Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-27
The .lIE0errkzSsfar
| W IN ROBERT " CHAMBERS In NAt

| had to. One must know people
| from whom one accepts promissory
| notes to liquidate those little af
| chance. And New York's best fur
nished the neophytes for these rites
81 thought Captain Quint very In
teresting," ventured. Ruhannah. He
seems to have sailed over the en-
tire globe
Naval men are always delight,
full" said her mother. And, laying
her hand on her husbands arm in
the dark: DO you remember Will
bour now kind the officers from the
cfeliser Oneida were when the rescue
party took us aboard?"
God sent the Oneida to u.s." said
her husband dreamily. Il thought it
was the end Of the world for us
dreadful flighk from the mission to
the sea-
His bony fingers frightened over
his wife's toilworn hand In the
long grass along the creek fire flies
sparkled, and their elfin lanterns,
waning, glowing, drifted high in the
calm August night.
The Rev. Mr.. Carew gathered his
crutcheS; the night was a trif1e damp
for him; besides, he desired to read.
Brandes, as always, rose to aid him.
His wife followed.
Don't stay out long, Rue" she
said in the doorway.
mo, mother
Brandes came back Departing
from his custom, he did not light Il
cigar, but sat in silence, his narrow
eyes trying to see Ruhannah in the
darkness. But she was only deli
cate shadow shape to him, scarcely
detached from the darkness that en-
veloped her.
He meant to speak to her then.
And suddenly found he could not
realized, all at once, that he lacked
the courage.
This was the more amazing and
disturbing to him because he could
not remember the time or occasion
when the knack of fluent speech had
ever failed him.
He had never foreseen such a sit
uation; it had never occurred to him
that he would find the slightest diff
;lculty in saying easily and grace
fully what he had determined to say
10 this young girl.
Now he sat there silent, disturbed,
nervous, and tongue-tied. At first
he did not quite comprehend what
was making him afraid. After a
lOHS Willie he uluerSlOou THAT 1t was
some sort of fear Of her-fear of
her refusal, fear of losing her, fear
that she might have-in some &C
cult way-divined what he really
was, that she might have heard
things cncerning him, his wife, his
career. The idea turned him cold
And all at once he realized how
how deeply involved how vital this
young girl had become to him.
Never before had he really want
ed anything as compared to this de-
sire of his for her. He was under
standing, too, in a confused way,
that such a girl and such a home for
him as she could make was going
not only to give him the happiness
he expected, but that it also meant
betterment for MISUNDERSTANDING
living, perhaps straighter thinking
the birth of something resem bling
self-respect, perhaps even aspira.
tion--or at least the aspiration to-
ward that respect from others which
honest living dare demand.
He wanted her; he wanted her
now; he wanted to marry her
whether or not he had the Legal
right, he wanted to go away for a
month with her, and then return
and work for her, for them both
build up a fortune and a good repu-
tation with STEMS backing and
STEMS theater-stand we'll with hon
est men, stand we'll with himself,
stand always, with her. for every
thing a man should be.
If she loved him she would for
give him and quietly remarry him
as soon as Minna kicked him loose
He was confident he could make her
happy, make her love him if once
he could find courage to speak-if
once he could win her. And sud-