The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-11-16
nyflARY ROBERTS, PTNEF1ART
n Author or X me MANN LoRER TEh7ETc N. -

ANhtAtFA hu9F hHA PeiAAhHn ~ Mht
change your memory Of me. Ever
since I've known you I've had one
dream You were 10 marry me and
was going to turn straight. could
have done n with your help. But
now
/ He dropped her hands and turned
away. Elinor watched him wistfully.
The one thing he wanted she could not
give. There could be no compromise
between them. ii must be all or MOTH
Ing, and she had given her all to some
one else.
In the doorway he turned and looked
back nc her with haggard eyes. II was
as II ne were lnpressing on his mem-
DRY every light and shadow Of her
face; every line OF her straight young
figure. Then he went out into that
darkest hour Of the night that pre-
codes the dawn.
/ For the first time since his injury
Wards mind was quite clear. He had
not been able TO sleep, and the nurse
had been reading TO him. Strange read
/ ing, too, for the assistant rector Of
Saint Jude's. The books old Hilary
had kept on his bedside still lay there.
Even the nurse accustomed to
many books for many men, was gently
outraged.
Ward lay In his bed, his eyes half
closed, listening lntently. AT last the
nurse put down the book
"Why, it's frlghtful, it's outrageous,
It's blasphemous DO you really think
should read you any more of them?"
Ward smiled feebly.
IF you are afraid Of the effect on
YOU"
"Not at ALL" said the nurse almost
sharply, and picked up the book again.
Ward lay back on his pillows and
listened to the nge-old arguments.
So II was on such literature as this
that Flinor had been reared How
fair a plant to have grown thus In the
dark And as the nurse droned on,
Ward came to realize how natural and
how inevitable had been her develop
ment. Reared Lin such soil, what might
no himself not have become; and
more than that, would he have been
one.half so sweet so tender, so--good7
/ Toward dawn the nurse slept In her
chair. Her cap had fallen u little
crooked, and the identifying hand Of
sleep had touched away the smnli fur
rows between her eyes. Plain she was
but kindly and full OF gentleness. Ward
lying awake. watched her. she was ne
longer very young. He thought of the
children who should have elung TO her
broad. fiat bosom and felt the touch OF
her tender hand.
Then, because, curiously enough,
everything of gentleness and tender
ness reminded him of Elinor, his
thoughts swung round to her. He
closed his eyes, aud dreamed the
dream that had been with him. SUBJ
consciously, all the night. To take her
In his arms, and by teaching her love,
teach her infinite love; by showing
mercy and forgiveness and great ten
derness, 70 lead her by these. His at
| tribute, TO the Christ--this was his
dream.
And because It brought hope and
healing and great peace, after a time
he slept Elinor, standing alone In the
house outside his door, took courage
from his even breathing and ventured
In, SO light was his sleep that size
dared not touch him. SheSknelt very
quietly by the bed, and kissed the cor
ner OF his pillow,
Ward spent his Sabbatlcal year ii
oxford, He had thought to find peac,
by exchanging one form Of activity fol
another, but with the less arduous du
ties OF his work there he had NOR,
time to think. He found the old pail
, even greater; his restiessness grew OF
him. In the three years since Ellnor'
flight no had done many things. Ill
: had left Nottingham for New York
. and could feel his usefulness nov
only bounded by his strength.
. But the old zest Of life was gone. III
. was restless, heavier OF spirit, Their
had been times when he had though
that he was forgetting. only TO dis
i cover through stray resemblance,
J while his heart pounded and his bloc
a raced, that his forgetting was only IN
nunbness OF suffering.
Once. on the Strand in London. h
r came face TO face with Boroday, War
would never forget that meeting, Il
quick hope which died into the oil
ache az BorOday's words.
i Il have not seen her" he said.
( am always looking. Perhaps she
. wise, 20 break with us all. Still, W
:. loved her. I have never married. an
e she was like my own child"
. He had taken clerkship In Lor
don. he said. While, OF course, he III
not say so, Ward read between hi
$ words that he was done with the oil
life for good. He held out his han
7. and the Russian took IL.
I III hear anything" Boroday sal,
srll let you know. Once or twice sh
d wrote me; from Liverpool once. afte
she landed, and again from here. The
e the police closed up the nago's plac,
Il which WINS the only way she knew I