River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-02-27

secret cOnclave of my party-at sale
the world could never know-would |
sell for the presidency of the republic?
Or would sell now to win this WON
an? Would II If SO. | should hold
her blameless. Have all men and all
women a price if we but name it?
Answer. Answer AM then from
the depths Of his being came the burn
ing words:
NO! | swear it. No."
Tie looked up with 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."
".Godr Surely he didn't say Cod"
Stuart brooded 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 to 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
sional 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 if it were the grand
stand of racecourse. without hesita-
ton tearing down and stealing its dec
rations for souvenirs.
BY a curious law Of reaction all re-
sentiment and anger were gone, and
only a great pity for Nan began to I'LL
Stuart's heart.
That night Stuart entered one of the
more dignified and serious theaters just
off Broadway. The play was a serious
effort by a brilliant young dramatlst
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 a series of tense and
terrible scenes. The comedy over which
the crowd laughed with such conta-
gious merriment was even more SIMS
ter than the serious parts. No matter
what the Situation-whether set to
laughter, to terror or to tears-beneath
1t all throbbed one insistent question:
HAS the woman who sells herself
for money soul?
With breathless interest he watched
the cruel carving of her body into tiny
pieces Without shifting, whining or
apology, with arms barred and CLEAN
ing scalpel firmly gripped in hand
that never quivered once, the author
dissected her Always he could hear
this white invisible figure bending over
each scene talking to the audience in
his quiet, terrible way:
well. if be she has a soul we shall
find it. Perhaps it's here"
With a firm, strong hand the last
secret of muscle and nerve and bone
was laid bare. and the white face look
ed into the eyes of the audience through
a mist Of tears.
I'm sorry, my friends But we must
face the truth It's better to know the
truth, however bitter. than to believe
lie"
With soft rush the big curtain came
down in a silence that could be felt
The dazed crowd walked from the spell
and poured into the aisles, while Stu
art still sat gripping the arms of his
seat with strangling emotion.
AT last he said to himself with chok-
ing emphasis:
HE was cruel, inhuman, unjust
refuse to believe it! She has soul!
She has a soulp'
Next day Stuart went to his office
with his mind keyed to higher pitch
Of power. He felt that he was on his
mettle The fight was not yet won.
but this morning he was winning. He
plunged into his work with tireless
zeal. Everything he touched seemed
illumined with a new light.
At the close of the days work he was
still conscious of an eXhaustless pity
which had found no adequate express
sion in his labor on his clients cases.
His mind wandered to the dark silent
millions into whose world the doctor
had led him that night-millions who
have no voice in courts because they
have no money to sustain fight for
the enforcement of justice. He had
never thought about these people be-
fore. They were calling now for his
help Why? Because he had been en-
dowed with powers of head and heart
which they did not possess. The pos
session Of these gifts carried a respon-
sibility.
On reaching his club in Gramercy
park he saw that the Primrose house
was closed Mans mother had gone
with the bridal party on Bivens' big
yacht for a cruise which would last
through the summer Somehow, for
all his brave talk he didn't feel equal
to the task of seeing that window OF
Mans old home from his club. He was
about to beat a retreat when he stop
ped abruptly and the lines of his mouth
frightened.
whats the use of being coward?
I've got to get used to it. I'd as well
begin at once"
He deliberately took his seat on the
little pillared balcony of the clubhouse
and watched the darkened window
through the gathering twilight. For
the moment he gave up the fight-the
devil had him by the throat He let
the tears come without protest. He
was alone and the shadows were
friendly.
He SteDned inside Touched hell and
ordered a cocktail. He placed the glass