The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-04-04
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
IN EXTREME MOMENTS.
BY Martha Mccullough Williams.

BY Martha Mccullough Williams.
i wish" Dallas began, half turn
ing away his eyes.
"A woman signs: i wish! A man
should say: 4 will" Helen May
quoted, mischieviously, yet with a
faint flush.
Dallas laughed, uneasily. eff l
could will 1 would have no need to
wish,'' he said.
Indeed! Can't you tell me the won
der wish?' Helen asked. He shook
his head, but irresolutely.
. You wouldn't understand" he muir
Anred, signing family after the last
Word.
Wouldn't i? What a stupid I must
DEL" Helen laughed, pretending to
pout afterward.
Dallas got up and walked the length
OF the room. At the fireplace he said
abruptly over bis shoulder:
Il wish Il had never seen you or
else could marry YOU"
whether or no?" countered, her
eyes dancing.
He turned short about. Mock me!
All you likei" he said You knew from
the beginning ! wasn't free to choose.
Marcia's father made me-but for him
l.
raid the money-insisted on Il the
&rst minute / could. But gratitude!
Heavens! All u am or ever shall be,
won't begin to pay that And he has
sex his hearS on having me in the
famlly-Marcia herself acQuiesces-I
doubt IL she greatly cares"
You are wrong. She does care"
Helen said, also rising. You are as
much an outward and visible sign of
her fathers wealth and consequence
as her motor or her tiara"
And nothing more? lord! If 1
thought So" Dallas began.
Helen put up her hand fmperatively
for Nsilence. That was a horrid
speech-truth generally is" she said.
Forget it. please-it makes no
sEnerence-and remembering will only
hurt"
Notwithstanding shall remem-
ber," Dallas said, his voice low and
hoarse.
Helen went a pace toward him. "A
wise man would marry Marcia out of
hand" she said. She is so hand
some, her bridegroom cannot fail to
be fond OF her"
Il am fond of her-so fond I thought
j loved her-until you came into my
A1AS' OoAAoS SAUL a hIlle SAAho IN MS
voice.
Helens eyes met his hong gaze
steadily. rAre you sure you know
1yha1 love is?'' she asked clearly.
IF loved, neither heights nor
Sepths, nor principalities nor powers,
nor any earthly things could come
between me and my beloved"
II see. you despise me as a coward"
Dallas said, half turning away.
"NO-nothing more than a wise, a
very wise person." he answered, a lit
tie bitterly. prove the wisdom by
leaving me at once"
Dallas would have caught her to
his breast-she pushed him away,
pointing siNEaiy to the door.
AS it closed behind him she sank
down, shaken with gusty >sobs. She
had hoped he would stay in spite of
akserything-herea as everywhere. Fate
bod Marcia's friend.
1t was hard. Maycia was her cousin
once removed-bigS slow, splendid,
phlegmatic. Helen herself was a bit
of human Quicksilver-she had not
meant to let herself really love Dallas.
The affair had begun, indeed, in her
determination 20 show that once, If no
more, she could triumph over Marcia.
Marcia had everything-m oney,
friends, the love of a real men, even
though she was not going to marry
him. And as the wife of Dallas she
would have hOnors-perhaps almost
the highest in the land. Already men
spoke of him as darling OF the gods.
Things came to him, unasked, appar-