Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-08
The World for Sale

VI tHe EhSt, Oh Ine Idn, Oh tne hlNei
Starzke; suppose that 1t should
With a great effort he drove appre-
pension and the instant's confused Won
der far away, and when, come close
to him, she smiled, showing the perfect
white teeth, and her eyes softened to
dreamy regard of him, all he had ever
felt for her in the past months seemed
concentrated into this one moment. Yet
he did not look like a languishing lover
rather like one infamed with a great
idea or stirred to a great resolve.
For quite minute they stood gaz-
ing as though they would read the whole
truth in each others eyes. She was all
eager, yet timorous; he was resolved; ;
yet now. when the great moment had
come, as il were, like n stammerer fear
ing the sound of his own voice. There
was SO much to say that he could not
speak.
She broke the spell. II am here.
Can't you see me?" she asked in
quizzical, playful tone, her lips trcm.
bling little, but with smile in her
eyes which she vainly tried to veil.
She had said the one thing which
above all others could have lifted the
situation to its real significance. A
few weeks ago the eyes now looking
into hers and telling n great story
were sealed with night, and the mind
behind was fretted by the thought of
perpetual darkness. All the tragedy
of the past rushed into his mind now,
and gave all that was between them,
or was to be between them, its real
meaning. 4 beautiful woman is dear
to man simply as woman, and not as
the woman; virtue has slain its thou
sands, but physical charm has slain
its tens of thousands Whatever In
golby's defects, however, infinitely more
than the girls beauty, more than the
palpitating life in her, than red lips
and bright eye, than warm breast and
clasping hand, was something beneath
all which would last, or should last,
when the hand was palsicd and the eye
was dim.
Il am here. Can't you see ma?"
All that he had regained in life in
her little upper room rushed upon him,
uHu WIFI dTIlS anu III IL
voice choked with feeling he said:
See you. Dear God To see
you and all the world once more. 1t is
being born again to me. ] haven't t
learned to talk in my new world yet,
but know three words of the language.
| love you. Come-I'll be good to YOU"
She drew back from him and her
look said that she would read him to
the uttermost word in his life's book.
would see the heart of this wonderful
book, and then with hungry cry she
flung her arms around his neck and
pressed her wet eyes against his flushed
cheek.
A half hour later. as they wandered
back to the house. he suddenly stopped,
put his hands on her shoulders, looked
earnestly in her eyes and said:
Goods good to me. l hope I'll re-
member that
"You won't be so blind as to for
get" she answered. and she wound her
fingers in his with a feeling which was
more than the simple love of woman
for man. I've got much more to re.
member than you have she added.
Suddenly she put both hands upon his
breast. You don't understand; you
cant understand. but I tell you that
I shall have to fight hard if ! am to
be all you want me to be. | have got a
past to forget; you have a past you
want to remember-that's the differ
ence. | must tell you the truth: it's
in my veins, that old life, in spite of
all. Listen | ought to have told you,
,,1 7 ,,oapt to roll Won hpfprp This han
pened. but when l saw YOU there and
YOU held out your arms to me ! forgot
everything. Yet still | must tell you
now, though perhaps you will hate me
when you know. The old life--I hate
it. but it calls me. and have an i'm
pulse to 60 back to it even though
hate it. Listen. I'll tell you what
happened the other day. It's terrible,
but it's true. | was walking in the
woods