The Ordway new era., 1916-03-03
CHAPTER XVII.
! The Public 10 Aroused.

The Public 10 Aroused.
Clad In her filmy cream lace gown.
Gail walked slowly into her boudoir.
and closed the door. and sank upon
her dfvan. She did not stop tonight to
let down her hair and change to her
dainty negligee. nor to punctiliously
straighten the room. nor to turn on
the beautiful green light: instead. with
all the electric bulbs blazing. she sat
with her chin In her hand. and. with
her body perfectly in repose. tried to
study the whfrl OF her mind.
She was shaken. she knew that.
shaken and stirred as she had never
been before. Something in the depths
OF her had Ieaped up into life. and
cried out In agony, and would not stop
crying until It was satisfied
need you to walk hand in hand
with me about the greatest work in
the worid!" That was 1t; the greatest
work In the world! And what was
that work? To live and teach ritual
In place OF religion: to turn worship
into social observance: to use help
less belief as ladder of ambition:
to reduce faith to words. and hope to
a recitation. and charity to an obliga.
tion: to make pomp and ceremony a
substitute for conscience. and to inter-
pose secretary between the human
heart and God!
For Just an instant Cats eyelIds
dropped. her long brown lastes curved
upon her cheeks. while beneath them
her eyes sIfnted. and a smile touched
the corners Of her lips: then she was
serious again. No. she had decided
wisely.
There was knock on the door. and
Gail smiled again as she said
Come In"
Mrs. Helen Davies en.ered, tall and
stately In her boudoir frills and
rufiles. She sat down in front of Gail
and prepared to enact the role OF CON
scientIous mother.
Doctor Boyd proposed to you to-
night" she charged. with afrectionate
authority
Yes. Aunt Helen.'' and Gail began
to pull pins out Of her hai..
A worried expression crossed the
pfoW OF Aunt HGien.
Did you accept him? ?" and she fair
ly quiyered with anxiety.
No. Aunt Helen" Quite calmly
piling more hairpins and still more
into the little tray by her side. and
shaking down her ripping waves OF
hair
Aunt Helen sighed deep sigh of
relief and smiled ter approval.
Gail. dear. you have shown a de-
gree Of carefulnsss which | am dr..
lighted to find tn you. II you handle
all your Affairs 90 sensibIy. you baye
. brilliant future before you"
must be an awful worry to you,
Aunt Helen" observed Gail, and walk.
ing over, SIZE slipped her arm around
Mrs. Davies neck and kissed her and
looked around for her chocolate box.
Calls maid came in, and Mrs Da.
vies bade her sisters niece good
night most cordially. and retired with
4 great load OF her mind; and half
pa hour later the lights in Cau.s
pretty little suite went out.
II she lay long hours looking out a,
the pale stars; II. 10 the midst OF her
cain logic. she suddenly buried her
face In her pillows and sobbed silent.
II: ". toward morning. she awoke
with : little cry to find her face and
her hands hot. al these things were
but normal and natural 1t is enough
70 know that she came to her break.
fast brtgbt-eyed and sy-cheeked and
smiling With the pleasant greetings OF
the day. and picked up the papers
casuaiiy. and ut upon the newest sen.
9ast1n of the free and entirely un
IeprASd mettopoiitau pressl
n Feea aad entirely uncurbed met.
sSpollt6a pres had found vedder
y1elrt - had made IT the sudden
~ ~ pabfic eye. Those few
MI WS1S tefviIsgSd 10 know init.
I Werttnss sf that adrolt
~ plblte sslfass. Tin Coz.
n y ~ \ 6nlDB1 essafll