Tombstone epitaph., 1917-04-08

Things are at breaking point. The president seems likely to get what his message asked for in the way of tim Der for shipbuiid-Toinette, look at mei'
 She looked up. startled at the change in his voice. and saw what she had feared-and vaguely longed for was about to come. David had risen to hls feet. The room seemed sud denly filled with tremendous tensity. Her heart beat uncontrollably; she calmly threaded a needle anew.
 Do you know what failure is7" he flung at her. The torrent of his heart rushed out with the words. "I have struggled" he said harshly, "but l give up now. I work from daylight to dark. I read at night at the law, weary myself with arguing with Ike Blackford. These things ought to make up my world for me. But they don't. There isn't any world for me unless you" He checked himself, then began anew. 'T think about my self. l go back over my life-all its poyerty-every miserable line of its starved existence. And then-I think about you. want to know what right you have to make part of my world. It's not your world. l don't belong there. Why do you come into mine? You ought not to be in my thoughts. But you are. I can't drive you out of my mind. You have been there ever since 1 first saw you, ever since
 His voice broke.
 From the first wild challenge of his gaze she had ayerted her face and had listened with bowed head. As he paused she threw a frightened glance at him and saw that the knucklcs of his clenched hands were whitened with the strain. She tried to speak but could think of nothing that she could say. Her hands picked aimlessly at the threads in her lap. After moment he regained control of his lips and went on, passionately as before, but with an undercurrent of pleading that softened his words:
 T have been trying to believe that could conquer all this in myself that 1t was too preposterous to en- dure. But instead of that 1t has grown stronger so strong that 1t is now everything. You are in ev- erything I do. I cannot keep silent. T."
 Exactly what do you want, Da- vid?" It was a very cool little voice that broke in on him
 He was wounded to the heart. For moment the hurt look in his eyes struck her with pity. But she steeled herself and went on:
 I'm afraid don't know just what you're talking about. Do you mean that I am wronging you in any wayT
 A wave of hot anger swept through him that she could choose to adopt so piuful a misconstruction. But the girl was fighting with the weapons of her sex, fighting to regain control of the situation. He stood very proudly, waiting to give her an opportunity to retract.
 If I have offended you ."
 q have made a mistake" he said haughtily. T see that have been ridiculous"
 She shot frightened glance at him. Had she gone too far? She forced herself to go on, still clinging to her makeshift armor, still hiding behind her poor little defenses:
 Gan you think that do not realize | how hard life Is up here on the fron- | lerl It calls for ali that is best and l bravest in us to go on fighting against | heat and cold and hunger, actual i want. But 1t takes strong men men who endure and do not con- | plain"
 Do you think am whining? You know am not" He waved her words I aside impatiently. Tt Is something else" He stopped, impotent to ad- vance in the face of the trayesty of | his passion she had thrown in his path.
 The room was very still. Outdoors the crickets chirped increasingly. For a long while they stood facing each | other in silence that rested more and more heavily upon David's heart.
 AoiutllC tstS y- Dayld's look had not changed; It seemed to enfold her with a mighty passion of wounded love, proud, suf- fering, pleading to be understood. She spoke again, falteringly:
 'We shall always be friends, shall we not?"
 There was no answer. She waited, not daring to raise her eyes from the ground She heard him move slowly across the room, heard the latch lifted and the door opened; heard his deep. grave voice saying goodby. as in dream; heard the door close.
 There swept over her the realiza- tion of all that he had suffered and risked for her, all the fine manliness that lifted him above the poverty of his life. The silent room seemed to accuse her with a hundred inscrutable eyes. He had laid bare his love. for her and she had dragged it in the dust of petty things. She stretched her hands out yearningly.
 David! :" she called.
 The room mockad har with It's si-