The Benson signal., 1917-06-16

Rodney pointed out when she repeated
them to him, they nevertheless added
something to the cumulative force of
the argument so laboriously built up
by the friend and woman. And they
were decidedly indicative of growing
mental condition on the part of Shurt-
lift from which much might be hoped
and expected.
But Shurtliff could not bring him
self to come out boldly and confess,
and his failure to do that made him
more and more miserable. At first his
conscience had been entirely clear. He
had viewed his conduct in the light Of
noble sacrifice for the great man.
Now he began to question: Was it
right to blast the future Of the living
for the sake of the fame of the dead?
Probably he would have questioned
that eventually without regard to
Helen Illingworth, but when he began
to grow fond Of the woman and when
| he realized, as she Enthusiastically dis
| closed it to him, that her own happi-
ness was engaged and that he was not
only running the career Of man but
wrecking the life and crushing the
heart Of an entirely innocent woman,
he had constant battle royal with
himself to pursue his course and to
| keep silent.
Yet such is the character Of tenn
| perament like that of Shurtliff, mar
rowed and contracted bya single pas
sion of life and lacking the breadth
which comes from intercourse with
men and women, that his compunctions
of conscience only made him the more
resolved. The lonely, heart-brOken old
man swore that he would never tell.
The young man could go his own gait
and work out his own salvation, or be
damned, If he must. The wOman's
heart might break, pitiful as that
would be, but he would never tell. He
was as unhappy in that determination
as any other man fighting against his
conscience must inevitably be.
| Sometimes looking at the misery in
the old mans face (for on his counte-
nance his heart wrote his secret),
Helen Illingworth experienced COM
Functions of conscience of her own,
which she told to Rodney in default
of other confessor. That fine young
man appreciated fully the woman's
feelings and understood her keen SEN
sibilities, and his comprehension was a
great comfort to her. He encouraged
her to persevere. Since 1T was only
through Shurtliff that the truth could
| be established, she must not falter
nor reject any fair and reasonable
means to gain his whole confidence
and make him speak. 1t was, after
all, simply a question of whether the
game was worth the candle. How best
could they expose or fight a deceit?
And that the deception was for noble
purpose and to serve laudable end in
the minds Of the deceivers did not
alter that fact.
"You are doing nothing in the least
degree dishonorable, Miss Illingworth,"
said Rodney, reassuringly. "Woman's
wiles have been her weapons since
the Stone Age"
'But do feel compunctions of con-
science occasionally"
PERSONALLY think you are abunt-
antly justified" urged Rodney.
eyes, to establish the truth, to give
the man love his good name would
justify more than this," she replied,
"and yet"-she smiled faintly-"my
conscience does hurt me a little. The
old man is beginning to love me-"
''That's the reason it hurts you," said
Rodney. "When he loves you enough
ne will do anything you want, as I
would"
The young man stopped, looked long
at her, and then turned away with lit
tie gesture of-was it appeal or re-
nunciation? He was too loyal to his
friend to speak, but he could not con-
troll everything. The tone Of his voice,
the look in his eyes, his quick avoid
ance Of her, told the woman little
story. They had been very closely as
sociated, these two. Rodney also had
not had much advantage of woman's
society, certainly not of woman like
Helen nlingworth. She had given him
her full confidence in the intimacy.
He was a man. He loved like others.
She was too fond of him, too great,
too true woman to pretend.
'Mr. Rodney" said the girl, laying
her hand on his arm as though to re-
strain him, "that way madness lies"
"Niss 1llingworth," said Rodney,
turning and facing her, his lips firm
ly compressed, his eyes shining. 'T'm
devoted to Bert Meade and to your
he lifted her hand from his arm and
kissed it-"and I'm going to do every
thing for your happiness"
Brave words and he said them more
bravely.
"I understand" said the woman,
"and honor you for your loyalty to
your friend and your devotion to me.
Loyalty is not always the easiest
thing on earth, know"
"You make it easy for me because
you understand"
So tho fall and winter wora filed