Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-02

Nan was leaning on the arm Of a
stranger he had never seen before, an
uncle from the west She was pale,
deethly pale. and walked with a hest
tatlng movement as though weak from
Illness. Suddenly his heart went out
TO her in a food Of pity and tenderness.
He tried to make her feel this, but she
passed without a glance. She had not
seen him.
Stuart listened TO the ceremony with
q vague impersOnal interest as If 1t
were something going on IN another
world. A single question was burning
itself into his brain-the price OF
woman. Have we all our price," he
asked, searching deep into his own
soul. Something pathetic in the white
face Of the bride had touched the deep
est sources Of his being
Have 1. too. my price. oh. boastful
soul?" he cried Would 1 sell my
honor for a million? No. For ten,
fifty. a hundred millions? No-not in
the market place, no-but would l sell
by a compromise of principle in the
secret conclave Of my party-at q sale
J the world could never know-would l
sell for the presidency Of the republic?
Or would ] sell now TO win this WON
an? Would II If so. l should hold
her blameless Have all men and all
women a price if we but name tt?
Answer! Answer" And then from
the depths Of his being came the burn
ing words:
NO. ] swear it. No.
He looked M with a start. wonder
ing vaguely If the crowd had heard
/ this cry.
No: they were intent on the drama
at the altar. The minister was say
| ing:
! What Cod hath Joined together let
not man put asunder."
/ "'God" Surely he didn't say God"
Stuart broodcd. Does God. the au-
/ gust. mysterious. awful creator Of the
universe. work like this? Did not the
/ God Of heaven and earth give this wo-
/ man 10 him beneath the sunny skies
/ OF the south while their souls sang for
| Joy?"
They were moving again down the
/ aisle. the organ throbbing the recess
/ slonal from Mendelssohn. A wave of
/ emotion swept the crowd inside, and
/ they became a mob Of vulgar. chatter
/ ing, gossiping fools. swarming over
/ the church as il it were the grand
stand Of racecourse, without hesita-
ton tearing down and stealing its dec
orations for souvenirs.
BY a curious law Of reaction all re-
sentiment and anger were gone. and
only great pity for Nan began to fill
Stuart's heart
That night Stuart entered one Of the
more dignifed and serious theaters just
OF Broadway. The play was serious
effort by n brilliant young dramatist
OF the modern school Of realism. In
two minutes from the rising Of the cur
tain the play had gripped him with re-
lentless power. Slowly, remorseless as
fate. he saw the purpose Of the author
unfold itself in series of tense and
terrible scenes. The comedy over which
the crowd laughed with such Conta
gtous merriment was even more stnis-
ter than the serious parts. No mates
what the situation-whether set &c
laughter, 10 terror or to tears-beneath
Il all throbbed one insistent question:
Has the woman who sells herself
for money a sOuly'
J With bresthless interest he watched
the cruel carving of her body into tiny
pieces. Without smiling, whining oil
apology, with arms barred and CLEAN
ing scalpel firmly gripped in a hand
that never quivered once. the author
dissected her. Always he could heal
J this white invisible figure bending owe
each scene talking TO the audience II
his quiet, terrible way:
, We'll, II be she has a soul we shall
! End 1t. Perhaps it's here"
, With a firm, strong hand the las
secret Of muscle and nerve and bon'
was laid bare. and the white face look
ed into the eyes Of the audience through
a mist of tears
I'm sorry. friends But we must fac
; the truth. It's better to know the trutl
however bitter, than to believe lie -