Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-04


him. Into the drawing room he leapsd,
his brain afire, his 'fanaticism ramp
ant. his blood boiling.
Sweet, intoxicating strains OF music
from the orchestra in the balcony
seT7 ed but to inflame him the more.
The laughter of the guests, chatter of
cutlery and china, applause, dazzle of
color in the women's evening gowns,
set off by the somber black and white
OF the men, held him silent for
moment. Then-then the sides OF the
great vase upon the long table in the
center of the room burst open and
Rita's bewitching face appeared, her
neck and shoulders bare, revealing
the dazzling whiteness Of her flesh.
Again the vase cracked and she step
ped lightly upon the table, dancing
intoxicatingly there to the hushed ad-
miration OF her guests. A little sob of
pain from the clergyman. He covered
his face with his hands as though
Tending a blow, then sprang toward
the head Of the table, arms uplifted
as might have appeared John the
Baptist when he first came.
Repent this wickedness," he
thundered. Repent, for the Kingdom
OF God is at hand"
"You-you-yo are the one
one who has done this shameful
thing" he choked. "It is you who
have dragged my child into the gut
ter" he said, pointing TO White.
He caught the laugh of Rita, that
familiar laugh. It sounded in his
ears. thundered there, maddened him.
He leaped at the throat of the sneering
man before him. His fingers clasped
there and the impulse of the wild
beast to tear and utterly destroy was
upon him. But with that impulse
came also cunning. Through the
drawing room he dragged the man,
needless of the frightened cries OF his
daughter, her tug at his arms. Into
the library he dragged his prey. shak-
the key in the lock. The voice Of
Rita brought him to himself and he
flung White into the big leather chair
as though he were a bit of uncIean
carrion. He turned to his daughter
and reached out his arms to her, but
bitter laugh came from her lips as
she shrank away from him. The ac-
tion maddened him anew. He whirled
upon White, who had risen, his face
white with rage.
"You-you have dragged my child
down"
Dragged down - down!- Whites
laugh was so bitter that even RIA
drew closer. searching her husbands
face curiously. anxiously. Dragged
ner down from-what? From what.
/ ask you? From den where all life
and light was excluded; from a home
that had bars upon the windows
VINO starved and Gagged her Joyous
nature till she thinks of nothing but
pleasure? Who taught her anything
or woman's mission in life? Who
taught her aught OF the duties of a
wife or the privileges OF a woman? I
ask you-Reverend Cyrus Deane-how
that can be dragged down which has
never been uplifted: I ask you that,
you who guarded the gates Of Heaven
so zealously for others that you made
a prison of your home, for fear some
harm might happen to those you had
no time to teach and love?"
Cyrus Deane could recollect nothing
OF leaving the place save the sight OF
his daughter being disdainfully thrust
aside by a bitterly smiling husband,
when she would have clug to him. He
had vague impression of ripping his
way through the throng of dinner
guests hammering at the door he had
opened. He only knew that he was
very tired and very weak and sick
sick. He did not know he had been
communing with himself throughout
the night. Mrs. Sharpe could have told
him, for he had disturbed her slum-
oers. And the steady beating OF his
clenched fists upon his chest in
rhythm to three words, repeated over
and over. endlessly, tended to enErays
them upon his brain.
Il have sinned-I have sinned-T
have sinned." the Reverend CYRUS
Deane had cried all through that long,
long night.