The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-12-14

tudL tduSleu mass Oh cHlIUneyS an
! telegraph poles, somewhere on the 9th
er side of the gray haze which hum
about the myriad roofs, John ant
Louise were working out their destiny
speaking at last the naked truth t,
each other.
She started suddenly back into tn,
room. There was knocking at thu
door, something quite different from
her landlady's summons. She wrapped
her dressing-gown around her, pulled
the curtains around the little bed or
which she had striven to rest, anC
moved toward the door. She turned
the handle softly.
"Who is that?" she asked.
John almost pushed his way past
her. She closed the door with nerve
less fingers. Her eyes sought his face
her lips were parted. She chung to the
| back of the chair.
"You have seen Louise" she ex-
claimed breathlessly.
81 have seen Louise" he answered.
''It is all overt"
She looked little helplessly around
her. Then she selected the one chair
in the tiny apartment that was likely
to hold him, and led him to it.
"Please sit down." she begged, land
tell me about it. You mustn't despair
like this all at once. I wonder if
could helpi"
"No one can help" he told her grim
ly. SIT is all finished and done with
would rather not talk any more about
it. 1 didn't come here to talk about
it. 1 came to see you. So this is
where you live!"
He looked around him, and for a mo-
ment he almost forgot the pain which
was gnawing at his heart. 1t was such
a simple, plainly furnished little room,
so clean, so neat, so pathetically elo-
quent of poverty. She drew closer to-
gether the curtains which concealed
the little undiscovered bed, and came
and sat down by his side.
She cIasped 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 it according to
your own standards. You are too good
to come down"
sam too good for you, Sophy?"
She looked at him, and her whole |
face seemed to soften. The light in
how b1,,a avac woo cu,aat ond yyictf,JI |
A bewildering little smile curled her |
lips.
'Don't be stupid ~ she begged. "a
few minutes ago 1 was looking out of |
my window and thinking what poor
little morsel of humanity / am, and
what a useless, drifting life have led.
But that's foolish. Come now! What
[ want to persuade you to do is to
20 back to Cumberland for a time,
md try hard-very hard indeed-to
'ealize what 1t means to be woman
ike Louise, with her temperament
Ter intense intellectual curiosity, her
harm. Nothing could make Louise
different from what she is-a dear,
weet woman and great artist. And,
rohn, I believe she loves you!"
His face remained undisturbed even
" the flicker of an eyelid.
"Sophy," he said, 81 have decided
o go abroad. Will you come with I
ne?"
She sat quite still. Again her face
7as momentarily transformed. All its
allor and fatigue seemed to have van
she'd. Her head had fallen little back.
he was looking through the ceiling
lto heaven. Then the light died away I
lmost as quickly as it had come. Her
ps shook TREMENDOUSLY.
''You know you don't mean it, John
ou wouldn't take me. And if you did,
oud hate me afterward-you'd want
} send me backi"
He suddenly drew her to him, his
RIM went around her waist. She had +
,st all power of resistance. For the |
rst time in his life of his own DELHI +
rate accord, he kissed her-feverish- r
:, almost roughly. i
"Sophy," he declared, 81 have been a /
,oli / have come an awful cropper,
ut you might help me with what's
#. I am going to start afresh.
n going to get rid of some of these =
cas- of mine which have brought me :
,thing but misery and disappoint-
ent. I don't want to live up to them :.
~ longer. want to just forget
EN-. I want to live as other men
ve-just the simple, ordinary life.
ONE with me! I'll take you to the :
aces we've talked about together. :
n always happy and contented with u
~ Let's try it,"
Her arms stole around his neck. n
"John," she whispered, hiding her ~
ce for moment. "What can / say? 81
hat could any poor, weak little crea-
re like me say? You know I am .
nd of you'll haven't had the pride,
en-, to conceal it," III
He stood up, held her face for
,ment between his hands, and kissed Dc
r forehead. De
Then that's all settled" he de-
red. II am going back to my rooms 81
W. I want you to come and dine
tn me there tonight, at eight as
lock-" 10
Her eyes sought his, pleaded with 90
a \ Il III