The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-07-12

She was justified.
Eventually she slept. At ten o'clock,
heavy-eyed, suffering an intolerable
headache. she rose and dressed.
Beside her plate lay thick letter
addressed In Bills handwriting. She
drank her coffee and went back to the
bedroom before she opened the en-
velope. BY the postmark she saw
that it had been mailed on train.
"Dear Girl: I have caught my
breath, SO to speak, but doubt II ever
a more forlorn cuss listened TO the
interminable clicking Of car wheels.
am tempted at each station to turn
back and try again. 1t seems so un-
real, this parting in hot anger, so mis-
erably unnecessary. But when l stop
to sum it up again, / see no use In
another appeal. could come back
yes. Only the certain knowledge that
giving in like that would send us spin
ming once more in a vicious circle pre-
vents me. 1 didn't believe 1t possible
that we could get SO far apart Nor
that succession Of little things could
cut so weighty q figure in our lives.
And perhaps you are very sore ana
resentful at me this morning for be-
ing SO precipitate.
II couldn't help it, Hazel. 1t seemed
the only way. 1t seems so yet to me.
There was nothing more to keep me
in Granville-everythipg to make me
hurry away. II had weakened and
temporized with you 1t would only
mean the deferring OF just what has
happened. When you declared your.
self fatty and repeatedly 1t seemed
hopeless to argue further. am poor
pleader, perhaps; and do not believe
In compulsion between US. Whatever
YOU do you must do Of your own voli-
ton, without pressure from me. We
couldn't be happy otherwise. II l
compelled you to follow me against
your desire we should only drag mis-
cry In our train.
'T couldn't even say good-by. i
didn't even want 1t to be good-by. i
didn't know If ! could stick to my
determination to go unless ! went as
I did. And my reason told me that II
there must be break 1t would better
come now than after long-drawn-out
chickering's and bitterness. If we are
so Numerically opposed where we
thought we stood together we have
made q mistake that no amount Of ad-
justing, nothing but separate roads,
will rectify. Myself I refuse to be-
lieve that we have made such a mis-
take. I don't think that honestly and
deliberately you prefer an exotic, USE
less, purposeless, parasitic existence
to the normal. wholesome life we hap
PLY planned. But you are obsessed,
intodcated-I can't put It any better
and nothing but shock will sober
you. IF I'm wrong, If love and Bills
companionship can't lure you away
from these other things-why, sup
pose you will consider 1t an ended
chapter. In that case you will not
suffer. The situation as 1t stands will
be a relief to you. If, on the other
hand, it's merely stubborn streak,
that won't let you admit that you've
carried your proud little head on an
overstiff neck, do you think It's worth
the price7 I don't
'Tm not scolding, little person. I'm
sick and sore at the pass we've come
to. No fool pride can close my eyes
to the fact or keep me from admitting
freely that I love you Just as much
and want you as longingly as I did
the day I put you aboard the Stanley
d. at Bella Coola. I thought you were
stepping gladly out of my Life then.
And I let you 60 freely and without
anything but a dumb protest against
fate, because 1t was your wish. ban
step out Of your life again-if It -
your wish. But can't imprison mp
self In your cities. I'm neither an
idler nor can become legalized buc-
cancer. have nothing but contempt
for those who are. Mind you, this is
not so sweeping q statement a. Il
sounds. No one has a keener apprs-
clation Of what civilization means than
L Out Of 1t has arisen culture and
knowledge, much Of what should make
the world better place for rs all. But
somehow this doesn't apply p thS
mass, and particularly not to t>e ar.
cles We invaded In Granville. Win
here and there Q solitary excscfson
that class Ii hopeless in its SNUG eAf!
satisfaction-its narrowness Of sa1t.
look, and unblushing exploitation Of
the less fortunate. r0pels me.
"And to dabbiS my RGdds IA tneir
muck, to settle down and I've my life
according to their bourgeois standards.
10 have grossness o. soft desh replace
able sinews, to subnArge mentality In
favor Of q specious cy'aftineAs Of mind
which passes In the city far brains
well. I'm on the road And oh, girl,
girl. wish you were With me-
u must explain this rainirG deal
that phase Of It which sesst No 90 the
rampage In Granville. I ahoua1 have
done SO before, should have iueas.ed
on making It clear to you. The ether
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