The Yale expositor., 1916-08-03

think I love IN youf Ire things you
have spent? The things you have
thrown away? Has a woman ever
fallen In love with a man because he
was perfectY Glen made a despond-
ing gesture with both hands as though
she sought words that would not come.
Some men clap a wife on to them
selves" she went on, "as you clap a
lid on TO a hot fire. IL the fire grows
cold quick enough the lid cracks. Some
just let the fire burn out and take the
dross with it. A woman knows that
there is always something left in the
man she loves. And even If she did
not know 1t, it would be the same. She
would rather give all for nothing than
never give at ALL"
Clem's voice fell into lower key.
'The things you know that / do not
know! What a child you are among
men. A halfwitted woman is born
with more knowledge than the wisest
of you ever attains and the first thing
she learns is that life laughs at knowl-
edge"
Clem stopped speaking and her eyes
! that had wandered came back to Al
| ans face. She drew a quivering breath.
Her face had been pale, but now the
sudden color surged up over her throat
and into her cheeks. she put up her
hands to her forehead. "Oh," she
gasped, you have driven me too far
! am moan thing in my own eyes as
l am in yours"
At first Alan had stood stunned by
the words in which she had poured out
her overburdened heart, but as she
went on pitilessly laying bare her SUBJ
lection a flame lit up his eyes and fired
his blood Now he sprang forward and
dragged her hands from her face.
"Mean. Clem? Mean in my eyes?"
Then his tongue failed him. He sank
to the wet grass at her feet, took her
knees i'm his arms and hid his hot face
in her skirt. my God. my God" he
cried. 81 am mean, but what there
is of me has knelt to you by night and
worshlped you by day. When you
were little you were in my heart and
you have grown up to IT. When you
were little there was room there for
other things. but now that you have
grown up you have filed it--all of it
every nook and Granny"
A tremor went through Clem's body
She rested the fingers of one hand on
Alan's head and tried to turn up his
face. But he held it close to her knees.
IF you want me. Clem, If you want
me, then there must be things left
things / have never-cOuld never give
to anyone else. But l am ashamed
to pour them into your lap-I must
pour them at your feet"
NO" said Clem gravely. 81 do not
want you to pour things at my feet
It's got to be eye TO eye or nothing,
and if there's any man left in"
"Clem," broke in Alan, "there Is
enough man left in me If you'll only
give me time. Time to groom him.
You can understand that, Clem? You
know what grooming and a clean
stable will do for shaggy horseT
Clem nodded. How much time do
you want?"
Alan hesitated. "a year." he said
'T'll make a year do It,"
"You can have six months" replied
Clem and added with a smile, That's
ten per cent under office estimates"
Then forgetful Of hours and meals
and the little things in life that do not
count when human souls mount to the
banquet of the gods, they sat side by
side and hand in hand on a big rock
and stared with unseeing eyes at the
gray world. with you beside me, "
said Alan. "all skies are blue and filled
with the light Of a single, steady star"
Glen did not answer, but in her eyes
content and knowledge, tenderness
. and strength, pleasure and pain played
with each other like the lights and
dappled shadows under a swaying
, bough.