The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-04-09
peace and the peace of others. {"

iHuiFiuudi, Out ne WAS one, as ilIeT-
esting a one as she had met in very
long time. She. too. had made blum
der. Quick to form opinions. swift to
Judge, she stood guilty with the COM
mon lot, who permit impressions in
stead of evidence to sway them. Here
was a man.
I'VE have gone far afield," she said.
a tacit admission that she could not
refute his dissertations. This knowl-
edge, however, was not irksome.
Rather have we not come to the
bars? Shall we let them down? In
the civil and military life on this side
OF the world there are many situa-
lions which we perforce must tolerate
But these, mind you, are settled condi-
lions. II is upon new ones which arise
that we pass judgment. ] knew moth
ing about you. nothing whatever. So
judged you according to the rules"
Elsa leaned upon her elbows. and
she smiled little as she noted that
the purple had gone from his nose
and that it had resumed its accus.
toned rubicundity.
IL go on. A woman who travels
alone, who does not present letters of
introduction, who
who attends strictly to her own af-
fairs. Go on"
Imperturbably he continued: who
seeks the acquaintance of men who do
not belong, as you Americans say"
mot men; one man." she corrected.
"A trifling difference. Well. it
arouses a disagreeable word, sus.
picion. For look, there have been ex-
amples. 1t isn't as If yours were an
isolated case. There have been ex-
amples, and these we apply to such af-
fairs as come under our notice"
And it doesn't matter that you may
be totally wrong?"
His prompt answer astonished her.
mo, 1t does not matter in the least.
Simmered down, it may be explained
in a word, appearances. And ! must
say, to the normal mind -
1.-The mediocre mind"
ITO the normal and mediocre mind,
appearances were against you. OBJ
serve, please, that l did not know /
was wrong, that you were a remark
able young woman. My deductions
were made from what l saw as an out
slider. On the Irrawaddy you made
the acquaintance of man who came
out here fugitive from justice. After
you made his acquaintance, you sought
none other, in fact, repealed any adj
vances. This alone decided me-"
"Then you were decided?" To say
that this blunt exposition was not bit
ter to her taste, that 1t did not act
like acid upon her pride, would not
be true. She was hurt, but she did not
let the hurt befog her sense of JUS
tice From his point of view the colo
mel was in no fault. Let me tell you
how very wrong you were indeed"
Doubtless" he hastily interposed,
you enveloped the man in a cloud OF
romance"
"On the contrary, ! spoke to him
and sought his companionship because
he was nothing more nor less than a
ghost"
"Ah! Is it possible that you knew
him in former times?"
mo. But he was so like the man at
home so identical in features and
build to the man l expected to go
home to marry.
my dear young, lady, you are right
Mediocrity is without imagination,
stupid, and makes the world dull
place indeed. What woman in your
place would have acted otherwise? In
stead of one apology / offer thou
sand"
81 accept each and all of them. More,
/ believe that you and l could get on
capitally. l can very well imagine the
soldier you used to be. l am going to
ask you what you know about Mr..
Warrington"
"This, that he is not fit companion
for a young woman like yourself; that
a detracting rumor follows hard upon
his heels wherever he goes. learned
something about him in Rangoon. He
is known to the riff-raff as Parrot &
Co., and l don't know what else. All
of us on shipboard learned his previ-
GUS history. And not from respectable
quarters, either"
IF / had been elderly and without
physical attractions?" Elsa inquired
sarcastically.
1--WE are dealing with human nature.
mediocrity, and not with speculation.
1t is in the very nature of things to
distrust that which we do not under
stand. You say, old and without phys
ical attractions. Beauty is of all
things most drawing. We crowd about
it, we crown it, we flatter it. The old
and unattractive we pass by. If | had
not seen you here tonight, heard you
talk, saw in a kind of rebellious en-
chantment over your knowledge of the
world and your distinguished acquaint-
ance, l should have gone to my grave
believing that my suspicious we're cor
rect dare say that shall make the
same mistake again"
did you learn among other things
what Mr. Warrin pt0n had done2"