The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-05-13

as one dead, leaden of soul, broken OF
heart:
YOUNG HOSTESS PLANS BIG DIN
NER SURPRISE.
Rumored Mrs. James White viii APP
pear Tonight as Dancing Girl
70 Entertain Guests.
The rustic of the newspaper falling
to the floor brought him To his feet,
his eyes blazing with sudden r"solu-
ton. lie Garted from the room,
snatching his hat automatically from
the rack. and rushed ont upon the
street.
\ fierce fanatIcism tugreI at him.
driving him faster. ever faster. His
daughter must b. saved. must be
taken away from the depths into
which She had been DRAGGED He
rushed up the driveway. the gravel
crunchiug under his feet tiyrcoIy Tho
butler al the door would have halted
him but he brushed the startled sery-
ant aside
Sweet. Intoxicating strains of music
from o." orchestra in the balcony
served hpt 10 in,iame him the more
tn" laughter Of the guests, cldtter OF
cutlery and china. applause. dazzle of
color I'm m" WCWcn's evening gowns
set off by the sombeT black and white
OF the men. held him silent for a
moment Then-thon the sides Of the
great vase upon the long table in the
center Of the room burst open and
Rita's bevitChing face appeared. her
neck and shoulders bare. revealing
the dazzling Wilderness of her flesh
Again the vase cracked and She
stepped lightly upon the table. dane
ing intoxicatingly there 20 the hushod
admiration Of her guests. \ little sob
Of pain from the clergyman.
Repent this wickedness.' he
numbered Repent. for the Kingdom
| Of God is AZ hand"
James White sprang TO his feet
! But Cyrus Deane did not notice him
| His eyes held those Of the startled.
frightened girl Slowly she moved
| away from those burning eyes Her
| hands moved down in the old impulse
| as though she would conceal her at
! tire from this man. James White
| tapped the clergyman upon the Shout
der and the preacher whirled upon
him. his face twitching convulsively
"You-yOu-yOu are the one who
! has done this shameful thing" he
| choked. 1T is you who have dragged
INF no hp
He caught the laugh of Rita. that
! familiar laugh. II sounded in his
| ears, Numbered there. maddened him
| He leaped at the throat of the sneer-
| ing man before him. His fingers
! clasped there and the impulse of the
wild beasts TO tear and utterly destroy
was upon him. But with that impulse
came also cunning. Through the
| drawing-rCOm 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-
| ing him viciously the while, turning
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 unclean
| Carrion. He turned to his daughter
and reached out his arms to her, but
a 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 downtown" Whites
laugh was so bitter that even Rita
drew closer, searching her husbands
face curiOusly. anxiously. Dragged
her down from-what? From what
| ask you? From a den where all life
and light was excluded; from a home
that had bars upon the windows
Who starved and Gagged her joyous
nature till she thinks OF nothing but
pleasure? Who taught her anything
OF woman's mission in life? Who
taught her aught OF the duties of O
wife or the privileges Of a woman?
ask you-Reverend Cyrus Deane-hoW
that can be dragged down which has
never been uplifted; | ask you that
you who guarded the gates of HEAVIER
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 o.
his daughter being disdainfully thrust
aside by a bitterly smiling husband
when she would have chung to him.
II have sinned-I have sinned-
have sinned." Rev. Cyrus Deane haC
cried all through that long, Ion,
night
w.
Rita frowned and toyed neryously