Evening star., 1915-03-14

in CHASTITY way that than tears. Then she
heard one OF the in the other hunks groaning and
started up again, asking wildly who was there told
her that two were badly injured. Unfortunately
l added that her husband was deck.
"'Husband she cried. 4 not worthy of such
husband bartered my very soul for luxury, and
l am being punished as deserve. Yvonne one night
in Paris your mother kissed YOU when YOU were living
asleep in your cot, and hurried away what deemed
liberty. have uled my conscience for eighteen years
into the belief that justified, that had acted for
the best since my extravagant tastes were then
embittering your fathers life. Yet the husband and
child abandoned have saved my miserable life, saved
the man too who came into my life when free
marry again. Oh why didn't you let dc2 Perhaps
am dying now. Yvonne, you have my face; but
kindly Heaven must have spared you from having my
nature. You at least, will forgive. Kiss once be-
fore the end comes If you mercful, Eternal
Judge may not condemn utterly; for have strivcn
to atone by doing some good in the world. Unhappy
myself, | have tried to make Others happy
"Father DEAR could not refuse. l took her in my
suppose she nearly tainted again, because she
spoke only ncoherently until she heard your voice in
the hatch, when she whispered your and buried
her face in the clothes"
THE girls tremulous voice ceased and there was no
sound in the room above the cracking of elm logs
and the pleasant babbe of flames in the big open fire.
place. At last fearing lest he should break down COM
pleely Ingersol gently untwned his daughters clasp,
rose, and fumbled with pipe (nan's sole harbor of
refuge in emotional storms).
"Don't cry, Yvonne," he said brokenly. "It-it
hurts From what you tell me l gather that-your
mother is in more critical condition than imagined.
Do you want to go to her--now2'
Yvonne too stood up She brushed away the mist of
tears and looked at him with shining eyes, Dad she
said and vibration rang her voice that carried her
fathers memory back half lifetime back the days
when youth was golden and love was deemed everlast-
ing, "when my mother muttering in derum my
own poor wits wandered. asked myself what it all
meant, and could not escape the bitter understanding
that came to Then remembered what you said
day when wretched girl had been bounded out of
the village because of her transgression.'
What sad repeated lngcrso, bafled in the effort
to follow her train of thought.
"Yes. You were speaking to some man who was
angcred by the mercless attitude of the peasant
to one of their sex. You blamed the misleading
teachings of narrow-mnded theologians and reminded
him of Chrsts words to the PhariseeS who brought be-
fore Him some poor creature who had fallen They
tauned Him with the Mosaic law, which ordered that
she and her like should be pced with stones; but He
only said that the man who was without sin among
them should the first stone And the crowd melted,
and Christ was left alone with the sinner whom He for
gave. did not know then just what you meant did
not know until heard my mother confessng her fault,
and asking me, her daughter, for forgiveness
"Unhappily everyday world is not ruled by the
maxs of Christ The girl you speak of went to Brest,
and her body was found in the harbor fortnight later
Il remembered that too
"If you go to your mother now you may set in motion
influences that may darken your whole life
"lf did not 60 would never forgive mysef-never!'
prudence the merest sort OF commonsense, warns