The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-11-09

could help"
'No one can help" he told her grim
ly. ut Is all finished and done with,
l would rather not talk any more about
1t. didn't come here to talk about
1t. / came to see you. So this is
where you liver
He looked around him, and for a mo-
ment he almost forgot the pain which
was gnawing at his heart. It was such
a simple, plainly furnished little room,
so clean, so neat, so pathetlcally elo-
quent Of poverty. She drew closer to-
gether the curtains which concealed
the little chints-covered bed, and came
and sat down by his side.
She casped her hands tighter
around his arm. Her eyes sought his
anxiously.
''But you mustn't climb down, John"
she insisted. "You are so much nicer
where you are, so much too good for the
silly, ugly things. You must fight this
in your own way, fight 1t according to
your own standards You are too good
to come down"
"Am 1 too good for you SOphy?"
She looked at him, and her whole
| face seemed to soften. The light In
her blue eyes was sweet and wistful.
A bewildering little smile curled her
| lips.
Don't be stupid ~ she begged. "a
few minutes ago I was looking out of
my window and thinking what a poor
little morsel Of humanity l am, and
what useless, drifting life have led.
But that's foolish. Come now! What
| want to persuade you to do is to
90 back to Cumberland for a time,
and try hard-very hard indeed-tO
realize what 1t means to be woman
like Louise, with her temperament
her intense intellectual curiosity, her
charm. Nothing could make Louise
different from what she is-a dear,
sweet woman and great artist. And,
John, / believe she loves yOu!"
His face remained undisturbed even
by the flicker Of an eyelid.
"SOphy," he said, 81 have decided
to go abroad. viii you come with
me?"
She sat quite still. Again her face
was mOmentariy transformed. All its
pallor and fatigue seemed to have van
ished. Her head had fallen little back.
She was looking through the ceiling
into heaven. Then the light died away
almost as quickly rs it had come. Her
lips shook tremulOusly.
"You know you don't mean it, John
You wouldn't take me. And If you did,
you'd hate me afterward-you'd want
to send me backw
He suddenly drew her to him, his
arm went around her waist. She had
lost all power of resistance. For the
first time in his life of his own delib-
crate accord, he kissed her-feverish-
ly, almost roughly.
"Sophy," he declared, 81 have been a
fool | have come an awful crOpper,
but you might help me with what's
left. l am going to start afresh.
am going to get rid of some of these
ideas of mine which have brought me
nothing but misery and disappoint-
ment. l don't want 70 live up to them
any longer. I want to just forget
them. i want to live as other men
live-juSt the simple, ordinary life.
Come with me! I'll take you to the
places we've talked about together. l
am always happy and contented with
you. Let's try it"
Her arms stole around his neck.
TAh Il, L..
face for a moment. "What can I say?
What could any poor, weak little crea-
ture like me say? You know / am
fond Of you'll haven't had the pride,
even, to conceal it"
He stood up, held her face for
moment between his hands, and kissed
her forehead
"Then that's all settled" he de-
clared. II am going back to my rooms
now. I want you to come and dine
with me there tonight, at eight
O'clock"
Her eyes sought his, pleaded with
them, searched them.
You are sure, John?" she asked, her
voice little broken. "You want me
really? l am to come"
81 am sure" he answered steadfast-
ly. 81 shall expect you at eight
o'clock ~
John went back to his rooms fighting
all the time against a sense of unreal
ity, n sense almost of lost identity. |
he bought an evening newspaper and |
read it on the way. He talked to |
the hall porter, he talked to a neigh
Dor with whom he ascended in the |
did everything except think.
In his rooms he telephoned to the |
restaurant for a waiter, and with the |
menu in his hand, few minutes later,
he ordered dinner. Then he glanced |
at his watch--it was barely seven
o'clock. He went down to the barber
shop, was shaved and had his hair cut,
encouraging the barber all the while
to talk to him. He gave his hands
over to a manicure, and did his best |
to talk nonsense to her. Then he came
upstairs again. changed his clothes
with great care, and went into his
little sitting room.
1t was five minutes to eight and
dinner had been laid at little round
table in the center of the room. There
was a bowl of pink roses-SOphys IA
vorite flower-sent in from the for
st's; the table was lighted by a pink
shaded lamp. John went around the
room, turning out the other lights un-
Ill the apartment was hung with shad-
ows save for the little spot of color
In the middle. An unopened bottle of
,h a n, 0na stood 4, M ioanou onJ