The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-12-20
Bv Sara Ware Bassett
Copyright by The Penn Pub. Co.
WNU Service
CHAPTER XII-Continued
lie


--feather-headed. have realized 1t
since knowing Marcia
ave all want to be different after
we have seen Marcia" Stanley Heath
said gently.
1--WE don't just want to be-we set
about It," was the girls grave reply.
"Sit down, Sylvia, and let us talk OF
Marcia" ventured Heath after pause.
81 am deeply sorry If have wounded
her-indeed am"
The girl searched his face.
II cannot understand you, Mr.
Heath" she said. "What has Mar
cha done that you should have left her
as you did? Hasn't she believed In
you through thick and thin? Stood
I'D for you against everybody-going 1t
blind at that? Few women would
hare had such faith in stranger"
II realize that. You do not need to
tell me-" he answered. ut Is pre-
cisely because she has gone so far 1
believed her capable Of going farther
yet-the whole way"
"What do you mean by the whole
way?"
''To the end"
swell, hasn't she?"
He shook his head.
"No. She has fallen short-disap-
pointed me cruelty. When 1t came to
the final test, her affection collapsed.
oh, she has been wonderful" he added
quickly. 'Do not think fail to ap-
hot h4 hoo f-di q
tanced every other woman 1 ever have
known. l simply expected too much
of her, doubtless the impossible. HUI
man nature is frail-a woman's heart
the frailest thing Of all. I have al
ways said So"
"You wrong Marcia" cried Sylvia
hotly. "Her heart is not frail. Neither
is she the weak sort Of person you
have pictured. In all the world you
could not match her loyalty or the
depth Of her affection. If after the
experience we three have lived through
together you have not discovered what
she is, 1t is futile for me to attempt to
show you.
"You came into our lives like
meteor-entirely detached from every
thing. We knew nothing about you
and in the face of damaging evidence
you offered neither Marcia nor me one
word of explanation. Marcia asked
none. without rhyme or reason she
believed In you. 1 had not her faith.
freely confess 1 thought you guilty.
Oh, liked you sufficiently well to be
ready to help you save your skin. But
Marcia cared enough for you to want
you to save your soul.
"When you were taken i'll, we both
nursed you'll willingly, she devotedly.
Here lay another difference had you
been able to detect it. What hap
pened as a result of this enforced in
Ftimacy? You know-know far better
than l."
ST fell in love with Marcia" replied
the man without an instant's hesita-
ton.
"You fell in Lowell" Sylvia repeated,
her lip curling. "You call it love-the
poor thing you offered her! Why,
Marcia would have gone to the worlds
end with you, Stanley Heath, had she
the right. She would have faced any
humiliation for your sake. If prison
doors closed upon you, she would have
remained faithful until they swung
open and afterward followed you to
any corner of the earth in which you
chose to begin a new life"
'aThats where you're wrong, Sylvia"
contradicted Heath. Marcia was not
ready to do that. I tried her out and
she refused. When I told her I should
return to her, and asked her in so
many words whether she was willing
to face shame and public scorn for my
sake she turned her back on me. She
could not go to that length"
"Are you sure she understood"
asked Sylvia, stepping nearer and look
ing fearlessly into his eyes. There Is
a shame Marcia never in this world
would face for any man; but 1t is not
the shame you have just described.
1T is the shame Of wronging another
woman; destroying a home. In the
villages where we have been brought
up, we believe in marriage as a
SdcrcO, SuuuIluS SdCi dHuCht a
bond to be lightly broken. When you
offered Marcia less than that"
81 never offered Marcia any such
shameful position, Sylvia" cried STAN
lev Heath. II would not so far insult
her."
"But you are married"
.'That is lie. Who told you so?"
'sThe-the wire to Mrs. Stanley
Heath-the telephone message. /
heard you call her JOAN"
@But, Sylvia. Mrs. Stanley Heath is
not my wife. She is my young step
mother, my fathers widow. / always
have called her JOAN"
ooh! beg your pardon"
81 see 1t all now" the man explained.
."You have entirely misunderstood the
situation. I'm a Junior. Since my
fathers death. however. people have
got out of the way of using the term.
Sometimes myself am careless about