The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-05-19

the argument so labOriously built up
| nv t4e 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 MN
more and more miserable. At first ms
conscience had been entirely clear. tie
had viewed his conduct in the lght OF
a noble sacrifice for the great man.
| Now he began to question: was 1t
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 Illlngworth, 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 happl-
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 Ike that of Shurtlift, mar
rowed and contracted by 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
r conscience must inevitably be.
Sometimes looking at the misery in
the old mans face Cfor on his counte-
nance his heart wrote his secreO,
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 womans
feelings and understood her keen SEN
!, sibilities, and his comprehension was
u great comfort to her. He encouraged
: her to persevere. Since it was only
Z through Shurtliff that the truth could
: be established, she must not falter
I. 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 deceit:
And that the deception was for noble
- purpose and to serve laudable end In
y 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
T. wiles have been her weapons since
: the Stone Age"
% "But 1 do feel computations Of con
science occasionally"
ie "Personally I think you are abunt
IL antly justified" urged Rodney.
eyes. to establish the truth, to Civ
= the man / love his good name woul'
a Justify more than this" she replied
~ "and yet"-she smiled faintly-"m,
- conscience does hurt me little. TIL
y old man Is beginning to love me-"
That's the reason it hurts you," sal
= Rodney "When he loves you enoug
= ne will do anything you want, as
, would"
:. The young man stopped looked Ion
~ at her, and then turned away with III
tie gesture of-was it appeal or re
" nuncfation? He was too loyal to hi
q friend to speak, but he could not cor
troll everything. The tone of his voice
al the look In his eyes, his quick avoi(
~ ance Of her, told the woman littl
III story. They had been very closely a!
W. ISOLATED, these two. Rodney also ha
,h' not had much advantage Of woman
le society, certainly not of woman lik
81 Helen Illingworth. She had given hill
r. her full confidence in the intimac
eo He was q man. He loved like other
lg- She was too fond of him, too grea
ed too true q woman to pretend.
SIN "Mr. Rodney" said the girl, layir
ne her hand on his arm as though to r
III strain him, "that way madness lies
Ter "Miss 1llingworth," said Rodne
Of turning and facing her, his lips fri
an ly compressed. his eyes shining. II
ne devoted to Bert Meade and to you
ere he lifted her hand from his arm al
ap- kissed it-"and I'm going to do ever
Ter thing for your happiness"
Brave words and he said them mo
Tho bravely.
her "I understand" said the woma
he land honor you for your loyalty
rue YOUR friend and your devotion to n
ap- Loyalty is not always the easie
les thing on earth, know"
lit "You make it easy for me becau
sed you understand"
nix So the fall and winter were NIL
nes with interest to Helen 1llingworth a
he there was in her days no lack Of hoI
mis- Every Saturday the flowers that Mea
per had arranged for spoke words OF 10
for to her and babe her not forget,
his though that was admonition she
two not need.