Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-12-28
The Change In
Edwin R
By ETHEL HOLMES

Edwin Leroy was not an especially
spiritual man, though he was what
may be termed n thoughtful one. He
was not given to philosophic specula
lions, nor was he of a devotional ma
ture. If he had any especial intellec-
tual prediction it was for science,
though even in this he read only what
was written for popular instruction
Circumstances had compelled him to
assist himself on several occasions, and
this had given him a reputation for be-
ing combative.
One day-rather, n moment-a great
change came over him. He was walk
ing ON a road and met a girl. He
looked at her; she looked at him.. She
lowered her eyes, but before h did
so some vague internal announcement
was made in both that they were
mates. Leroy turned and Joined her.
There was no conversational introduce
ton. They walked on together.
The mating between Edwin Leroy
and Camilla Head was a spiritual as
well as a physical one. The two souls
became one at the moment of meeting.
A veal after their marriage Camilla
died. Leroy laid away his earthly
partner with no great show of feeling.
He did not weep at her grave. To
him she had not been buried. She had
not wholly departed from him. He
was denied material communication
with her, but there was a spiritual
unity between them that could not be
broken.
One day Leroy was strolling about
In his garden. He seemed to be talk
ing to his flowers, but he was COM
muning with the spirit of his wife. A
man entered and hurried toward him.
Sir said the stranger, 81 loved a
woman whom, | have been told, you
married. Though she did not love me,
| loved and still love her. am told
that she is dead. | desire to visit her
grave. Will you tell IN where you
have buried herY'
81 have not buried her."
The writer looked at Leroy wonder
ingly.
'"That receptacle" continued Leroy,
that conveyance. that machine of
flesh which is intended to hold a soul
during a brief period of preparation
for a superior existence, has been
buried. You will find it in the church
yard a short distance up the road"
Having given this information, Lee
Roy turned again to his flowers. The
fact that another had loved his wife
did not seem either to interest or move
him. This indication that he was so
sure that his dead wife had belonged
to him alone antagonized the visitor.
Had l met Camilla" said the latter,
"a few months before you found her
the result might have been different"
NO." said Leroy, "it would not"
'Why are you SO sure of that?'
Because Camilla was destined for a
perfect union. She could never have
accepted any other"
There was something irritating to
the stranger In this complacent view
of LeRoy's with reference to the wo-
nan who had refused the II and
mated with the other. While the wild
over remained unrufled, the discarded
lover waxed warm with smoldering
anger.
"Your love for her was human" he
said. "You possessed her in the flesh.
Now she is mine. Some day l will go
to her."
"Many are going. but who shall meet
in the infinite we cannot know while
here"
SIN the infinite there is no marriage.
Camilla will be to me at least as much
as she will be to you"
"She will not be to you what she has
been to ne"
This reference to the fact that the
woman he had loved had been in the
flesh possessed by his rival caused the
stranger to lose his equanimity.
"You lie,' he SAID.
Leroy stopped to pick a flower.
did you hear me?' said the other
angrily. II say you lie"
'If you wish to quarrel with me-"
said Leroy, rising and at the anne
time inhaling the Perfume of the flow
er he had plucked, you will have to
select some other cause. There a
be no quarrel in which the dead is con.
cerned."
The man stood looking at Leroy in
a sort of confused wonder. This last
word shamed him.
Pardon" he said, u have not been
used to living in this world wherein
you live. | am a mortal; you seem to
have placed your foot on the threshold
of the Infinite"
81 have not placed it there; she is
drawing me. She is the magnet, l the
needle, Where she is there l point"
81 beg that you will excuse this un-
warranted intrusion; 1t was not intend
ed as such when | came here"
Forgive my want of attention to
your wish. Come; | will show you
the grave
The two walked in silence to the
~churchyard, and Leroy led the way
f