Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-03-19
By Sara Ware bassett
Copyright by Tho Penn Pub. Co
WNU Service
CHAPTER XII-Continued
--16-

since knowing Marcia"
"We 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 a pause.
Il am deeply sorry If have wounded
her-indeed l 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
up for you against everybody-going 1t
blind at that? Few women would
hare had such faith in a stranger"
Il realize that. You do not need to
tell me-" he answered. 1T Is pre-
clsely 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?"
ITO the end"
well, 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 l fall to ap-
preciate that. She has far out-dis-
tanced every other woman l 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. l have al
ways said So"
you wrong Marcia" cried Sylvia
holly. 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 whar
she Is, 1t is futile for me to attempt to
show you.
"You came into our lives like a
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. l had not her faith.
l freely confess l thought you guilty.
Oh, l liked you sufficiently we'll 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 Ill. we both
nursed you'll willingly, she devotedly.
Here lay another difference had you
been able to detect 1t. What hap
pened as a result of this enforced In
timacy? You know-know far better
than l."
II fell In love with Marcia" replied
the man without an i~nstant's hesita.
ton.
"YOu fell In Lowell" Sylvia repeated,
her lip curling. "You call 1t love-the
poor thing you offered herl 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 tC
any corner of the earth In which you
chose to begin a new life"
That's where you're. wrong, Sylvia.
contradicted Heath. Marcia was moi
ready to do that. l tried her out anC
she refused. When I told her / should
return to her, and asked her in sc
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 |.
a shame Marcia never In this world
would face for any man; but it is no
the shame you have just described.
ut Is the shame Of wronging anothe,
woman; destroying a home. In this
villages where we have been brough
up, we believe In marriage as {
sacred, enduring sacrament-not +,
bond to be lightly broken. When yoI
offered Marcia less than that"
81 never offered Marcia any sucl
shameful position, Sylvia" cried Stan
lev Heath. 81 would not so far insul
her..
but yon are married"
THAT Is a lie. Who told you sol"
'The-the wire to Mrs. Stanley
Heath-the telephone message.
heard you call her JOAN"
But, Sylvia, Mrs. Stanley Heath fl
not my wife. She is my young step
mother, my fathers widow. l always
have called her JOAN"
"Ohl l beg your pardon"
81 see 1t all now" the man explained
You have entirely misunderstood tn,
situation. I'm a Junior. Since m,
fathers death, however. people have
got out Of the way Of using the term
Sometimes ] myself am careless abou
It.. SO Marcia thought"
"Of course she did. We both did
How were we to known" Sylvia de
manded.
"How. indeed? If an innocent citl