear lest without his protection she
should be unable to resist the appeal
of the other man which her heart
seconded SO powerfully. If it were
only that Newbold would not be false
to the obligation Of the other woman's
devotion, Enid might have solved the
problem in a moment.
1t was not so simple, however. The
fact that Newbold cherished this mem
DRY, the fact that this other woman
had fought so desperately, had tried
SO hard not to give way, entitled her
to Enid Maitland's admiration and de-
manded her highest consideration as
well. Chance, or Providence, had put
her in possession Of this woman's Sc
cret. 1t was as if she had been caught
inadvertently eavesdropping. She
could not in honor make use Of what
she had overheard, as it were; she
could not blacken the other woman's
memory, she could not enlighten this
nan at the expense Of his dead wife's
reputation.
Although she longed for him as
much as he longed for her, although
her love for him amazed her by its
depth and intensity, even to bring her
happiness, commensurate with her
feeling, she could not betray her dead
sister. The imposts of honor, how
hard they are to sustain when they
conflict with love and longing.
Enid Maitland was naturally not a
little thrown off her balance by the
situation and the power that was hers.
What she could not do herself she
could not allow anyone else to do.
The obligation upon her must be ex-
tended to others. Old Kirkby had no
right to the woman's secret any more
than she; he must be silenced. Arm
strong, the only other being who was
privy to the truth, must be silenced
too.
One thing at least arose out Of the
sea Of trouble In a tangible way; she
was done with Armstrong. Even if
she had not so loved Newbold that she
could scarcely give a thought to any
other human being, she was done with
Armstrong
A singular situationl Armstrong
had loved another woman, so had New
bold; and the latter had ever married
this other woman, yet she was quite
willing to forgive Newbold, she made
every excuse for him, she made none
for Armstrong. She was an eminently
sane, just person, yet as she thought
of the situation her anger against
Armstrong grew hotter and hotter. 1t
was a safety valve to her feelings, al
though she did not realize 1t. After
all, Armstrong; actions rendered her
a certain service; II she could get
over the objection In her soul, If she
could ever satisfy her sense of honor
and duty and obligation, she could set
tie the question at once She had
only to show the letters to Newbold
and to say: these we're written by
the man of the picture; it was he, and
not you. your wife loved,p and New
bold would take her to his heart in
stantly.
These thoughts were not without a
certain comfort to her. All the com
~pensation Of self sacrifice is in its
realization. That she could and did
not somehow ennobled her love for
him. Even women are alloyed with
base metal. In the powerful and
universal appeal Of this man to her,
she rejoiced at whatever was Of the
soul, rather than Of the body. To
possess power. to refrain from using