The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-03-14

beating In hcr brain was too insistent
too clamorous. Somewhere beyon<
that tangled mass Of chimneys ant
telegraph poles, somewhere on the 9th
er side Of the gray haze which huns
about the myriad roofs, John and
Louise were working out their destiny
speaking at last the naked truth tc
each other.
She started suddenly back into the
room. There was a knocking at the
door. something quite different from
her landlady's summons. She wrapped
her dressing-gown around her, pulled
the curtains around the little bed on
which she had striven to rest. and
moved toward the door. She turned
the handle softly.
"Who IL that7" she asked.
John almost pushed his way past
her. She closed the door with nerve
less fingers. Her eyes sought his face
her lips were parted She clung to the
back Of the chair.
"You have seen LouiseT she ex'
claimed breathlessly.
81 have seen Louise" he answered
'It is all over!"
She looked a little helplessly around
her. Then she selected the one chair
in the tiny apartment that was likely
to hold him. and led him to It.
''Please sit down." she begged. "and
tell me about 1t. You mustn't despair
like this all at once. I wonder II ]
could help!'
mo one can help" he told her grim
ly. "It is all finished and done with.
would rather not talk any more about
1t. I didn't come here to talk about
1t. came to see you. So this is
where you liver"
he looked around him. and for q mo-
ment he almost forgot the pain which
! was gnawing at his heart. 1t was such
simple. plainly furnished little room,
so clean, so neat, 30 pathetically elo-
quent Of poverty. She drew closer to
gether the curtains which concealed
the little chints-covered bed. and came
and sat down by his side.
She clasped her hands tighter
around his arm. Her eyes sought his
anxiously.
"But you mustn't climb down, John. "
she insisted. "You are 30 much nicer
where you are, 30 much too good for the
silly. ugly things. You must fight this
in your own way. fight 1t according to
your own standards. You are too good
to come down"
"Am too good for you. Sophyr"
She looked at him, and her whole
face seemed to soften. Tho light In
her blue eyes was sweet and wistful.
A bewildering little smile curled her
lips.
Don't be stupidl- shs begged "A
few minutes ago WAS looking out Of
my window and thinking what Q poor
little morsel Of humanity am. and
what a useless, drifting life I have led.
But that's foolish. Come nowi What
1 want to persuade you to do is to
60 back to Cumberland for q time,
and try hard-very hard indeed-to
realize what 1t means to be q woman
like Louise, with her temperament
her intense intellectual curiosity. her
charm. Nothing could make Louise
different from what she is-a dear,
sweet woman and a great artist. And,
John, believe she loves you!"
4
by the flicker Of an eyelid.
"Sophy." he said, II have decided
to 60 abroad. VIII you come with
mel"
She sat quite still. Again her face
was momentarily transformed. All its
pallor and fatigue seemed to have van.
ished. Her head had fallen a little back.
She was looking through the ceiling
into heaven. Then the light died away
almost as quickly as 1t had come. He,
lips shook tremulously.
you know you don't mean 1t, John
You wouldn't take me- And II you did
you'd hate me afterward-you'd want
to send me backW
He suddenly drew her to him, his
arm went around her waist. She had
lost all power of resistance. For the
first time in his life Of his own delib
crate accord, he kissed her-feverish
ly. almost roughly.
"Sophy." he declared, 'T have been 6
fool! 1 have come an awful cropper
but you might help me with whats
left. I am going to start afresh.
am going to get rid of some of these
ideas Of mine which have brought me
nothing but misery and disappoint
ment. don't want to live up to then
any longer. want to just forge
them. I want to live as other mer
live-just the simple, ordinary life
Come with me! I'll take you to tht
places we've talked about together.
am always happy and contented will
you. Let's try it!'
Her arms stole around his neck.
John" she whispered, hiding he
face for a moment. what can I say
What could any poor. weak little crea
ture like me sayf You know I an
fond Of you-I haven't had the pride
even, to conceal itr
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