South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-26

She -vept again.
"Oh. believe me. am good now
am no longer wicked! 1 will be
/ the best wife I'm the world. Don't
think 1 am-bad any more. II you
do 1 shall die. I shall die"
: While hC was consOling her. she
I frightened ~p. eager and impetuous.
/ will you marry me tOnight2' she
said win you prove it that way?
I l have a reason for wishing it TO be
/ tonight. VIII you?"
/ OF one OF two things was this ex-
3 ceeding frankness the outcome:
either Of importunate brazenness or
+ Of utter innOcense. The lovers per-
/ spective contained only the one.
The sooner" said Lorison, the
| happier l shall be-"
/ What is there to do?" she asked.
What do you have to get? Come!
/ You should know
/ Her energy stirred the dreamer to
action.
! "A city directory first" he cried
: gayly. TO find where the man lives
who gives licenses to happiness. We
/ will go together and rout him out
! Cabs, cars. policemen. telephones
and ministers shall aid us"
Father Rogan shall marry us"
said the girl. with ardor. Il VIII
take you 20 him."
An hour later the two stood at the
! open doorway of an immense.
I gloomy brick building in a narrow
and lonely street. The license was
tight in Norah's hand.
Wait here moment" she said,
| till l find Father Rogan.'
! She plunged into the black hall
T way. and the lover was left standing
as il were, on one leg, outside. His
impatienCe was not greatly taxed.
( Gazing curiOusly into what seemed
the hallway of Erebus. he was pres
. emily treasured by a stream Of light
that bisected the darkness, far down
the passage. Then he heard her call.
and fluttered lampward like the
moth. She beckoned him through a
doorway into the room whence en-
( anated the light. The room was bare
of nearly everything except books.
Z which had subjugated all its space.
Here and there little spots Of terri
/ tory had been recOnquered. An
I elderly, bald man. with "A superla-
lively calm, remote eye, stood by a
table with a book In his hand. his
/ finger still marking a page. His
dress was sOmbre and appertained 10
a religious order His eye denoted
an acquaintance with the perspec-
! tive
Father Rogan. said Norah, this
is he"
The two of ye," said Father Ro-
gan. want to get married."
They did not deny It, He married
them. The ceremony was quickly
done. One who could have witnessed
trembled at the terrible inadequacy
Of il TO rise to the dignity of its end
less chain OF results
Afterward the priest spake briefly,
as If by rote. Of certain other civil
and legal addenda that either might
or should. at a later time. cap the
ceremony. Lorison rendered a fee,
which was declined, and before the
door closed after the departing
couple Father Rogan's book popped
open again where his finger marked
it.
In the dark hall Nora whsrled and
chung TO her companion. fearful.
"Win YOU never. never be sorry %
At last she was treasured.
At the first light they reached
upon the street, she asked the time.
just as she had each night Lorison
f
Lorison thought IL. was from habit
that she guided their steps toward
the corner where they always part
ed. But, arrived there she hesitated.
aid then released his arm. \ drug
store stood on the corner; its bright.
soft light shOne upon them.
please leave me here as usual to-
night, said Norah, sweetly. Il mus.
II would rather you would. You
. will not object? At g tomorrow
evening 1 Will meet you at AntOnio's.
I want 10 sit with you there oncI
more And them will go where
YOU say" She gave him a bewilder
ing. bright smile. and walked swift
~ away
Surely Il needed all the strength
. Of her charm 10 carry off this as
founding behavior. II was no dis
credit 10 Lorison's strength of mind
that his head began TO whirl. Pock-
citing hil hands. ne rambled vacu-
Ously over 10 the druggists windows.
and began assiduOusly TO spell over
the names OF the patent medicines
therein displayed.
As soon as he had recovered his
wits. ne proceeded along the street
in an aimless fashion. After drift
ing for two or three squares. he
flowed into a somewhat more pre-
tentious thorouEhfare. a way mucn
frequented by him in his solitary
ramblings. For he was a row of
shops devoted 10 traffic in goods OF
the widest range of ChOice-hauPi
work OF art. skill and fancy. pro
ducts OF nature and labor from every
zone
Here. for a time. he loitered
among the conspicuous windows.
where was set, emphasized by CON
gested floods OF light. the cunning
est spoil OF the interiors. There were
few passers. and OF this Lorison was
glad. He was not OF the world. For
"a long time he had touched his fell
low man only at the gear OF a lev
elled cogwheel-at right angles. and
upon a different axis. He had drop
ped into a distinctly new orbit. The