Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-12
CHATTER XVI Continued.


paused again in the shadows of the
great dark hall, beyond the Pickering
light Of the dancing flames. =.
Don't fool, Molly. Come and SIT
down"
II don't want to, Joe. What's the
use? We can never agree
Eyes. we can If you can look me
straight in the face and say that you
do not love ME, we can agree to part.
II YOU can't and you know you can't
we will agree to be married. Come.
dear promise that | will not touch
you again. Come and sit down."
1T won't do any good, Joe. won't
marry you"
"You love me, thought. Say It,"
why, yes, like you"
Better than you do Hancock
"As WELL"
Better" he insisted. "You know
you like me better" And he strobe
over to her where she leaned against
the great center-table,
AS"
Molly
"Oh, joe, yes. I do love you. But
don't you see how impossible it is, our
love? Nothing can ever come of 1t. y
"Why not? AS far as can see
there is nothing in the way OF our
marrying"
There's everything in the way"
'What?"
Poverty
Poverty! Nothing! ! am young and
can more than earn enough for you
and me, sweetheart. Be brave, dear,
that's all ask, and trust me.
promise you you will not suffer for 1t.
Il shall suffer, Joe, We both shall.
How can we help it?"
What shall We suffer-
"Why. poverty"
what Is poverty when a man and
woman love each other as We love?
Talking Of poverty, anyway, is ridi-
culous I can make enough to keep
us in comfort
Eyes, but what of the-the family?'
"The family, Molly?"
"The children, Joe. We should prob
ably have dozen or so. Think of the
coal bills, the grocery bills, OF the
shoes forever wearing out, OF the
whooping-cough and the me..slesD
Love will make care pleasure
when shared together" ->.5
But It doesn't, Joe. You are not
logical. Care and trouble eliminate
love entirely. It can't help but do
SO. Poverty and love are poor team
mates and love always gets the worst
of it when 1t comes to blows"
Lets get down to reason. You say
l am not logical. I am. Listen, dear.
am young and strong. l have gone
through college. You yourself know
what am, you cans help but feel in
stinctively that am capable and de-
cent Molly. can more than take
care of both of us and fifty children.
You will never have to work again:
indeed, will not let you work. If I
could not support wife, would not
ask you to marry me-
"A woman always has the worst OF
It. no matter how much man says
she won't. 1t stands to reason. Joe,
that she will
wait. I haven't finished. repeat,
l will never allow you to work You
to work You must admit that am
right when | say that | have the
ability to support us in comfort
Admit it, dear. Do you know that T.
Is so?"
"Yes, but"
"Wait. I haven't finished my argu-
ment yet"
But, Joe, what's the use of your
argument when it won't convince me?
You may be able to support me. |
admit it. But you can not give me
what Hancock can. You will probably
never be able to-"
"And what can he give you but good
clothes, good food and carriages, a big
house and plenty of money and ser
wants? All empty show without love-
But he does love me-
''Not as l do, Molly"
''He does, Joe. He says he does"
But you, yourself, Molly? You
don't love him. You would sell your
self like so much merchandise, body
and soul, be worse than one of those
creatures of the streets, for they know
no better and are hungry and des-
perate and driven! All, Molly, child,
don't spoil our lives like this, just be-
cause you won't be true to yourself
~ am true to myself. My true self
is not what you think L" She
turned away. her face softening, her
eyes filling. Her hands clenched
slowly in her pockets. For moment
she was tempted to live up to this
mans estimate of her, to give up the
wearing struggle of denying her love
for him and fighting against it, to be
all he thought her, putting love above
everything, true to the ideal he had
formed in the long, idle summer
days when they two had talked of love
and life, while she took lessons in
driving a motor-car.
Molly" whispered Algernon.
throwing out his hands pleadingly,
but not touching her don't sell your
self for gold; don't give yourself to
that man simply for the money he
can give you in return. I love you,
dear. will make your life all that you
want it to be. All that ask is that
you trust me and be true to this love
of ours, which is clean and pure and
sweet, not besmirehed with the CRIME
of gold and empty marriage vows.
You are not a highgrade Holstein or
a bull pup with a pedigree mile
long that you should sell yourself.
You are a woman, dear"