The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-05-05

Keep silent.
Yet such is the character Of tenn
permanent like that of Shurrlin. mar
rowed and contracted by single pas
sion of life and lacking the breadth
which comes from intercourse with
men and women. that his computations
of conscience only made him III" more
resolved. The lonely. heart-hroken Oh
man SwOre that ne would never tell. .
The young man could go his own Giut .
and work out his own salvation, or be .
damned. If he must. The womanS
heart might break, pitif'i a. that
would be. but he would neT n tell. lie /
was as unhappy in that determination
as any other man fighting against ms
conscience must inevitably be.
Sometimes looking at the misery in
the old mans face (for on his counte-
/ nance his heart wrote his SecreD'
! Helen Ilingworth 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 womanS
.
sibilities, and his comprehension was
great comfort to her. He encouraged
her to perSevere. Since ii was Only
through Shurtliff that the truth c"uld
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 a laudable emu IN
the minds of the deceivers did not
alter that fact.
You are doing nothing in the least
degree dishonoruble, Miss IllingwOrth.
said Rodney, reasSuringly. woman
/ wiles have been her weapons since
the Stone Age"
N But do feel cOmpuncuons oil con-
:, science occasionally"
y personally | think you are ahuh''
4 antIy Justified" urged Rodney.
II Yes. Ia establish the truth. to give
| the man | love his good name would
| Justify more than this she replied
| and vet'-she smiled faintly-"m!
\ conscience does hurt me n little. The
l 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
} would"
=. The Young man stopped. looked Ion:
nj her. and thei turned away with lii
tie gesture Of-waS ii appeal or re
e. nunciation? He was too loyal 10 81
he friend TO speak, but he could not con
nd troll everything. The tone of his voice
Ie- the look in his eyes, his quick avoid
as ance of her, told the woman littl
Va story. They had been very closely as
1T Socioted. these two. Rodney also ha
at not had much advantage of woman
Dr. society. certainly not Of woman Xix
re- Helen nlingwOrth. She had given hi
rs, her full confidence in the intimac,
ng He was a man. He loved like other
fer She was too fond Of him. too grea
ad too true a woman to pretend.
ad "Mr. Rodney" said the girl. layin
her hand on his arm rs though 10 r
to strain him. that way madness lies
nor "NIIss nlingwOrth" said Rodne
in. turning and facing her. his lips tlrT
,at " compressed. his eyes shining. II
bis devoted TO Bert Meade and TO you
Tiff he lifted her hand from his arm ar
on kissed it-"and I'm going to do ever
on thing for your happiness
do Brave words and he said them mo
,si- bravely.
,-+- az understand" said the woma
nod "and honor you for your loyalty
no. your friend and your devotion TO n
rod Loyalty is not always the easie
lem thing on earth. know"
no "You make It easy for me becau
dif. you understand"
bo- So the fall and winter were fill
, g with interest To Helen lllingwOrth a
80 there was in her days no lack of hOI
w Every Saturday the flowers that Mea
had arranged for spoke words of 10
TO her and bade her not forget,
P though that was admOnitiOn she {
not need.
That was the only message that 5
VINO received from her lover. He h
her dropped out of sight completely. TT
ne caused search to be made for HI
true sought tdings of him in every posi-
cap way hut in vain Her heart aim
ties brol,a sometimes at the senorotion 5
ht- had confidence enough in her pOy
lSeu over him. and in her wOman'S wit,
INK feel that if she had only another
mes portunity she might learn the trr
ne force il from him. conStrain him 90
ehlS it, because she loved him,