The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-05-17
continued from Last Week

"Oh, very small dragon I could
lift it easily, but if l angered it wss
afraid | would starve. So day after
day heard it chatter, chatter, chatter,
and day after day felt it sucking up
my youth and giving nothing in re-.
turn. All l wanted was love. and I'd
have shaved happily if could have
had that, but there was no love in 1t.
IL was only a dragon Of iron and ink"
The man knotted his hands again.
II wouldn't slave for any dragon"
'Not even for loye?"
ssNo."
She sighed just little. but he Prob
ably did not hear. for he went on:
"That might do for a woman, soft
woman like you. but must hare
that" nodding at the far horizon. i
can't live without it. There was
dragon that tried to make a slave cut
of me, and when rebelled he punish
ed me. Then fought back, which an
gered the dragon, for he was so pow
erful none dared to oppose him. He
swore / should never escape him
again with my life.s
He kicked his heel into the stony
loan and sat looking at the moist
earth.
'Ill die first, he whispered. IF
] can't escape I'll die before I'll be :.
slave to any one. He has a thousand
eyes and as many hands and all the
strength of stone and iron, but he
can't take my liberty even IL he can
take my life"
She had understood as little of his
parable as he OF hers, yet sns saw The
same need and the same desire, and
the first flusk of her discovery Of the
counter-spell put confidence In hor
voice and earnestness in her eyes.
aAh, don't say that. We can free
ourselves from anything if we so wish.
There are no dragons but those we
make ourselves and force ouJ selves to
obey. If there is no sweetness In our
days it is our own fault; If love comes
not to US we must go to it and follow
the paths that look pleasing without
fear Of danger or scruples about the
choice. There must be sweetness in
ones days; / found that out this after
noon. The witches spell is bro5en and
I'm going the ways that please, search
ing for the sweet things. Why can't
you do the same?"
81 don't care about the swee-
things" he replied gruffly. Il want to
Re let alone. don't want people sayin'
do this and do that want to go out
on the hard dry uplands and not IN
the bog, where they are forever catch.
ing at my feet"
''You can-you can. All you have
to do is-go. If it is in you to find
the uplands, then there is none to
hinder"
But
'-chere are no butts, no ifs, no
musts.,'
He fell silent at that, and fer a long
time they locked down o. the drow-
sing abbey and the streas? that stray
ed whimsically through the Iowland.
After time she put up her hair, and
now she was siren again, singing low
to herself. while her eyes rested with
look of almost ownership on the fair
hair Of the man at her feet. as if it
were all true, and he had been lured
there by her power
Then he stood up to his full height
and raised a tense quivering an.
There are no butts, no ifs, no
mdsts': no, by God, there are lot! /
am free. God made me free and I'll
neither slave for manor Hint
The face he turned to her was
drawn with fierce purpose til it seem
ed the brute expression of brute force
stubborn unconquerable. But at sight
OF her the tense muscles relaxed and
The untitled arm fell to his side