The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-02

and hear me out; there's lots more !
have to. tell you. I'm coming down
I to my own career in a moment.
why I hold these ideas that I do
why won't marry you or any
woman. That should interest you,
what?"
eyes," she whispered miserably.
4 every good. There was once boy,
Dick Robinson, remember him? He
was good sort before he went
money-mad. But there was a time
when he wasn't money-mad. He loved
you sincerely and deeply. He would
have made you q good husband. But
! you refused him so long as there
was money to be married elsewhere :.
and when you finally came around to
him in after years and displayed in
terest in him, the damage had been
done. You had sent him into his
money-madnes his idea at first was
, to acquire so much that it would
make your sorry When he got 60
ing he generated so much momentum
that he couldn't stop. The stuff own
ed him got him like booze gets
some men. But at the same time he'd
generated enough common sense-if
you want to call it that-to see that
you weren't after him for the sake
of love for him,-it was his money
and what it meant. And by that
time he loved his money too much to
let you dig your lily-white fingers,
your greedy fingers, deeply down
into his pile. He went away from
you. You had sent one man to dis
grace directly as the result of your
lack of maternity, Mibb; you sent
Dick Robinson's soul to hell, the
hell of worship of seven per cent, /.
by your choice of wealth over hon
est love and willingness to get down
and work honestly for it beside "
man who loved you. But that isn't
all, Mibb-"
81 am a hell-cat amt II" said the
woman bitterly But it was sarcasm
and her voice was broken.
mo, just merely selfish, fear
fully selfish, selfishness has been at
the bottom of every shadow which
has crossed your life, Mibb."
"You! telling this to me
after all the ways you've made money
and the things you've done"
Careful, Mibb Maybe I've made
folks come up to the scratch in bust
ness but I've gone on the level"
"And you don't admit that your life
has been selfish? that you are liv-
ing selfshly now alone and with
out a family and for your own
enjoyment; not helping anybody or
doing anything to make the world
better?"
"No; l haven't gone to extremes
in this thing. And as for selfishness,
at least i haven't always looked
for the easiest way around things.
haven't lodged hard work. I haven't
asked others to carry my burdens, or
finance me, or permit me to live on
the fruits of their labors."
you're a man. You're supposed
to do hard things and carry burdens
and finance yourself. I'm I'm i.
woman"
The man raised his eyebrows.
"That, Mibb,' he said "is the most
absurd thing you've said tonight
"Let's quit this" he snap
ped. an be saying things for which
I'll be sorry, things unbecoming a
man who tries to preserve the APP
pearance of a gentleman"
"No," she said with feminine per-
versity. you've started; go ahead
and finish! You've asked me if l
wanted to know why you haven't
married; why you won't marry when
:. when is her voice sudden
ly softened into a strange mellow
thing and rang with the pain of it,
when l love you, Dick" she con-,
Guided lamely. might as we'll finish
what you'd begun. You've hurt me
already more than l can feel"
But for a moment he simply sat
quiet, his eyes upon her, his heav--
lips closed firmly. He sat quiet until
his queer fit of temper passed. His
face gradually softened. Over his
features instead, came a look of hun
ger5 and inconsistencies and longing,
melancholy, heartache. 1t
was rather startling change. He
picked up fruit knife and drew lines
with its point in the cloth.
Twice he looked at her and drop
ped his eyes again. There was a
trace of cynicism in his voice as he
said:
"Mibb, I'm not woman-hater.
But I'VE simply lost faith in you wo-
man. l nAver knew, mother, though
like poor Herb, l felt the need of one.
When grew up if / was attracted to
women it was for companionship and