The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-10-03
/. That s the Inlns "a -,

7
mission to say that the stories .r.---
/ let MS say. overdrawn?"
You have not. Lies too short
enter into a contest with Iumor
But your silence"
rs my affair" Mark answered grur-
ly, rising. You may say TO your
/ meticulous friend that I'm about to
! resign from this club"
/ Baker, too. rose. looking at Mark
/ keenly.
oh, come. Truitt." he began,
/ that's"
But Mark cut him short AT least
/ 1t will save him and his sort the ne
| cessity Of setting a precedent that
would declmate the club Good eve
ming"
Henley, who had been out OF the
! city when Mark returned. came back
soon after the latter took ~ his resi-
I dence in the hotel Mark approached
him with the inward shrinking that
preceded every new meeting just then
You've picked up physically" Hen
( ley remarked after cool handshake
Six months in the woods accounts
/ for that"
I'D think, If 1t was doing you SO
much good, you'd have stayed"
! In other Words"
In other words" said Henley. why
did you come back now"
Mark laughed holloway Il didn't
| know Id become a notorious char
acter."
How, in heavens name" Henley
exclaimed. did you let yourself get
caught in a divorce court scandal? Id
have thought that you, of all men,
if you had TO play the fool, would at
least have used tinesse"
So even Henley believed the rumors'
AT any rate, no one but myself is
hurt"
That's not true. Every one who
had anything TO do with you is more
or less hurt. The company is reflected
on. l." Henley concluded with an air
that declared the Indictment to be
complete and unanswerable. Il am be-
smirched. because we're known to be
in so many things together"
That" Mark returned coldly. can
be easily cured. We can wind up our
affairs. And I'm ready to resign from
the company"
You can't cure the fact that We
have been together. And you can't
resign. Are you going to add to the
scandal by marrying that woman"
What woman" Marks voice was
cool and steady.
The one that turned your head and
your wife was smart enough to dis
cover"
You've heard names. them"
NO" growled Henley. She's as
mysterious as the rest Of your d.
does
LAS mythical. you mean" Mark an
swered In voice that did not betray
his relief. There was no woman
What, You mean these stories
aren't true?"
You'd seen me almost every day fd.
years. You might have guessed that"
But last year-those women"
An experiment in idiocy-nothing
worse There we're no women, except
at arms length"
Henley surveyed him keenly. Then
how did these stories get out? But
you needn't answer. | can guess. A
woman is never clever except when
she's up to mischief.
However" he went on. this puts
a different face on the matter AS you
say. might have guessed the truth"
This, for Henley, was abject apology.
Mark shook his head. My resigna-
ton holds just the same"
Are you going to let little talk
drive you out?" Henley demanded.
1T isn't that l had decided before
knew Of it. I'm tired of the scramble
l want-peace." Mark laughed dis
cordantly. And I'm getting 1t with a
vengeance"
las much as you'll ever get It,"
Henley returned promptly. Il know
what you want Who doesn't? Some
time or other every man wants, or
thinks he wants, peace. And IL we
had 1t. we'd want to die. | told you
ohSC OCioiC ehihSS arc. ASCcpt tucHl,
fit yourself to them, forget theories
that lead nowhere. Pick out the thing
you want most and fight until you get
it. Then fight to keep it, Besides, you
aren't misfit. The trouble with you
is, your strength Is your greatest
Weakness-you've too much magma
ton. And you're not a well man yet.
Go back to your woods until you're
cured Then you'll feel the itch to
get into the scramble again and break
a few heads"
But Henley the philosopher had
done He resumed his usual crisp
manner.
Moreover. you can't resign. The
new agreement with the men comes
up next year and the Quinby company
faces the fight Of it's existence. Well
need every good head we've got. And
IL that isn't enough, your withdrawal
would leave me to fight Quinby alone.
And-I made you, don't forget that.
You've got what you wanted out OF
the company and me. You can't drop
out easily now and shirk the respon.
sibilities."
You say, cant?"
Il say, can't. You've got a sense
OF obligation, haven't you?"
IF have" said Mark grimly, its
the last proof that | am a misfit."