The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-02-14
CHAPTER Ix.-Continued.

slipped to his knees. took both her
hands In his and looked into her eyes
as though he could never take his fill
of the sanity that had come back to
them.
Andrea PellOr," he went on, before
you have time TO think about ii l want
TO tell you that you and can never
feel shame again. | want you to know
that no man, however mean or tar
nished by life. could do the intimate
things that have done for you and
will still have 20 do, without feeling
the pangs of cove that is rooted out
side the limits of passion"
He dropped bis eyes as though be-
fore a confessional. Until l saw you
quite helpless, Until l saw you pass to
the other side OF pain, l didn't know
that l had heart. / had a strange
conception of love as thing that you
give generously to dogs, sparingly to
men and never to women except as Il
last surrender to the unknown"
lie paused; Andrea smiled family.
"And now" she prompted.
| NOW" he answered. "Now
know that a man must travel far be
yond the limits of everyday emotions
TO come UP with love itself. He may
find content and drowsy happiness in
some woman possessed of all the quail
ties that command affection, but love
itself dwells far beyond at the cross
roads of weakness and strength. And
so your helplessness, carried to that
last degree, has wound itself around
my heart with a grip that will never
loosen"
"Poor White Mani" said Andrea.
whether you want me-" he con-
tinued gravely, cor mock me, whether
you are true or untrue, pure or impure
all those things no longer matter,
for love is an integral possession. You
may leave me, put the width of the
world between us, and the breath of
your body will still be the breath of
mine. the surge of your blood will be
the surge of mine; you'll sins will be
my sins, because your helpless self
stripped of all the clogs of flesh, has
twined itself for always with the fibers
of my heart"
$50 you would give three pounds fol
me-" murmured Andrea.
He let go her hands and rose quickly
to his feet. you are stronger thar
thought" he said. mo, I'll never give
cent for you. I'll wait till you're
well and then I'll take you in free
fight and In my own way"
But Andrea did not hear him; sh'
had sunk back lax into her pillows
Two tears crept from under her CLOSED
eyelids and down her hollow cheeks
"rm so weak" she whispered, "s'
weak can't cry"
The white man cursed himself aloud
No one knew better than he that
is not won when the tide of battl
turns. and that he who sleeps on tn
verge of victory awakes TO defeat
He settled down to the long vigilanc
that was his price of peace. The da
ana a night came and went before h
could draw the long, quivering breat
of relief that marked the passing o
danger.
During the stage of convalescence n
read and talked to her by the houl
but the time came when she woul
have no more of the printed page. II
had spoken q passage here and Their
from the book of his own life and no.
she demanded the volume from cove
to cover. He told her of his boyhoo
In a New England country town,
scrapes in school and of the disaste
In college that had turned him frol
the narrow road of specialization in u
diseases of the nose and ear TO tia
broad highway which is trod light
and aimlessly by stray dogs and cit
zens of the world.
"You would have made great pm
sician," said Andrea, almost regre
fully.
"perhaps." he replied. "B Tut
wouldn't have saved myself. / wou
never have found myself. l wou
Il have been one of those unconsciol
II mortals who spend their lives In
\ group picture. i would never ha'
found out that there is somethiI
II within me that utterly rebels again
II all those isms which aim at the &C
II lectiye classification of animal ma
II and whose goal is the herd instead
II the individual"
II "But isn't that old stuff" ask
II Andrea. yawning for the first time
II many days.
II .No il isn't" said the white mi
II thoughtfully, land I'll tell you WI
II Never for centuries has intrinsic II
III been so close as 1t is today to its tr
II level of proportionate valuation. VIII
III was worth living for yesterday, isn't
III Justification today. Food, raiment al
III baby-grand measure less in {
III thoughts of true men than do tru'
III honor and the final quality of mercy
HI He sat for long in an absorbed silen'
III ''Teu me-" said Andrea, "how [
III production of million dollars woI
HI of fiber is an expression OF the in
HI vidual."
III "Now you're trying to pull down {
III star TO which I've hitched my person
II, wagon" said M'sungo with his sl'
Ill smile. well" he continued. take
handle it. but let it so again VIII
you're through with it, because / ne
II high up and far ahead. When j re
! lied that that NJ. o. wasn't liar, af1
10 all"
Of Of white Man, broke in Andrea a