Mexico Missouri message., 1917-02-08

across the gulf that lay between him
and Toinette and felt the bitterness of
ruined hopes. lie thrust his hand In
to his hunting shirt and drew forth
the duellng pistol he had taken from
Blackford's room. For long while he
stood looking at It In silence.
A light step rustled the dead leaves
underfoot and he turned quickly. Toln.
cite stood beside him, joyous smile
on her face.
II was sent to find you" she greet
ed him astonlshingly.
He stared at her as though at a mes
senger from the skies. Her silver
laughter rang out as it had in days
gone by.
do not deceive yourself" she
smiled. II am no angel-Tm
Toinettei"
David did not believe her denial;
never believed 1t.
"Father sent me for you. He's 60
ing to give a great dinner at the tav-
ern and you're to sit in the place Of
honor. Come. you mustn't keep your
cook waiting"
And she held out her hand.
But David did not stir.
The look of haggard suffering had
returned TO his face. Her lOvelineSs
was an arrow that sent all the poison
Of his despair once more burning
through his veins. For the first time
he found voice, a voice trembling
with emotion.
81 cannot I cannot {.
please goW
She opened her eyes wide and shot
n blue radiance of hurt surprise at
him. Then she went swift and straight
to the point, a woman not to be put
aside by evaslons:
Indeed, will not. You mustn't
stay here alone"
He had regained control of himself,
but the struggle left him deadly pale.
lie could not bear to face her as he
spoke.
II am going away. cannot live
without you" The words were hard
ly more than a whisper.
She took two quick steps forward.
Her hand fell upon his shoulder, light
as floating strand of gOssamer. But
he felt it and thrilled through all his
being. Slowly, slowly, he raised his
head and she saw his face, that he had
gone into the valley of the shadow of
death. In the hush of the wilderness
his scarcely audible words seemed to
fall on their hearts with the measured
beating of an memorable judgment.
What did she see In the wilderness2
A dry reed, shaken In the wind of de-
spair2 But her voice rang like a song
in the morning:
at is not brave to turn back from
the blowing. 1 have heard my father
say that courage should be lifted to
such height as to maintain its great
ness even in the midst of miseries,
holding all things under itself"
David smiled.
81 call the immortal truth to witness
that no fear, either of life or death,
can appall me, having long learned to
set bodily pain in the second form of
my being. And do now think it the
act or q coward 10 ule.
The girl had grown paler as she read
his determination in his face, white
and rigid as a mask.
David was silent. In the morning
sunlight that dappled the little glade
the frozen branches of the trees stood
motionless. A white snowflake danced
across the space before David's eyes
and his vision followed it up, up, into
the cloudless blue beyond. In the quiet
it seemed to Toinette az if she coulC
hear her own heart beating. David
spoke again, slowly:
"And if we be lieutenants of God II
this troubled world, do you not thinl
then that we have right to choose new
station when he leaves us unprovideC
of good reason to stay in the old?"
mo, certainly do not" she said
with a rebuke lovelier because 1t la!
In her sweetly troubled voice, "sinc'
it is not for US to appoint that might!
majesty what time he will help US
the uttermost instant is scope enougl
for him to revoke all things to one
own desire"
} And she sealed her lips with tn
, molstness of her tears, which followe,
still one another like a precious rOp
OF pearls. David suddenly realize
how ineffably sweet life was; wonder
full, tragic, joyous worthy of music
worthy of tears.
The pistol fell to the ground unheed
, ed. David took step forward.
But she checked him.
NO" she said, do not tell me. Dot
tor Elliott has told me all. He an
LYDIA have gone. Forgive me, forgiy
me, David Let the dreadful past
with theml See, you have made N
: cry-aren't you sorry? And Oy tn
. time there's no dinner for either
o u.s."
g They laughed together. They WEI
+ young.
n "Pn get dinner for you." promise
3 David. Il knew a butchers son on'
/. unryo N fffnan