Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-11-07

y ioi liiL1Stll anu Sdl uONU. OuIilS
: coffee they eyed each other In silence
r taking each others measure. at is to-
bad" he said finally. "that we can
take this hour for itself alone ant
I drink together a cup of peace ant
I stiffness and comfort"
His words were half a question ant
I 1t was so that Andrea understood them
She drew a deep sigh, shrugged hel
I bare shoulders and turned squareiy to
her companion. st is too bad" she
said, repeating his words with bitter
emphasis, that 1 can't forget that on
this night 1 lose everything that mat
ters-too bad ! cant brush catastrophe
and ruin aside for the sake Of fool
moon and cigarette"
As she spoke, the man braced him
self. Everything that matters" he
repeated. ruin What have you lost
that matters? Wherein have you been
ruined?"
The girl stared at him, open-eyed
"YOu know who l am, what / stand
for in my world and how that world
will make a chasm that l can never
recross after this night and you can
sit there and say it doesn't matter and
ask where's the ruin?"
The man looked away from her tense
face. The things that matter" he
said quietly, "are health--frst of body
and then Of soul-honor that can stand
alone, and the flame of an inner lamp.
There is nothing else that really counts
and you've lost none of these As for
ruin" He turned his eyes back to
her and in them was a CLEAN of quiz
zical challenge. "ShalI 1 define ruin
for your"
"Please do" said Andrea, unsmil:ng
Ruin" said the man, sis burial. |
Whether it's Pompeii or an entire civ
ilization lying under strata of a ten
thousand years stride of time-or an |
individual rotting under the sod of |
conventions. it's all one and the same
thing. Routine is tomb, and when
you go so deep In its foul air that you
can't keep burning the flame of that
inner lamp I mentioned, why you're
dead to every intent and every pur-
pose. That, Andrea Pellor, Is ruin"
He used her name without prefix,
but without familiarity; simply as a
corollary to his stark frankness. She
realized this almost subconsciously.
Her thoughts fingered on the substance
Of what he had said, but when she
spoke she proved herself a woman.
Speaking OF names, what is yours?'
she asked.
milne? My name?" said the man,
startled out of his role. He stared
through and beyond her.
why, 1 haven't anyhow. Not that
mounts TO anything" His eyes came
Jack to her. "Call me Mr.. White Man
IS you have begun-just White Man
Vhen you feel genial, if you ever do"
'Well, Mr.. White Man." said Andrea,
With emphasis, "what you said about g
uin didn't pass quite over my head. /
believe you spoke with genuine sin q
Gritty and that, as you doubtless re-
iember, is conversational bad taste. S
omehow it didn't bore me, but do you v
eally think that women are persuaded v
Y words?" C
The man dropped his eyes. NO"
e said listlessly. Il don't. I know,
ut 1 had forgotten, that women are p
arsuaded by love alone" Il
what" cried Andrea. a
'Women," said the man, know no
except through love-" n
II have no interest whatever in your 81
said Andrea angrily. 81 81
mt care what you think on any sub
ct under the sun. At this moment a
ere is only one thing that concerns
e-only one She turned from him,
rev her bare arms across the table SC
ID dropped her face against them. A
What is to become of me? What do it,
care about women? 1 care about ci
rself, about Andrea Pellor."
II am glad that you do,' said the tn
IN, and added grimly, "If you cry, IN
you even start to cry, 1 shall go WI
bed" ex
Andrea threw back her head and flu
ned her face toward him. 81 am tn
t crying she said quietly, "and L gr
Il not"
Her anger had died and In its place
l come into her eyes something ter WI
ly potent, the unforgettable look -
a hunted thing at bay.
I want to ask you" continued An An
a, ito implore you. to take me back. sw
not tonight, then tomorrow. Flying loo
on foot, il only we could start now. wv
i'll say that il has all been my fault, ha:
t you did nothing beyond what 1 cor
ed you to do In bringing me with /
if only--if only you will take me haC
k. VIII you," tro
he man clenched his teeth. Il 1t
Id If l could. I've told you that ula
'ady." he said almost in a whisper. ses
N his voice grew clearer and colder. Qui
would take eight days by any yer
ms at my disposal-eight days sior
e and eight days back. can't exa
rd II and nothing would be saved thel
aimed as far as you are concerned. a te
lould only entail loss 1 have no Into
Z 70 give" she