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deepest application and the consideration of its perpetual action upon reaction i believe the highest type of service like the of senses and is by active and loyalty to that which is the essential principle of good in all its and aspects the all read mr s i and said th it perfectly the meeting with the regular weekly retiring was in the chair his stiff hair like a hedge his voice like a of festival members who had brought guests introduced them publicly this tall red headed piece of is the editor of the press said and h h the boys when you re on a long tour and finally get to a romantic spot or scene and draw up and remark to the wife this is certainly a romantic place it sends a glow right up and down your my guest to ay is such a place s virginia in the beautiful with memories of good old general robert e lee and of that brave soul john brown who like every good goes marching on were two e distinguished guests the leading man of the bird of paradise this week at the and the mayor of the hon thundered when we manage to this celebrated tbe off his lovely of beautiful and i got to admit i right into his and told him how the appreciated the high class artistic performance he s giving us and don t forget that the of the is a and will appreciate our patronage and on top of that we out of s duties at city hall then i fed we ve done proud and mr will now say a few words about the problems and duties by rising vote the decided which was the and which the u est guest and to each of than was given a bunch of president noted by brother h g the avenue each week in four were privileged to obtain the pleasures of generosity and of by goods or services to four fellow members chosen by lot tha n on j v a o ter this week when it was announced that one of the was joy the everybody i can think of a good to be buried if bis is a free throng all these the were on chicken peas potatoes apple pie and cheese did not lump the speeches he called on the visiting secretary of the club a rival organization tlie secretary had the distinction of possessing state car number the secretary admitted that be drove in the state so low a number created a sensation and though it was pretty nice to have the honor yet traffic c q s it only too dam and sometimes he didn t know but what he d almost as soon have just plain or something like that only let any try to get number away from a live next year and watch the fur and if they d permit him he d wind up l calling for a cheer for the and and the all sighed to professor be pretty nice to have as low a as that i everybody d say he must be an wonder how he got it ill bet be and dined the of the license to a f are you then addressed than some of you may feel that it s out of place here to talk on a strictly and artistic subject but i want to come out and ask you boys to o k the proposition of a for now where a lot of you make your mistake is in assuming that if you don t like classical music and all that you oi t to oppose it now i want to confess that though i m a literary by i don t care a r for all this long haired music i d rather v to a good band any time than to piece by that hasn t any more tune to it than a bunch of fighting cats and you couldn t whistle it to save your but that isn t the point culture has become as necessary an and advertisement for a city to day as or bank it s culture in and art and so on that thousands of visitors to new york year and to be frank for all our splendid we haven t yet got the culture of a new york or or boston or at least we don t get the credit for it the thing to do then as a live bunch of go is to to go right out and it pictures and books are fine for those that have the time to study em but they don t shoot out on the road and this is what little old can put up in the way of culture tbat what a does do look at the credit and get an with first class and a swell conductor and i believe we ought o do the thing up brown and get one of the highest paid on the market providing he ain t a hun it goes right into and new york and washington it s at the best o the most and pe q le it gives such class as a town can get in no way and the who is so short sighted as to this proposition is passing the chance to impress the glorious name of on some big new york that might that might establish a branch factory here i could also go into the fact that for our daughters who show an interest in music and may want to teach it having an at local organization is of great benefit but let s this on a practical basis and i call on you good brothers to it v for culture and a beating they q a a to a rustle of president	42
we will now proceed to the annual of officers for each of the six offices three had been chosen by a committee the second name among the for vice president was s he was surprised he looked self his heart he was still more agitated the were counted and said it s a pleasure to announce that will be the next assistant i know of no man who stands more for common sense and enterprise than good old george come on let s give him our best long as they a hundred men crushed in to slap bis back he had never known a higher moment he drove away in a of wonder he into his office ling to miss i guess you better your been elected of the he was disappointed she answered only yea oh mrs s been trying to get you on the ne but the new said by s that s great that s perfectly great i m to i called the house and to his wife heard yon were trying to get me say you got to hand it to this better talk c you an now g the vice of the oh nice is the new he away little takes the and up and the no matter if they re governor himself and george i t puts him in vith men like h pan n on j v es sure paul and let bim know about it right away paul s in jail he shot his wife he shot this she may live chapter xxii he drove to the prison not blindly but with care at the of an old woman plants it kept him from facing the of fate the attendant said you can t see any of the prisoners three thirty visiting hour it was three for half an hour sat looking at a and a dock on a wall the chair was hard and mean and people went through the office and he thought stared at him he felt a defiance which broke into a fear of this machine which was grinding paul paul exactly at half past three he sent in his name the attendant returned with says he don t want to see you you re crazy i you didn t give him my name i tell him it s george wants to see him george i told him all r t all right he said he want to see you then take me in anyway nothing doing if you am t bis if he don t want to see you that s all there is to it but my god say let me see the he s busy come on now you reared over him the attendant hastily changed to a you can come back and try to morrow probably the poor is oft his nut drove not at all carefully or sliding past the s curses to the city hall he st ed with a grind of against the and up the marble steps to the office of the hon mr the mayor he the mayor s with a dollar he was instantly inside you me mr vice president of the s for you say have you heard about poor well i want an order on the or whatever you call um of the city prison to take me back and see him good thanks in fifteen minutes he was down the prison corridor to a cage v ere paul sat on a cot twisted like an old beg r legs crossed arms in a knot biting at his clenched fist paul looked up as the keeper unlocked the cell admitted and left them together he le slowly go be ed on the couch beside him i m not going to be moral i i don t care what happened i just want to do anything i can i m glad got what was coming to her paul said now don t go jumping on i ve been thinking maybe she hasn t had any too easy a time just after i shot her i didn t hardly mean to but she got to me so i went crazy just for a second and pulled out that old revolver you and i used to shoot with and took a crack at her didn t hardly mean to after that when i was trying to slap the blood it was terrible what it did to her shoulder and she had beautiful skin maybe she won t die i it won t leave her skin all but just afterward en i was hunting through the for some cotton to stop the blood i ran a little duck we hung on the tree one christmas and i remembered she and i d been awfully happy then i can t hardly believe it s me here as s arm about his shoulder paul si ed i m glad you came bat i thought maybe you d lecture me and when you ve com i j a murder and been brought here and there was a big crowd outside the apartment house all staring and the me it ob i m not going to talk about it any more but he went on in a monotonous terrified insane to divert him said why you got a on your yes that s where the hit me i get a lot of fun out of too he was a big fellow and they wouldn t let me help carry down to the quit iti listen she won t die and when it s ah over you and i d go off to again and maybe we can get that may to go along ill go up to and ask her good woman by and afterwards i l see that you get started in	42
of the opinions of the ted was working in a through the summer and he related his daily triumphs how be had found a cracked what he had said to the old ii t he had said to the about the future of ted and went to a dance after even the maid was out rarely had been alone in the for an entire evening he was restless he vaguely wanted something more than the comic to read he up to s room sat on her blue and white bed humming and in a solid citizen manner as he examined her books com d s re ue a volume strangely named figures of earth quite irregular poetry thought by and essays by h l highly essays making fun of the church and all the he liked none of the books in them he felt a spirit of rebellion against and solid these authors and he supposed they were famous ones too did not seem to care about telling a good story which would a to forget his troubles he sighed he noted a book the three black by joseph ah that was something like it would be an adventure story maybe about up on the old house at ni t he tucked the book under his arm he down stairs and solemnly began to read the piano lamp a twilight like blue dust into the shallow fold of the thickly wooded hills it was early october but a frost had already stamped the trees with gold the spanish oaks hung with patches of wine red the was brilliant in the darkening a pattern of wild flying low and above the hills wavered against the serene evening standing in the comparative clearing of a road decided that the shifting regular flight would not come close enough for a shot he had no intention of hunting the with the of day his had an habitual indifference strengthened him there it was again discontent with the good common ways laid down the book and listened to the the inner doors of the house were open he heard from the kitchen the of the a demanding and he to the window the summer evening was and seen through the wire screen the street were crosses of pale fire the whole world was n while he and ted came in and went to bed silence in the sleeping house he put on his bat his lifted a cigar and walked up and down before the house a worthy figure humming silver threads among the gold he casually considered mi t call up paul then he ed he saw paul in a s uniform but while he he didn t believe the tale it was part of the of this fog enchanted evening if she were here would be isn t it late he in forlorn and freedom fog hid the house now the world was a chaos without or desire the mist came a man at so feverish a pace that be to dance with fury as he ed the of glow from a street lamp at each step he his stick and t it down with a crash his glasses on their broad ribbon against his stomach saw that it was stopped his vision and spoke with gravity there s fool george lives for houses know who i am i m traitor to poetry i m drunk i m talking too much i don t care know i could ve been i could ve been a field or a james maybe a i a ve whim to this just made it up glittering noise of and and respectable hear that i made that i don a know what it means beginning good verse s garden verses and write cheer iq poems ah el could have written too he darted on vith an alarming plunge seeming always to pitch forward yet never quite falling would have been more astonished and no v ss had a ghost out of the fog his head he accepted with vast he poor and straightway forgot him he into the house deliberately went to the tor and it when mrs was at home this was one of the major household crimes he stood before the covered eating a chicken leg and half a of ra and grumbling over a cold boiled he was thinking it was coming to him that perhaps all life as he knew it and vigorously practised it was futile that heaven as by the reverend dr john drew was probable nor very interesting that he hadn t much pleasure out of making mon that it was of doubtful worth to rear children merely that they might rear children would rear children what was it all about what did he want he into the living room lay on tbe hands b ind his head what did he want wealth social position servants yes but only incidentally i give it up be sighed but he did know that he wanted the presence of paul ling and from that he stumbled into the admission that he wanted tbe fairy m the flesh if there had been a woman he loved he would have to her his forehead on her knees he thought of his miss he thou t of the prettiest of the girls at the hotel shop as he fell asleep on the he felt that he had found something in life and that he had made a ter break with that was decent and he bad forgotten next that he was a rebel but he was irritable in the office and at the eleven o clock drive of calls and visitors he did something he had often desired and never dared he left the c ce without excuses to those slave drivers his en and went to the he enjoyed the ri t to be alone he came out with	42
a determination to do what he pleased as he approached the table at the everybody here s the said yes i saw him in his said professor it must be great to be a smart like el moaned he s probably stolen all of i d hate to leave a poor little piece of property lying around where he get his hooks on iti they had perceived something on him also they had their on ordinarily he would have delighted at the honor implied in being but he was suddenly he sure maybe i ll take you oa as office boys he was i as the jest rolled on to its d of course he may have been meeting a girl they said and no i think he was waiting for his old r he exploded oh ring it ring it you what s the great joke george is a grin went round the table revealed the shocking truth he had seen out of a at noon i they kept it up with a hundred variations a hundred they said that he bad gone to the during business hours he didn t so much mind but he was annoyed by that brisk lean red headed ex of jokes he was too by the lump of ice in his glass of water it was too large it un round and burned his nose when he tried to drink he raged that was like that of ice but he won through he kept his till they tired of the jest and turned to the great problems of the day he reflected what s the matter with me to day seems like i ve got an awful only they talk so dam much but i better steer careful and ke my mouth shut as they lighted their cigars he got to get back and on a chorus of if you will go spending your mornings with lady when at the he escaped he heard than he was embarrassed while he was most agreeing with the coat man that the weather was warm he was conscious that he was longing to run with his troubles to the comfort of the he kept miss after he had finished ha searched for a topic which would warm her office into friendliness e you going on your be i think i ll go up state to a farm do you want me to have uie lease copied this afternoon oh no hurry about it i suppose you have a great time when you get away from us in the office rose and gathered her oh nobody s here i think i can get it copied after i do the letters she was gone utterly the view that h bad been trying to discover how was miss mc knew there was nothing he said the car agent who lived across the street bom was giving a sunday his wife young who loved in mu c and in and laughter was at her wildest she cried we ll have a real par l as she received the guests had uneasily felt that to many men she might be now be admitted that to himself she was mrs had never quite approved of was that she was not here this evening he insisted on helping in the kitchen taking the chicken from the warming oven the from the ice box he held her hand once and she didn t notice it she you re a good little mother s now trot in with the tray and leave it on the side table he wished that would give them that would have one he wanted oh be wanted to be one of these you read about parties lovely girls who were independent not necessarily bad certainly but not tame like heights how he a ever stood it all these years did not give them they with mirth and with several by jones of ai time wants to come sit on my lap tell this to beat it i but th were respectable as sunday had a place beside on the piano bench while be talked about he listened with a fixed smile to ha account of the she bad seen last wednesday he hoped that she would hurry up and finish her description of the plot the beau of the leading man and the luxury of the setting he studied her slim waist with raw silk strong brows t above a broad she meant youth to him and a charm which he thought how a con q she would be on a long tour exploring mountains in a pine grove high above a her touched him he was angry at for the incessant family all at once be identified with the fairy girl he was startled l the conviction that they had always had a romantic attraction for each other i suppose you re leading a simply terrible life now you re a she said you bet i m a bad little fellow and proud of it some evening you slip some in his coffee and across the road and show you how to mix a he roared well now i might do you can well whenever you re ready you just hang a out of the window and jump for the every one at this in a pleased way stated that he would have a physician his coffee daily the others were diverted to a discussion of the more agreeable recent but drew back to things that s the prettiest dress i ever saw in my life do you honestly like it like it why say i m going to have put a piece in the paper saying that the dressed woman in the u s is mrs e now you stop met but she beamed let s dance a little george you ve got to dance with me even as he protested oh you	42
know what a rotten i ami he was to his feet ill teach you i can teach anybody her eyes were moist her voice was jagged with excitement he was convinced that he had won her he ed her conscious of her smooth warmth and solemnly he in a heavy of the one step he ed into only one or c two people i m not doing so bad em up like a regular stage he and she answered i told you i teach ai body t take sack long steps for a he was robbed of confidence with fearful he sou t to keep time to the music but he was ed again by her enchantment she s got to like me i ll make he vowed he tried to kiss the lock beside her ear she mechanically moved head to avoid it and mechanically she murmured don t i for a moment he hated her but after the he was as urgent as ever he danced with mrs jones but be watched down the length of the room with her husband you re getting foolish he the while he h q and bent his solid knees in with mrs jones and to that worthy lady it s without reason he thought of paul in that place where men never dance i m to ni t better go home he worried but he left mrs jones and dashed to s lovely side demanding the next is ob i m so hot i m not going to dance one then come out and sit on the and get all nice and cool in the tender darkness with the in the than he resolutely took her hand she squeezed his then relaxed i think you re the thing i well i think you re very nice do you you got to like i m so lone l oh be all right when your wife comes home no i m always lonely she clasped her bands her chin so that he dared not touch her he sighed when i feel and he was about to bring in the n tragedy of paul but tbat was too sacred even for the of love when i get tired out at the office and every ing i like to look across the street and think of you do you know i dreamed of you one was it a nice dream lovely i oh they say dreams go by now i must she was on her feet oh don t go in please yes i must have to look out for my guests let em look out for i couldn t do that she carelessly tapped bis shoulder and slipped away but after two minutes of and childish longing to home he was c i wasn t trying to get with knew there was nothing doing all the time and he in to dance with mrs jones and to avoid and chapter xxiv his visit to paul was as unreal as his ni t of fog and questioning be went prison of to a room lined with pale yellow pierced in like the shoe store benches he had known as a boy the guard led in paul above his uniform of gray paul s face was pale and without he moved iq response to the guard s commands he me y pushed s gifts of tobacco and magazines across the table to the guard for he had nothing to say but oh i m getting used to it and i m in the tailor shop the stuff fingers knew that in this place of death paul was already dead and as be pondered on the train home something in his own self seemed to have died a al and vigorous faith in the goodness of the world a fear of public a pride in success he was glad that his wife was away he admitted it without it he did not care her card read mrs daniel knew of ner as tbe widow of a paper dealer she must have been forty or forty two but be thought ber younger when he saw ber in the office that afternoon she bad come to inquire about an apartment and be took her away from tbe girl he was nervously attracted b her she was a woman in a black frock dotted white a cool looking graceful frock a brood bat shaded ber face h eyes were her soft chin of an agreeable and ber an even rose wondered afterward if was made up but no man living knew less of arts e sat ber violet her voice was appealing without being wonder if you can help me be delighted i ve looked and i want a little flat just a bedroom or perhaps two and sitting room and and bath but i want one that really has some charm to it not these dingy places or these new ones with terrible gaudy chat and i can t pay so dreadfully much my name s i think maybe i ve got just the thing for you would you like to chase around and look at it now yes i have a couple of hours in the new apartments had a flat which he bad hem holding for but at the thought of driving beside this agreeable woman be threw over bis friend and with a note of gallantry he proclaimed let you see what i can he the seat of the car for her and twice he risked death in showing off his driving you do know how to handle a she said he liked her voice there was he thought music in it and a hint of culture not a like s he boasted you know there s a lot of these fellows that are so scared and drive so that they get in everybody s way the safest driver is	42
isle in the stretch of white stone floor were a dozen leather chairs and a table heaped with magazines s porter was an gray b red negro who did him an honor bi y esteemed in the land of greeted him by name yet was unhappy his bright particular was engaged she was doing the nails of an man and with him him he thought of waiting but to the powerful stem of the was and he was instantly into a chair about him was luxury rich and delicate one having a ray treatment the next an oil boys about miraculous machines the snatched steaming from a machine a of polished and flung them away after a second s use on the vast marble shelf facing the chairs were hundreds of and and it was to to have two personal slaves at the and the he would have been happy if he could also have had the girl the at his hair and asked his opinion of the de grace races the season and mayor the young negro the camp meeting and polished in to his tune drawing the shiny rag so at each stroke that it snapped like a string the was an excellent he made feel rich and important by his manner of inquiring what is your sir have you time to d sir n i a your is a little tight shall i give yon a s best thrill was in the the made his hair vith thick soap then as bent the bowl in it with hot water along bis and at last the water ice at the shock the sudden burning cold on his skull s heart his chest heaved and his was an it was a sensation which e the of life he looked about the sh q as he sat the y his wet hair and bound it in a as in a so that resembled a plump pink tn an ii and throne the begged in the manner of one who was a good fellow yet was overwhelmed by the of the how about a little on rub sir very ben to the didn t i give you one the last time he hadn t bat agreed all ri t with be saw that his was free i don t know i guess have a after all he and watched her coming dark haired little the would have to be finished at her table and he would be able to talk to her without the listening he waited not trying to at her while she filed his nails and the shaved him and on his burning cheeks all the interesting which the pleasant minds of have devised through the ages when the was done and he sat c the at her table he admired the of it admired the sunken set bowl with its silver t s and admired for being able to frequent so costly a place when she with drew his wet hand from the bowl it was so from the warm that he was aware of the clasp of her firm little he in the and n on j v as of her nails her hands seemed to him more than mrs s thin fingers and more elegant he bad a certain ecstasy in the pain when she at the of his nails with a sharp knife he struggled not to look at the outline of her young bosom and her shoulders the more apparent under a of pink he was of her as as exquisite thing and when he tried to impress bis person on her be spoke as awkwardly as a country boy at his first par hot to be working to day oh yes it is hot you cut your own nails last time didn t ye es guess i must ve you always ought to go to a yes maybe that s so i there s nothing looks so nice as nails that are after good i always think that s the best way to a real there was an in here yesterday that claimed yon could always tell a fellow s class by the car he drove but i to him don t be i says the a look at a fellow s nails when they want to if he s a or a real yes maybe there s something to that course that is with a pretty like you a man can t he coming to get his done i may be a kid but i m a wise bird and i know nice folks when i see um i can read character at a glance and i d never talk so frank with a fellow if i couldn t see he was d nice fellow she smiled her eyes seemed to as gentle as ril pools with great he informed that there were some who would think that just because a girl was a girl and maybe not awful well educated she was no good but as for him he was a and people and he stood the assertion that this was a le fine girl good girl bat not too good ba inquired in a voice quick with i se you liave a lot of fellows who try to get fresh with you say do ii say listen there s some of these store that think because a girl s working in a they can get away with anything the things they but believe me i know bow to hop those birds i just give um the north and south and ask um say who do you think you re talking to and they fade away like love s young nightmare and oh don t you want a box of nail it will keep the nails as shiny as when first harmless to apply and lasts for days sure try some say	42
say it s funny i ve coming here ever since the shop opened and with arch surprise i don t believe i know your name don t you my that s i don t know yours now you quit met what s the nice little name oh it ain t so dam nice i guess it s kind of but n folks my pa a s p a was a nobleman in and there was a in here one day he was kind of a count or something kind of a no account i guess you who s telling this and he said he knew my s p a s folks in and they had a big right od a lake doubtfully maybe you don t believe it sure no really sure i do why not don t think i m you honey but every time i ve noticed you i ve b d to myself that kid has blue blood in her did you honest honest i did well well come on now we re s the darling little name it ain t so much a much of a name i always say to ma i say ma why didn t you name me or with class to it n on j v a i think it s a name t bet i know your now not necessarily of course it sc well known aren t you mr that for the kitchen ko i am not i m mr the real estate oh accuse oh of course you mean here in with the of one whose have been hurt oh sure i ve read your they re swell um well you might have read about my speeches course i i don t get much time to read but i guess you think i m an awfully y little i think you re a little darling well s one nice thing about this job it gives a girl a chance to meet some awfully nice gentlemen and improve her mind with conversation and you get so you can read a s character at the first glance look here please don t think i m fresh he was hotly reflecting that it would be humiliating to be rejected by this child and dangerous to be accepted if he took her to dinner if he w e seen by friends but he went on don t think i m fresh if i suggest it would be nice for us tc go out and have a little dinner together some evening i t know as i ought to but my gentleman friend s always wanting to take me out but maybe i could to ni t was no reason he assured he shouldn t have a quiet dinner with a poor girl would benefit by an educated and mature like bat lest some oat see them and not understand be would take to s inn on the outskirts of the d they have a pleasant drive this hot evening and he might hold her hand no he wouldn t even do that was her bare shoulders showed it too dearly but he d be hanged if he d make love to bet merely because she e it then his car down had ha to the and he hid to have the car this he tested the stared at the his did not seem to stir the sulky car and in disgrace it was hauled os to a with a renewed thrill be thought of a there was something at once and interesting wicked about a but t en be met her on a two from the she said a why i thought you owned a car i do of coarse i but it s out of l oh e remarked as one who had heard that tale v all the way out to s inn be tried to talk as an old friend but he could not pierce the wall of her words witb interminable indignation she her to head the thing s she would do to him if be persisted in saying that she was better at than at at s inn they were unable to get anything to drink the head waiter refused to who george f was they sat steaming h a vast mixed and made conversation about when he tried to r hand she said with bright friendliness that fresh waiter is but they came out into a treacherous summer night the air lazy and a little moon above v le drive some place ve can got a ind he some other night but i promised ma i d be home to night rats it s too nice to go home i d just love to but ma would give me fits he was trembling she was everything that was young and he put his aim about her she against his shoulder and he was triumphant then she ran down the of the inn singing come on well have a nice drive and get cool it was a night of lovers all along the hi way into under the low and gentle moon were and dim figures were clasped in he held out hungry hands to and when she patted them he was grateful there was no sense of struggle and transition he kissed hei and singly she responded to bis kiss they two behind the stolid back of the her hat fell off and she broke from his embrace to reach for it oh let it he implored my hat not a he waited till she had pinned it on then his arm sank about her she drew away from it and said with maternal soothing now don t be a silly mustn t make just sit back and see what a swell night it is if you re a good boy maybe	42
i ll kiss you when we say night now give me a he was about lighting ber and inquiring as to her comfort then he sat as far from her as possible he was cold with failure no one could have told that he was a fool with more vigor precision and intelligence than ne himself di he reflected that from the of the rev dr john drew he was a wicked man and from tbe of miss an old bore who had to be as the attached to eating a large dinner yoa t going to go and get are you she spoke he wanted to her he t don t have to take anything off this i i well let s get it over as i as we can and home and kick ourselves for tbe rest of the ni t he me you baby should i be now listen to uncle george i want to put yon wise about this with your all the time i ve had a lot of experience with and let me tell you it doesn t pay to at the house in she lived he s d briefly and but as tbe drove off be praying ob n v chapter xxv be to stretch cheerful as be listened to the then to remember that was wrong that be was to go astray and not in uie least enjoying the process why he wondered should he be in what was it all about why not be sensible stop all this around and enjoy himself with his family his business the fellows at the club what was he getting out of rebellion misery and shame the shame of being treated as an offensive small boy by a like and yet always he came back to and yet whatever the misery he could not regain contentment with a world which once doubted became absurd only he assured himself he was with this chasing after girls by he was not so sure even of that if in miss and he had failed to find the lady kind and lovely it did not prove that she did not exist he was hunted by the ancient thou t that somewhere must exist the not impossible she who would understand him value and him hap mrs returned in august on her previous he had missed her and of her arrival he had made a now thou he dared not hurt her by letting a hint of it appear in his letters be was sorry that she was coming before be had found himself and he was embarrassed by the need of meeting ber and ing joyful he down to the station he studied the lest be have to to acquaintances and x se bis uneasiness but be was well trained when the train in be was out on the platform peering into the chair cars and as he saw her in the line of passengers moving toward the he waved his hat at the be embraced her and announced well well well by you look fine you look fine then he was aware of here was something this child with her absurd little nose and lively eyes that loved bim believed bim great and as be ed her lifted and held her till she he was for the moment back to bis old steady sat beside bim in the car with one band on the wheel pretending to help him drive and he shouted back to his wife bet tbe kid will be the best in the family she holds tbe like an old professional all the while he was tbe when he would be alone with his wife and she would patiently expect bim to be ardent there was about tbe house an theory that he was to take his to spend a week or ten days in but he was by the memory that a year ago he had been with paul in he saw himself returning finding peace there and tbe presence of paul in a life primitive and like a shock came the thought that he actually could go only he couldn t really be couldn t leave his business and would think it sort of funny his way off there alone course he d decided to do whatever be pleased from now on but still to go way off to he went meditations vith his wife since it was to explain that ae was going to seek paul s spirit in the wilderness he the lie over a year ago and scarcely used at all he said that he had to see a man in new york on business he could not have e even to himself why he drew from the bank several hundred dollars more than be needed nor why he kissed so tenderly and cried god bless you baby i from the train he waved to her till she was but a scarlet spot beside the brown presence of mrs at the end of a and aisle ending in vast barred tes with melancholy he looked back at the last of all the way north he pictured the guides simple and strong and daring jolly as played in their wise in as they the forest and shot the he particularly remembered joe paradise half yankee half indian if he could but take a claim with a man like work hard with hands be free and noisy in a shirt and never come back to this dull decency or like a in a northern canada plunge through the forest make can in the a grim and why not he do th e d be money at home for the family to live on till was married and ted self supporting old henry t would look out for them why really live he longed for it admitted that he longed for it then almost	42
believed that be was going to do it whenever common sense nonsense folks don t run away from decent families and partners just simply don t do it that s then answered y well it wouldn t take any than for paul to go to and lord bow i d like to do six gun frontier town deep under the stars be a regular man with he men joe paradise n on j v so he came to again stood on the before the hotel again into the delicate and shivering water while the pines the glowed and a leaped and fell in a sliding he hurried to the guides as to his real home his real friends long missed they would be glad to see him they would stand up and why here s mr he one of these ordinary he s a real l in their and rather uttered cabin the guides sat about the greasy table playing with greasy cards half a dozen wrinkled men in old trousers and easy old hats they glanced up and nodded joe paradise the man with the big how do back again silence except for the clatter of stood beside them very lonely he hinted after a period of highly playing guess i might take a hand joe sure sit in how many you want let s see you were here with your wife last year wa n t you said joe paradise that was all of s welcome to the old home he played for half an hour before be spoke again his head was with the smoke of pipes and cheap cigars and he was weary of pairs and four of th way in which they ignored he flung at joe working now like to guide me fm a few days well soon i ain t engaged next week only thus did joe recognize the friendship was offering him paid iq his losses and left the rather joe raised hb head from the of like a seal rising from surf come t morrow and down to his three n on j v in bis cabin fragrant with of pine nor along the lake nor in the sunset whidi presently behind the could find the of paul as a presence he was so that after he st to talk with an old lady a gasping and steadily old lady by the stove in the hotel office he told her of ted s pre future triumphs in the state and of s till he was for the home be bad left forever the darkness through that northern pine walled be down to the lake front and found m there were no in it but with a board sitting awkwardly and at the water rather than be made his way far out on the lake the li ta of the hotel and the cottages became yellow a cluster of w at the base of mountain larger and ever more in le was the mountain in the star darkness and the lake a pavement of black marble he was and dumb and a little awed but that freed him from the of being mr george f of and freed his heart now he was conscious of the presence of paul fancied him rescued from prison from and the brisk of the business playing bis at the end of the he vowed i will go go back now that paul s out of it i don t want to see any of those damn pet e again i was a fool to get sore because joe paradise didn t jump up and me he s one of these too wise to go and talking your arm off like a but get him back in the mountains out on the trail that s real joe reported at s cabin at nine the next greeted him as a fellow well joe bow d you fed the trail and getting away from these dam soft and these women and an ah ri t mr what do you say we go over to box car pond they me the there being used and out all right mr but it nearer to pond and you can get just about as good fishing there no want to get into the real wed all right well put the old on our backs and get into the woods and really i think maybe it would be easier to go by water lake we can go all the way by boat boat with an no bust up the quiet with a ng not on your you just throw a pair of in the old pack and em what you want for eats ill be ready soon you are most of the sports go by boat mr it s a long walk look here joe are yon to walking oh no i guess i can do it but i haven t that far for sixteen years most of the sports go by boat but i can do it if you say so i guess joe walked away io had recovered from his wrath before joe returned he pictured him as warming up and telling the most stories but joe had not yet warmed when they took the trail he persistently kept and however much his shoulders ached from the pack however sorely he panted could bear his guide panting equally but the trail was a path brown with pine needles and rough with roots among the the the sudden groves of white he became again and rejoiced in when he stopped to rest he chuckled guess we re it up pretty good for a couple o old birds eh admitted joe this is a mighty pretty place look you can see the lake down through the trees i t you joe you don t appreciate how lucky you	42
are to live in woods like this instead of a city with grinding and and the life out of you all the i wish i knew the woods like you do say what s the name of that little red rubbing his back joe regarded the flower ell some folks call it one thing and some calls it another i always just call it pink flower ceased thinking as into he was in weariness his plump legs seemed to go on by themselves without guidance and he mechanically wiped away the sweat whidi stung his eyes he was too tired to be glad as after a un mile of road through a swamp where flies hovered over a hot waste of brush they reached the shore of box car fond when he lifted the pack from his back he staggered n the in balance and for a moment could not stand erect he lay beneath an le b tree near the guest and felt sleep running his veins he awoke toward dusk to find joe cooking and eggs and for and his admiration of the returned he sat on a stump and felt joe would you do if you had a lot of money would i you stick to guiding or would you take a claim way back in the woods and be independent of pet le for the first time joe brightened he his a second and i ve often t of if i had e money i d go down to s falls and open a shoe store joe proposed a game of but refused with and joe went to bed at a t sat on the stump facing the dark pond save the guide there was no other human being ten miles he was than he had ever been in his life then he was in he was worrying as to miss wasn t paying too much for paper he was at once am missing the at the table wondering what was doing now he was wondering whether after the summer s maturity of being a ted would get busy in the university he was thinking of his wife if she would only if she wouldn t be so dam satisfied with just settling down i won tl i won t go back ill be ity in three years sixty in thirteen years i m to have some fun before it s too late i don t care i i he thought of of of that nice widow what was her name the one whom he d found the sat he was in imaginary conversations then i can t seem to get away from thinking about thus it came to him to run away was folly because he could never run away from that moment he started for in bis journey there was no f of sight but he was and four days afterward he was on the train he knew that he was back not because it was what he longed to do but u s e it was all he could do he again his on j v that he could never run away from and and office because in his own brain be bore the office and the family and every street and and illusion of but i m going to oh i m going to start be and be tried to make it chapter xxvi as he walked the train looking for familiar faces he saw only one person whom he knew and that was the lawyer who after the blessings of being in s own class at college and of becoming a had turned had headed labor tickets and with admitted he was in rebellion naturally did not care to be seen talking with such a but in all the be could find no other acquaintance and reluctantly he was a slight thin haired man rather like except that he hadn t s grin he was reading a book called the way of all flesh it looked religious to and he wondered if could possibly have been converted and turned decent and patriotic why he said looked up his voice was curiously kind how do been away eh yes i ve been in washington washington eh how s the old government making out it s won t you sit down thanks don t care if i do well well i been quite a since i ve bad a good chance to talk to you i was sorry you didn t turn i at the last class dinner thanks how s the coming going to run for mayor again seemed restless he was the pages of bis v book he said i might as though it didn t mean in and he smiled liked that smile and for conversation saw a bang up in new york the good morning bunch at the yes they re pretty girls i danced there one evening oh like dancing naturally i like and pretty women and good food better than anything else in the world most men do but i thought yon fellows wanted to all the good eats and everything away from us no not at all what i d like to see is the meetings of the garment workers held at the with a dance ward isn t that reasonable might be good idea all ri t well shame i haven t seen more of you recent years oh say hope you haven t held it against me my you as mayor going on the stump for you see i m an organization republican and i kind of felt there s no reason why you shouldn t fi t me i have no doubt you re good for the organization i remember in college you were an unusually sensitive chap i can still recall your saying to me that you were	42
to be a lawyer and take the cases of the poor for nothing and fi t the rich and i remember i said i was going to be one of the rich myself and buy paintings and live at i m sure you in us all i ve always aimed to be liberal was and proud and self conscious be tried to look like the boy he had been a quarter century ago and he shone iq on his old friend as be trouble with a lot of these even the live and some of em that think they re forward looking is th aren t broad minded and liberal now i always believe to giving the other fellow a chance and listening to his ideas n on j v h that s fine tell yoa bow i figure it a little o is good for all of us so a especially if he s a business man and engaged in doing the work of the world ought to be liberal i always say a ou t to have vision and i guess some of the in my business think i m visionary ut i just let em think what they want to and go right on same as you do by this b nice to have a chance to sit and visit and kind of you might say brush up on our but of we do rather get beaten doesn t it bother you not a bit nobody can dictate to me what i think i ou re the man i want to help me i want you to talk to some of the business men and try to make than a little more liberal in their attitude toward poor but why he s this nut preacher that got kicked out of the church isn t be and free love and this was indeed the general of but he himself saw as a priest of the brotherhood of man of which was an so would keep bis acquaintances from and his forlorn little you call down any of the boys i hear getting funny about said affectionately to his dear friend warmed up and became he of student days in germany of i x sing tax in washington of labor he mentioned his friends lord colonel professor bad always supposed that associated only with the i w w but now he nodded as one knew lord es by the and he got ia two re n on j v j to sir he felt daring and and suddenly in his new spiritual grandeur he was sorry for and understood her as these ordinary fellows at the never could five hours after he had arrived in and told hia wife how hot it was in new york he went to call on he was with ideas and forgiveness he d get paul released he d do things vague but highly benevolent things for he d be as generous as bis friend he had not seen since paul had shot her and he still pictured her as high colored lively and a little as be drove up to h boarding in a back street below the district he stopped in discomfort at an upper window leaning on elbow was a woman with the features of but she was and aged like a of old paper into wrinkles where had and this woman was dreadfully stiu he waited half an hour before she came into the fifty times he q the book of bs of the world s fair of fifty times be looked at the picture of the court of honor he was startled to find in the room she wore a black gown which she bad tried to tm with a of crimson ribbon the ribbon had been torn and patiently mended he noted this carefully because he did not wish to look at her shoulders one shoulder was lower than the other one arm she carried in fashion as though it were and behind a big collar of cheap lace acre was a in the neck whidi bad once and softly yes she said well old by it s good to see you he can send bis messages through a why rats i didn t come just because of him came as an old friend you waited long enough well you know how it is figured you wouldn t want to see a friend of his for quite some time and sit down let s be sensible we ve all of us done a bunch of things that we hadn t ought to but maybe we can sort of start over again honest i d like to do something to make you both happy know what i thought to day mind you paul doesn t know a thing about this doesn t know i was going to come see you i got to thinking s a fine hearted woman and shell that paul s had his lesson now why wouldn t it be a fine idea if you asked the governor to pardon him believe be would if it came from you just think good you d fed if yoa generous yes i wish to be generous she was sitting for that reason i wish to keep him in prison as an to evil i ve gotten religion george since the thing that man did to me sometimes i used to be unkind and i wished for worldly pleasures for and the but when i was in the the of the communion faith used to come to see me and he showed me right from the written in the word of god that the day of judgment is coming and all the members of the older churches are going straight to eternal because tb only do iq service and swallow the the flesh and the devil for fifteen wild minutes she	42
talked pouring out to flee the wrath to come and her face flushed h dead voice something of the shrill energy of old she wound up with a furious it the u sing of god himself that paul should be in prison now and torn and by punishment so that be may yet save his soul and so other wicked men these horrible after women and lust may have an had and twisted as in church he dared not move during the sermon so now he felt that he must seem attentive though her flew past him birds he sou t to be calm and i know but it certainly is the essence ci to be charitable it let me you how i figure it what we need in the is liberality m we re to get i ve always believed in being broad and liberal you it was much the old why you re about as minded and liberal as a oh i am am ii well just let me you me tell you i m as by liberal as you are you i am our says i sustain bim in the bet you with paul s but just to show you bow h i am i m to send a check for ten to this because a lot of fellows are saying ttie and free love and they re trying to run him out of town and they re ri tl they ought to run bim out of be if you can call it preaching in a in die house of you don t know what it is to find god to find peace to behold the that the devil oat for our feet oh i m so glad to see the purposes of god in paul harm me and stop my wicked and paul s getting his good and plenty for the things he did to me and i h q e be dies in prison was t hat in hand growling if that s c yoa call bring at peace for heaven s sake just me go to war will you vast is the power of to the more than mountains or the shore devouring sea a city its cynical holding behind apparent changes its essential purpose had deserted his family and dwelt with joe paradise in the wilderness though be had become a liberal thou he had been quite sure on the night before he reached that neither he the city would be the same again ten days after his return he could not believe that he had been away nor was it at all evident to bis acquaintances that there was a new f save that be was more irritable under the incessant at the club and once when vo observed that ought to be hanged oh rats he s not so bad at home he eh across the er to his wife and was ted by s new red o and announced no class to that iron have to build me a nice frame one and appeared really to be engaged in bis bad conducted a pure food against commission houses as a result he bad been given an excellent job m a commission house and he was making a salary on which he could marry and who wrote stories commission houses with out knowing what they were talking about this september ted had entered the state as a in the college of arts and the was at only fifteen miles from and ted often came down for the week end was worried ted was going in for everything but books he bad tried to make team as a li t half back he was looking to the ball season he was on the committee for die hop and as a an among the he was being rushed by two but of his studies could learn nothing save a oh these old of teachers just give a lot of about literature and one week end ted pr f say why can t i transfer from the college to the school of and take mechanical you always that i never but honest i would study there no the school hasn t got the standing the college has fretted i d like to know how it hasn t the can play on any of the there was explanation of the dollars and cents value of being known as a college man when you go into the law and a truly account of the lawyer s life before he was through with it had ted a united states among the great lawyers whom he mentioned was but ted i thought you always said this was a nut that s no way to speak of a great man s always been a good friend of mine fact i helped him in college i started him out and you might say inspired him just because he s with the aims of labor a lot of that lack a ity and broad think he s a but let me tell you there s mighty few of em that in the he does and he s a friend of some of the strongest most men in the world like lord this this big english nobleman that s so well known and you now which would you rather do be in with a lot of and laboring men h up to a real fellow like lord and get invited to his house for i si ed ted tbe next week end he came in with say couldn t i take instead of the you talk about standing maybe isn t much in mechanical but the they got out of eleven in tbe new to chapter the strike which turned into two white and ted began late in september with a walk out of girls and in protest against a of wages the	42
newly formed union of workers went out partly in sympathy and partly in demand for a four hour week they were followed by the union industry was tied up and the whole city was with talk of a strike a strike a strike furious citizens trying to get calls strike breaking girls danced helplessly every that made its way from the to the t stations was guarded by a policeman trying to look beside the driver a line of fifty from the steel and con ny was attacked by rushing out ti om the pulling drivers from the seats and while girls cheered from the walk and small boys heaved bricks the national guard was ordered out colonel who in private life was mr secretary of the company put on a long coat and stalked through crowds a in hand even s friend drum the shoe merchant a round and merry man who told stories at the and who strangely resembled a dog was to be seen as a but c tain with his belt tight about his ble little belly and his round h mouth as he to chattering on comers move on there i cm t have any of this i ia every new in die save one was against the the news stands at each was stationed a a embarrassed citizen soldier with glasses or k in private life trying to look dangerous while small boys get de tin soldier i and striking drivers inquired say joe i was fighting in france was you in r a m p in the states or was you doing in the y m c a p be careful of that now or you ll cut yourself i there was no one in who talked of anything but the strike and no one who did not take sides you were either a friend of labor or you were a fearless st port of the rights of ty and in either case you were and ready to any friend did not hate the enemy a milk plant was set each side charged it to the other and the city was hysterical and chose this time to be publicly liberal he to the sound sane right thinking wing and at first he agreed that the crooked ought to be shot he was sorry when his friend defended arrested and he thought of going to and about these but when he read a broad e that even on their former wages the had been hungry he was troubled all lies and figures be said but in a doubtful for the sunday after the road church a sermon by dr john drew on how the would end strikes had been ne about church going lately but be went to the service hopeful that dr drew really did have the information as to what the divine powers thought about strikes beside in the large velvet tend was s flint hope the g the strikes ordinarily i don t believe in a preacher into political matters let him stick to straight religion and save and not stir a lot of discussion but at a time like this i do think he ought to stand right up and out those es to a fare you said the rev dr drew bis rustic bang with the of his poetic and during the series of which have let us be courageous and admit it boldly the business life of our fair these past days there has been a great deal of loose talk about scientific of scientific now let me tell you that the most thing in the world is science take the attacks on the established of the christian creed which were so popular with the a generation ago ob yes th were mighty fellows and great of they were going to destroy the church they were going to prove the was created and has been brought to its extraordinary level of morality and civilization by blind chance yet the church stands just as firmly to day as ever and the only answer a christian needs make to the of his simple faith is just a pitying smile and now these same want to replace the natural condition of free competition by crazy systems which no matter by what high sounding names th are called are nothing but a naturally i m not labor courts against men to be striking or those excellent in which the men and the get together but i certainly am the systems in the free and of independent labor is to be by cooked up scales and and it and labor and all that n on j v h what is not is that this whole matter isn t a of it s ess and only a matter of and of the practical a q a the christian religion i imagine a factory instead of of workmen the the goes among them smiling and they smile back the elder brother and the younger brothers that s what they must be loving brothers and then would be as inconceivable as hatred in the it was at this that b ob said he doesn t know what he s talking about it s just as clear as mud it doesn t mean a dam thing maybe but looked at him doubtfully all the service k at him doubtfully till was nervous hie bad announced a parade for tuesday morning but o nd had forbidden it the when drove west from bis at ten that he saw a drove of men heading toward the tangled district beyond court house square he hated them because they were poor because they made him fed wouldn t be common workmen if they had any he he wondered if was going to be riot he drove toward the starting point of the parade a of and faded grass known	42
as moon street park and halted his car the park and streets were with young men n shirts old men with o than than stirred like a boiling pot moved the could hear the monotonous orders keep moving move on tm keep your feet admired stolid good the crowd shouted soldiers and dirty dogs servants of the but the and answered only sure that s right keep moving thrilled over the citizen soldier hated the who were the pleasant ways of pro admired colonel s contempt for the crowd and as obtain drum that rather puffing shoe dealer came raging by respectfully great work don t let em he watched e from the park many of them bore with tliey t stop our peacefully walking the tore away the but the ell in behind their leaders and off a thin between steel lines of soldiers saw with disappointment that there wasn t going to be any violence nothing interesting at then ue gasped among the beside a young workman was smiling content in front of him was professor head of the history department in the state university an old man and white bearded known to come from a distinguished family why a swell like him in with the and good they re fools to get mixed up with this they re parlor but they have got nerve and nothing in it for them not a cent and i don t know s all the look like such tou nuts look just about like anybody else to me the were turning the parade down a e street tliey got just as much right to as anybody they own the streets as much as drum or the american does grumbled of course they re they re a bad element but ob l at the c ab was silent during while the fretted i don t know what the world s coming to r spirits with captain drum came by in how s it going captain inquired ob we got em stopped we w em off on side streets and separated em and they got discouraged and went home fine work no fine work groaned mr if i had my way there d be a whole lot of violence and i d start it and then the thing would be over i don t believe in standing back and wet nursing these fellows and letting the drag on i tell you these strikes are in god s world but a lot of throwing and and the only way to handle em b with a club i that s what i d do beat up the de lot of heard himself saying ob rats they look just about like you and me and i certainly didn t notice any i um complained oh you didn t h well maybe you d like to take charge of the just tell colonel what ts the are he d be glad to hear about drum strode on all the table stared at what s the idea do you want us to give those love and kisses or said jones do you defend a lot of that are to take bread ami butter away from our families raged professor y said nothing he put like a mask his jaw was hard his short hair seemed cruel his was a while the others assured that th must hare misunderstood him looked as thou he had understood only too a judge he listened to s n on j v no sure course they re a bunch of is but i mean strikes me it s bad policy to talk about em doesn t he s got the fine italian hand and that s why he s colonel is jealous of him said you hurt s feelings george he s been out there all morning getting hot and and no wonder he wants to beat the tar oat of those sons of guns said nothing and and knew that he was being watched as he was leaving the club heard protesting to know s got into him last sunday drew preached a sermon about decent in and kicked about that too near s i can figure out was be saw a crowd to a man who was talking from the of a chair he bis car from newspaper pictures he knew that the must be the notorious preacher of whom s had spoken was a man with hair beaten cheeks and worried eyes he was pleading if those girls can hold out oa one meal a day doing their own washing starving and smiling you big men t to be able saw that from t was in v ue he started the car and d i drove on e s eyes to him all the ay there s a lot of these fellows was c to his wife that think if go on strike they re a regular bunch of now of course it s a fight between sound business and the destructive element and we got to the s out of em when th challenge us but if i see why we can t fight like and not go calling em dirty dogs and saying they t to be shot down why george she said placidly i thought you always insisted that all ou t to be put in jail i never did i wed i mean some of n of course leaders but i mean a fellow ought to be and liberal about things like but i thought you always said these so called liberal people were the worst of rats woman never can understand the different of a word depends on how you mean it and it don t pay to be too about anything now these honest they re not such bad people just foolish they don	42
t understand the of and profit the way we business men do but sometimes i think they re about like the rest of us and no more ho for wages than we are profits george if pet le were to hear you talk like that of course i know you i what a wild boy you were i know you don t mean a word you say but if pe e that didn t you were to hear you talking th d think you were a regular what do i care what anybody thinks and let me you ri t now i want you to distinctly understand i never was a wild kid and i say a thing i mean it and t stand by it and honest do you think le would think i vas too liberal if i just said the were decent of course they would but don t dear i know you don t mean a word of it time to trot to bed now have you enough covers for to night on the porch he puzzled she doesn t understand me hardly understand myself why can t i take things easy way i used to wish i could go out to s house and talk things over with him no i su se saw me going in there wish i knew some smart woman and nice that would see what i m trying to get at and let me talk to her and i wonder if s ri t could the think i ve gone just because i m broad minded and liberal way looked at me chapter i came into his private office at three in ha afternoon with mr there s a mrs cm the wants to see about some and the are all out want to talk to her au ri t the voice of was dear and pleasant the black of the seemed to hold a animated image of her eyes delicate nose gentle this is mrs do you remember me you drove me up here to the and helped me find a nice flat bet i what can i do for you why it s just a little i don t know that i ought to you but the doesn t seem to be able to fix it you know my flat is on the top floor and with these autumn rains the roof is beginning to and i d be awfully glad iii come up and take a look at it nervously when do you to be in why i m in every morning be in this afternoon in an hour or so ye es perhaps i could give you a of tea i think i ou t to after all your trouble iii run there soon as i can get away he meditated now there s a woman that s got refinement class after all your trouble give you a cup of tea she d appreciate a fellow i m a fool but i m not such a bad get to know me and not so much a fool as they a the great strike vas over the beaten except that seemed less cordial were do visible effects of s to tbe dan the oppressive fear of criticism was gone bat a loneliness remained now he was so that to prove he wasn t he about tbe office for fifteen minutes looking at blue prints to miss that this mrs scott wanted more mon for her house had raised tbe asking price raised it from seven thousand to five hundred would miss be sure and put it down on the card mrs scott s house raise when he had thus established himself as a person and interested only in business he tend out he took a particularly time to start bis car he kicked the the glass of tbe and the holding the wind shield spot light he drove happily off toward tbe district conscious tbe presence of mrs as of a brilliant li t on the horizon the leaves had fallen and tbey tbe of the streets it was a day of pale and faded green tranquil and lingering was aware of the meditative day and of the of blocks of wooden houses little lots up needs the touch that people like mrs could ve a place he as he rattled through the long crude airy streets the wind rose keen and in a blaze of being be came to tbe flat of she was wearing when she admitted him a frock of cut modestly round at the base of her pretty throat she seemed to him immense he glanced at tbe and colored prints in her living room and you ve fixed the place nice takes a woman to know how to make a home all right you really like it i m so but you ve neglected me you promised to come some time and learn to dance n on j v rather oh but you mean it perhaps not but you might have well here i ve come for my lesson and you mi t just as veil prepare to have me stay for i they both laughed in a manner which indicated that of course he didn t mean it but first i guess i better look at that she climbed with him to the flat roof of the a detached world of wooden walks water in a he at things with his toe and sought to impress her by being learned about the of passing pipes through a lead collar and sleeve and flashing them with copper and the advantages of over iron for roof you have to know so much in real she admired he promised that the roof should be repaired within two days do you mind my from your apartment he asked	42
heavens he stood a moment at the over a land of hard little with large and new apartment small but brave with brick walls and them was a hill with a of yellow day like a vast wound behind every apartment house beside each dwelling were small it was a world of good little people comfortable industrious in the light the sat was and the air was a sim pool it s one fine you get a great view ho right up s hill said yes isn t it nice and open so dam few people appreciate a view don t you go raising my rent on that that n j v a was naughty of i was just seriously though there are so few who respond who to views i mean they haven t any feeling of poetry and beauty that s a fact they haven t he breathed admiring ha and the absorbed airy way in which she looked toward the hill chin lifted lips smiling well guess i d better the so they ll get on tbe job first thing in the morning when he had making it con and and masculine he looked doubtful and sighed s i d better be ob you must have that cup of tea first well it would go pretty good at that it was luxurious to in a deep green chair his legs thrust out before him to glance at the black chinese stand and the colored photograph of mount which he had always so much while in the tiny kitchen so near mrs sang my la an intolerable sweetness a contentment so deep that be vas wistfully discontented he saw by moonlight and heard plantation to the he wanted to be near her on of helping her yet he wanted to remain in this still ecstasy languidly he remained when she in with the tea he smiled up at her this is awfully nice for the first time he was not he was quietly and securely friendly and friendly and quiet was her answer it s nice to have you here you were so kind helping me to find this little home th agreed that the weather would soon turn cold tliey agreed that was agreed that art in the home was they agreed about everything they even became bold they hinted that these modem yoimg girls well honestly their short skirts were short they were proud to find that they were not shocked by such frank i know understand i n j v i don t quite know bow to say it but i do tbat girls who pretend they re bad by the way tb dress really never go any farther ve away tbe fact tbat t the instincts ol a womanly woman tbe girl and bow ill she bad used him agreed with enthusiasm remembering bow ill all the world had used him be told of paul of of of the strike see how it was course i was as anxious to have those beggars to a as anybody else b go reason for not seeing their side for a fellow s own sake he s got to be broad minded and liberal don t you think so ob i sitting on tbe bard little couch she md ber bands beside her leaned toward him absorbed him and in a state of being af he proclaimed so i t and said to the fellows at tbe club took bo i do you belong to tbe union i think it s no tbe tell you course they re always asking me to join tbe union but i always say no nothing doing i d hi t mind the expense but i can t stand all tbe oh yes that s so but tell me what did you say to them ob you d hit want to hear it i m probably yon to death with my troubles you wouldn t hardly think i was an old i sound like a oh you re a boy yet i you can t be a day over forty five well i m not much but by i begin to fed middle aged sometimes all these and all oh i know her voice him it him like warm and i feel lonely so some days mr we re a sad pair of but i think we e dam yes i think we re lots than most people i smiled bat please tell me what you said at the well it was like this course is a of they can say what they want to they can call him anything they please but what most folks here don t know is that is the bosom of of the biggest in the world lord you know this big british nobleman my friend sir told me that lord is one of the biggest guns in england or somebody told me do you know sir the one that was here at the s know him well say i know him just well enough so we call each other george and and we got so in that must have been fun but she shook a finger at him i can t have you getting i ll have to take you in hand wish you well saying you see i happen to know what a big noise is outside of z th but of course a hasn t got any honor in his own country and his old hide he s so blame modest he never lets folks know the kind of an be with when he goes abroad well during the strike drum comes up to our table all up fit to kill in bis nice cap n s uniform and somebody says to bim the strike well he up like a pigeon and he so you could hear him	42
way up in the reading room yes sure i told the strike leaders where they got off and so they wait home well i says to him glad there wasn t any violence v s yes he says but if i hadn t kept there would ve all those had in ts tbey te leg oh rats i s q looked em all over carefully and they didn t have any more n a rabbit i says course i says they re foolish but they re a good deal like you and me after all and then v or somebody no it was you know this famous poet great of mine be says to me look here he says do you mean to say yoa advocate these strikes well i was so disgusted with a whose mind worked that way that i swear i had a good mind to not explain at all just him oh that s so said mrs but finally i explains to him if you d done as as i have on of commerce and all says then you d have the right to but same time i says believe in treating your opponent like a well sir that held i always call he didn t have another word to say but at that i guess some of em kind o thought i was too liberal what do you think oh you were so wise and i love a man to have the courage of his but do you think it was a good after all some of these fellows are so dam cautious and narrow minded that they re prejudiced against a fellow that talks right out in meeting what do you care in the long run they re bound to respect a man who makes them think and with your tion for you what do you know about my reputation for oh i m not going to tell you everything i but you don t realize what a famous man you are thou i done much this n on j v too kind of by this paul business i guess but do you know you re the first person that s really understood what i was getting at to me will fat i ve got calling you oh and shall i call you george don t you think it s awfully nice when two people have so much what shall i call it so much analysis that they can all these and understand each other and become acquainted ri t away like ships that pass in the ni t i certainly i certainly dot he was no longer in his chair he wandered about the room he dropped on the couch beside her bat as he awkwardly stretched his hand toward her fragile fingers she said do give me a would you think poor was dreadfully ty if she smoked lord not he had often and pondered ing in but he knew only one woman who smoked mrs sam his neighbor he lighted s looked for a place to deposit the burnt match and dropped it into his pocket i m sure you want a cigar you poor she do you mind one oh i love the smell of a good cigar so nice and so nice and like a man find an ash tray in my bedroom on the table beside the bed if you don t mind getting it he was embarrassed by her bedroom the broad with a cover of violet silk curtains striped with gold chinese and an amazing row of slippers with ribbon wound shoe trees and tying across them his manner of bringing the ash tray had just the right note of easy friendliness be felt a like would try to get funny about her bat i take it he was not casual afterward tbe of was gone and he was restless with desire to touch her band but he toward her the was in his way it was a shield between them he waited till she should have finished but as he rejoiced at her quick crashing of its light on the she said don t you want to me another and hopelessly he saw the screen of pale smoke and her graceful hand again between them he was not curious now to find out whether she would let him bold her hand all in the purest friendship naturally but with need of it on the surface a q none of all this drama they were talking cheerfully of of to of once he said i do hate these i hate these people that invite themselves to meals but i seem to have a feeling i m going to have supper with the mrs to ni t but i suppose you probably have seven dates already well i was thinking some of going to the yes i really think i ought to get out and get some fresh air she did not encourage him to stay but never did she him he considered i take a she wiu let me stay there is something doing and i mustn t get mixed up with i mustn t i ve got to beat it then no it s too late now suddenly at seven brushing ha away taking her hand stop met you know we here we are a co le of lonely birds and we re awful happy together anyway i ami never been so happy do let me stay ill gallop down to the and buy some cold chicken maybe or cold turkey and we can have a nice little er and afterwards if you want to chase me out ill be good and go like a lamb x h would be nice she said nor did withdraw her hand he	42
it and toward his coat at the he t preposterous stores of food chosen on the principle of from the store across the street he to his wife got to get a to sign a lease he leaves town on the midnight t be home till late don t wait me kiss good he back to the flat ob you bad thing to so was her greeting and her voice was gay her smile he her in the tiny white he washed the ik opened the olive bottle she ordered him to set the table and as be trotted into the living room as he hunted the for knives and forks he felt utterly at borne now the only other thing be announced is what you re going to wear i can t decide whether you re to put on your evening gown or let your hair down and put on short skirts and make believe you re a little girl i m going to dine just as i am in this old rag and if you can t stand poor that way you can go to the club for dinner i stand you he patted her shoulder child you re the and the loveliest and finest woman i ve come now lady if take the duke of s arm we will in to the oh you do say the when they bad finished the he thrust his head out of the window and reported it s turned awful chilly and i think it s going to rain you don t want to go to the i wish we had a fir lace i wish it was like all get out to night and we were in a funny little old fashioned cottage and the trees like outside and a great big log fire and tell let s draw this up to the and stretch our feet out and id it a wood fire ob i think that s you big but they did draw iq to the and pro ed their feet against it his black shoes her patent leather u q ers in the they talked of of how lonely she was how bewildered he and how wonderful that they had found each other as they fell the room was than a country lane there was no sound from the street save the of the of a distant freight train self contained was the room warm secure from the world he was absorbed by a rapture in which all fear and doubting were smoothed away and when he reached home at dawn the rapture bad to contentment serene and full of chapter the assurance of s friendship fortified s self approval at the club he became though v was silent the others at the table came to accept as having for no visible reason turned they argued with him and be was and enjoyed the spectacle of his he even praised professor said that was carrying a joke too far but argued i tell you he s got one of the in the country why lord said oh the hell is lord what you always him in for you been him the last six protested jones george ordered him from you can get those english high by mail for two apiece suggested that s all right lord he s one of the biggest in english political life as i was saying of course i m myself but i appreciate a like because interrupted harshly i wonder if you are so i find i can manage to run my own business without any and like in the of s voice the hardness of his jaw disconcerted but he recovered and went on till they bored then irritated then as doubtful as he t of always with a stir be her every his arms i x her ive found i ve dreamed of her all these ye is and now i ve found he he met her at the in the morning he drove out to her flat in the late afternoon or on evenings when he was believed to be at the he her financial affairs and advised about while she lamented ha feminine ignorance and praised his and proved to know much more about bonds than he did they had and laughter over old times once they and he raged that she was as as his wife and far more when he was but that passed safely their high hour was a tramp on a ringing december afternoon through snow drifted meadows down to the icy river she was in an cap and a short coat she slid on the ice and shouted and he panted after her with laughter never slid on the ice lie was afraid that they would be seen together in it is impossible to lunch with a neighbor s wife without the fact being known before nightfall in every house in your circle but was beautifully discreet however she might turn to him when they were alone she was gravely detached when they were abroad and he hoped that she would be taken for a jones once saw them emerging from a and let me make you with mrs now here s a lady who knows the right to come to mr jones though he was a man of morals and of machinery seemed satisfied his fear not from any especial fondness for ber but from the habit of was that his wife would n on j v lean of the he was certain that she knew nothing specific about but be was also certain that she suspected something indefinite for years she bad been bored by anything more than a farewell kiss yet she was hurt by any in irritable interest and now he had no interest rather a he was con faithful to he was distressed by the sight of his wife s slack ness	42
her throat the slack flesh beneath her chin the of her youth were loose and drooping between dances she sat in the largest chair waving her her admirers to come and talk to her she thinks she s a blooming growled she to miss my little it s a plain old maid and dog flat ob god i wish i was home i wonder if i can t make a now his vision grew however as be af lied himself to s raw but he blended with the bunch he began to rejoice that and die most nearly of the youths seemed t n n like him and it waa to win over the surly older man who proved to be a railway named the conversation of the bunch was hi colored full of to people whom did not know q y they thought very comfortably of themselves they were the bunch wise and beautiful and amusing they were and accustomed to all the of dance halls and and in a cynical s to people who were slow or they ob did i you what that of a aid i came in late yesterday oh it was per iy ot but wasn t t d say he was singly what did say to him think of the nerve of bob trying to get us to to his say the nerve of can you beat it for nerve some nerve i call iti did you notice how was dancing wasn t she the was to be heard agreeing with the miss that who let a night go by without dancing to music were and poor fish and he roared you when mrs don t you love to sit on the floor it s so he t to think extremely well of the bunch when he mentioned his friends sir lord william washington and he was proud of their interest he got so thoroughly into the spirit that he didn t much mind seeing ing against the shoulder of the youngest and of the young men and he himself desired to bold s hand and it only because looked angry when he went home at two he was fully a member of out and all the he was bound by the the wearing demands of life of pleasure and freedom he had to go to parties he was involved in the agitation when to else that she hadn t meant what she d said when she d said that and anyway why was going around saying she d said it never was a family more on learning one another s than were the bunch all of them or indignantly desired to know where all the others had been every minute of the week found e to or just what he bad been doing that he should not have joined them till ten o clock and for having gone to with a business acquaintance eveiy member of the bunch was expected to to every other member at least once a week why haven t yon called me was asked not only by and but presently by new ancient friends and and if for a moment he had seen as and sentimental he lost that impression at s dance mrs had a large house and a small husband to her par came all of the bunch s thirty five of them when th were completely under the name of old was now a of the bunch since each month it changed half its and he who could recall the days of a fortnight ago before mrs the food had gone to and had got sore at was a venerable leader and able to descend to new and and at s did not have to work at being hostess she was ed and sure a clear fine figure in the black frock he had always loved and in the of that ugly house was able to sit quietly with her he of his first at ha feet and n on j v happily drove her home next day he t a yellow tie to make himself for her he knew a little sadly that be could not make himself beautiful he beheld himself as heavy of but be danced he dressed he to be as young as she was as young as she seemed to be as all to a religion love or find as by magic that though hitherto these have not seemed to exist now the whole world is filled with their fury so once he was converted to discovered agreeable opportunities for it everywhere he had a new view of his sporting neighbor sam the were respectable people industrious people prosperous people whose ideal of happiness was an their life was l of and kisses they and their set worked all the week and all week looked forward to saturday ni t when they would as they e it throw a party and the thrown party grew and up to sunday dawn and usually included an rapid expedition to nowhere in particular one evening when was at the found himself being lively with the friendship with men whom he had for years to mrs as a rotten bunch of tin horns that i wouldn t go out with not if they were the last people on earth that evening he had come home and about in front of the house off the walk the ice like made by the steps of by during the recent snow came up still a george cold again to ni t what do you hear from the wife she s fine but her sister still pretty say come in and have dinner with ns to if george oh oh thanks to go oat suddenly he could not s of the more ting about totally he at the walk and sam d appeared working hard m exercise cold for you t well	42
just about still a say she s aw i know you care for fights but the and i d be glad u you could come in some night think you could stand a good for once stand it i bet old george can mix the best in these united that s the way to talk look here here s some folks coming to the house to ni t and some other live ones and i m going to open up a bottle of pre war gin and mj be well dance a you in and h iq a little just for a change what time th coming he was at sam s at nine it was the third time he had entered the house by ten he was calling mr sam at eleven tbey all drove out to the old farm inn sat in the back of s car with once he had tried to make love to her now be did not try he merely made love and dropped her bead on his shoulder told him what a was and accepted as a decent and well trained n n with the of s the ct and companions in there was not an evening for two be did not home late and with his other faculties he yet had the s gift of being able to drive he could scarce walk of down at comers and allowing for approaching cars he came into the if and were about he got past them with a hasty greeting horribly aware of level young glances and hid himself up stairs he found when he came into the warm house that he was ha ei than he had believed his head whirled he dared not he down he tried to out the in a hot bath for the moment his bead was clearer but he moved about the his calculations of distance were wrong so that be dragged down the and knocked over the soap dish with a clatter which he feared would betray him to the chilly in his dressing gown he tried to read the evening he could follow every word he seemed to take in the sense of things but a minute afterward be could not have he had been reading when he went to bed his brain flew in circles and he hastily sat up struggling for self control at last he was able to lie still only a little sick and di and ashamed to hide his condition ms own to have danced and shouted with people i om he despised i to have said foolish things sung songs tried to kiss silly he remembered that be bad by his roaring familiarity with them laid himself open to the of youths whom he would have kicked out of his that by dancing too he had exposed himself to from the of withering women as it came back to him be i hate myself god how i hate but he raged i m i no had enough plenty he was even about it the morning after when he was trying to be grave and paternal with his at break i fast at be was less sure he did not deny that lie bad been a fool he saw it almost as dearly as at midnight but anything he struggled was better than going back to a life of barren at four he wanted a drink he kept a in bis desk now and two minutes of battle be bad his drink three drinks later he began to see the bunch as tender and amusing friends and by six he was with them and the tale was to be told all over each morning his bead ached a little less a bad head drinks had been bis but the was crumbling presently he could be drunk at dawn yet not feel particularly wretched in his conscience or in his stomach when be awoke at ei t no regret no desire to escape the toil of keeping up with the merriment of the bunch was sc great as his feeling of social inferiority when he failed to keep up to be the of them was as much his now as it bad been to at making money at playing at driving at at climbing to the set but occasionally he failed he found that and the other young men considered the bunch too polite and the who merely kissed behind doors too as from down to the bunch so the young from the of the bunch o to times with young women whom they picked up in department stores and at hotel once tried to accompany them there was a car a bottle of and for him a shrieking cash girl from and s he sat beside her and worried he was apparently expected to jolly her along but when she sang out h quit crushing me he did not quite know how to go on they sat in the back room of a saloon and had a was confused by new looked at them wanted to go home and had a drink a good many drinks two after the surly older man of the bunch took aside and look here it s ome of my business and god knows i always lap up my share of the but don t you think you better watch yourself you re one of these enthusiastic that always things d you realize you re throwing in the as fast as you can and you eat one ri t after better cut it out for a while said that good old was a prince and yes he certainly would cut it out and thereafter he lifted a and took a drink and had a terrific quarrel with when she caught him being affectionate with morning he hated that be should have sunk into a position where a like could rebuke him	42
yet so de been he i suppose you d especially light on fellows like and to make em you bet your sweet life we look here old i ve never for one moment believed you meant it when you ve defended and the and so on at th club i knew you were simply those like at least i certainly hope you were oh well sure course you might say was conscious of how feeble he sounded conscious of mature and you know where i i m no labor i m a business man first last and all the but honestly i don t think means so badly and you got to remember he s an old friend of mine george it comes t down to a struggle between n on j v decency and the of our homes on the one hand and red ruin and those lazy dogs for free beer on the other you got to give up even old he that ie not with me is against me ve es i suppose how about it going to join us in the good league ill have to think it over all ri t just as you say was relieved to be let off so easily but went on george i don t know what s come over you none of us do and we ve talked a lot about yon a while we figured out you d been upset by h to poor and we forgave you for any fool things you said but that s old stuff now george and we can t make out what s got into you personally i ve always defended you but i must say it s getting too much for me as the boys at the club and the are sore the way you go on deliberately and his bunch of hell hounds and talking about being liberal which means being and even saying this gi isn t a professional free love and then the way you been carrying on personally joe says he saw you out the other ni t with a gang of all to the and here to day coming right into the with a well she may be all ri t and a perfect lady but she did look like a pretty gay skirt for a fellow with his wife out of town to be taking to lunch didn t look wed what the devil has come over you george strikes me there s a lot of fellows that know more about personal business than i do now go getting sore at me because i come out like a and say what i think instead of back the way a whole lot of em do i you george you got a in the and the com expects you to live iq to il and better think ow c joining the good league see you about it later he was gone that evening dined alone he saw all the of good fellows peering through the window him fear sat beside him and be told that to t he would not go to s flat and he did not go till v chapter xxx the summer before mrs s letters had with desire to return to now they said nothing of returning but a wistful i suppose everything is going on all right without me among her dry of and hinted to that he hadn t been very urgent about her coming he worried it if she were here and i went on raising like i been doing she d have a fit i got to get hold of myself i got to learn to play around and yet not make a fool of myself i can do it too if folks like let me alone and stay away but poor kid she sounds lonely lord i don t want to hurt in q he wrote that they missed her and her next said happily that she was coming home he persuaded himself that he was eager to see he bought roses for the house he ordered for be had the car cleaned and all the way home from the station with her he was adequate in his accounts of ted s success in basket ball at the university but before they reached heights there was nothing more to say and already he felt the force of wondered whether he could remain a good husband and still out of the house this evening for half an hour with the bunch when he had the car he upstairs into the familiar warmth of her presence help you your bag no i can do it slowly she turned holding np a small box and slowly die said i brought you a present just a new d case i know if you d care to have it she was the lonely girl the brown whom he had married and he almost for pity as he kissed her and oh honey honey care to have it of course i do i i m awful proud you t it to me and i needed a case badly he wondered how he would get rid of the case he had bought the week before and you really are glad to see me back why you poor what you been worrying about well you didn t seem to miss me very much by the time be had finished his of lying they were firmly bound again by ten that evening it seemed improbable that she had ever been away there was but one difference the problem of remaining a respectable husband a husband yet seeing and the bunch with he had promised to to that evening and now it was impossible he about the in thrusting out a hand to lift the but quite daring to ri it nor could he find a	42
reason for slipping down to the store on smith street with its he was laden with till be threw it off with the speculation why the deuce should i fret so about not being able to she can get along without me i don t owe ha anything she a fine girl but i ve given her just as much as she has m oh damn these women and the way they get yoa tied up in for a week he was attentive to his wife took her to the to dinner at the then the old weary and shifting began and at least two evenings a week bt ent with the bunch he still made of going to the and to but less and less did he to have his excuses interesting less and less did she affect to believe them he was certain that she knew he with what heights called a crowd yet neither of them acknowledged it in geography the distance between the first mute recognition of a break and the admission thereof is as great as the distance between the first faith and the first doubting as he began to drift away he also began to see her as a human being to like and dislike her instead of accepting her as a part of the furniture and he com pas that and wife relation which in five years of married life had became a separate and real he recalled their high lights the summer in meadows under the blue wall of the mountains their tour through and the of and the birth of their of this new house planned to comfort them through a h old age they had said that it might be the last home either of them would ever have yet his most softening remembrance of these dear did not keep him fr barking at dinner going out v few hours don t sit up for me he did not dare now to come home drunk and though he rejoiced in his return to high morality and with gravity to and about their drinking he at s and meditated that a fellow couldn t ever learn to handle himself if he was always by a lot of women he no longer wondered if wasn t a bit worn and sentimental in contrast to the complacent he saw her as swift and air borne and radiant a fire spirit tenderly to the hearth and however he on hi wife he longed to be with n on j v mrs tore the decent cloak from her and the astounded male discovered that she wa having a small determined of her own tbey were beside the fire place in the evening she said you haven t me the list of household e q while i was away no i haven t made it out yet very ve must try to keep down expenses this year that s so i don t know where all the money goes to i try to but it just seems to i suppose i t to end so much on d rs know but what iii cut down my smoking maybe cut it out i was thinking of a good way to do it the other day start on these and the r d kind of du gust me with smoking oh i do wish you it isn t that i care but honestly george it b bad for yon to smoke so much you think you could reduce the amount and george i notice now you come home from these and that sometimes you smell of you know ont worry so much about the moral side of it but you have weak stomach and you can t stand all this drinking weak stomach i guess i can my about well as most folks i do think you ou t to be careful you see dear i don t want you to get sick sick i m not a l i guess i going to get sick just because maybe once a we i shoot a s the trouble with women th always so george i think you to talk that way i m just for your own good know but all that s the trouble with they re always and and bringing things up and then they say it s for own good i why george that s not a nice way to to answer me ao short well i didn t mean to answer short but g as if i was a not able to one without calling for the st mary s a fine idea you must have of oh it isn t that it s just i don t want to see you get and my i didn t know it was so don t forget to give me those for the time i was away oh thunder what s the use of taking the trouble to make em out now let s just em for that period why george in all the years we ve i married never failed to a complete account of we ve no maybe that s the trouble with us what in the world do you mean oh i don t mean anything only sometimes i get so dam sick and tired of all this routine and the at the office and e at home and and and and wearing myself out worrying over a lot of that doesn t really mean a thing and being so careful and good lord what do you think i m made for i could have been a dam good orator and here i fuss and fret and worry don t you suppose i ever get tired of i get so with ordering three meals a day three hundred and sixty five days a year and my eyes over that horrid sewing machine	42
and looking after your clothes and s and ted s and s and everybody s and the and and going down to the to market od bringing my basket to save on the and well with a i maybe you but talk about here i have to be in the office single day while you can go out all afternoon and see and visit with the and do any thing you want yes and a fine lot of good that does just talking over the same old thin with the same old crowd while yon have all sorts of interesting pe le coming in to see you at the office interesting old that want to know i t noted their dear precious homes for about seven times their value and bunch of old the everlasting out of me because they don t receive cent of their by three g m on the second of the interesting just as interesting as the small now george i will not have you shouting at me that way i weu it gets my goat the way i figure out that a man doesn t do a dam thing but sit on his chair and have with a lot of and give em the glad i guess you manage to give than a glad enough eye they do come in what do you mean mean i m ng fl a i should not at your now you look here i you may not believe it of course all you see is fat little handy man around the the furnace when the furnace man doesn t show up and pays the bills but dull awful dull well you may not believe it but there s some women that think old george isn t such a bad they think he s not so bad looking not so bad that it hurts anyway and n on j v he s got a pretty good line of and some even think be shakes a wicked at yes she x ke slowly i haven t much doubt that when i m away you manage to find people who properly appreciate you well i just mean he protested with a sound of denial then be was into semi honesty you bet i i find plenty of folks and nice ones that don t think i m a weak baby i that s exactly what i was you can nm around anybody you please but i m po ed to sit hat and wait lot you you have the chance to get all sorts of culture and everything and i just stay home well almighty s nothing to prevent your reading books and going to lectures and all that is there george i told you i won t have you shouting at me like that i i know s come over you you never used to to me in this way i didn t mean to sound but it certainly makes me sore to get the blame because you don t keep iq with i m going will you help me sure i can do to help you in the culture line yours to oblige g f very well then i want you to go to mrs s new thought meeting with me next sunday who s which mrs the field for the american new thought league she s going to speak on the sun spirit before the league of the hi er at the ob new thought thought with a it sounds like why is a mouse it ins that s a fine for a good to be going to en you can hear i reverend drew is a scholar and a pulpit and all that but he hasn t got the as mrs calls it be hasn t any inspiration for the new era women deed inspiration now so i want you to come as you the branch of the league of the higher met in the smaller at the hotel a refined with pale green walls and plaster wreaths of roses refined and i refined gilt chairs here were gathered ty five women and ten men most of the men in their chairs and while wives sat rigidly at attention but two of them men were as devout as their wives th newly rich who having bought houses hand painted pictures and were now buying a ready made hy it had been a with them whether to buy new thought christian or a good standard hi church of in the flesh mrs fell of a prophetic aspect she was pony built and with the face of a ty a of a nose and arms so short that ite ha most indignant she could not clasp her hands in front of her as she sat on the platform waiting her frock of and green velvet with three strings of beads and large folding eye glasses dangling from a black ribbon was a triumph of mrs was introduced by the president of the league of the illumination an young woman with a yearning voice white and a she said that mrs would now make it plain to the sin bow the sun could be cultivated and th been thinking about one would do well to treasure mrs s words because even and everybody knew that stood in the van of spiritual and new thought progress didn t often have the opportunity to sit at the feet of such an inspiring and as mrs who had lived the lift of wider usefulness through and in the silence found those secrets of mental control and the inner key w e immediately going to and bring and prosperity to the unhappy nations and so friends would they for this precious studded hour forget the illusions of the seeming real and in the of the de with mrs to the realm beautiful if	42
mrs was than one would like one s sea and yet her voice had the real professional note it was refined and it was y calm it flowed on without one till was her favorite word was always which she pronounced ways her principal gesture was a but thoroughly blessing with two fingers she explained about this matter of there are those of those she made a linked sweetness long drawn out a far os delicate call in a t minor it the restless husbands yet t them a message of healing there are those who have seen the rim and outer seeming of the there are those who have and in enthusiasm possessed themselves of some and portion of the there are those who thus but not penetrated and by the go always to and fro that they possess and are possessed of the and the but this word i bring you thi n on j v s i that those that are not utter not and that is in its essence always always always whole and it proved that the essence of the sun spirit was truth but its and were cheerfulness face always the day with the dawn lai with the enthusiasm of the who that all works together in the of the wheel and who the of the souls of the with a glad it went on for about an hour and seven minutes at the end mrs with vigor and now let me suggest to all of the advantages of the and oriental reading circle which i our object is to unite all the of the new era into one new thought christian science and the other q from the one new light the is but ten dollars a year and for this mere the members receive not only the monthly magazine of hut the of sending t to the president our mother any questions regarding progress matrimonial problems health and well being questions difficulties and they listened to her with attention they genteel they looked out they and crossed their legs with and in e q linen handkerchiefs they blew their noses with a delicacy and refined as for he sat and suffered when tb were out in the air again when they drove home through a smelling of snow and honest sun be dared not q they had been too near to these days mrs forced it n on j v did you mrs s talk well i what did you get out of it oh it starts a person thinking it gets you out of a routine of ordinary thou ts well hand it to she isn t ordinary but honest did that stuff mean anything to you of course i m not trained in and there was lots i couldn t quite grasp but i did feel it was inspiring and she so readily i do think you ought to have got something out of it well i didn tl i swear i was astonished the way those women h it why the they want to put in their time listening to all that when they it s better for them than going to and smoking and i don t know whether it is or personally i don t see a whole lot of difference in both cases they re trying to get away om themselves most everybody is these days i guess and i d certainly get a lot out of it in a good lively dance even in some than sitting looking as if n collar was too tight and feeling too scared to spit and listening to bet words i m sure you dot you re very fond of no doubt you saw a lot of them while i was look you been doing a hell of a lot of and around lately as if i were leading a double life ot something and i m damn sick of it and i don t want to hear anything more about it i why george do you realize what you re saying why george in all our years together you ve never talked to me like that it s about time then i you ve been getting worse and worse and now finally you re cursing and swearing at me and shouting at m and your voice so ugly and hateful i just l i gi ot o oh rats quit i t shouting or c either i wish you could hear your own voice maybe you realize how it sounds but even so you never used to talk like that you sin y t this way if dreadful hadn t happened to you his mind was hard with amazement be found that he particularly sorry it was only with an effort that he made himself more agreeable well i didn t mean tc get sore george do you realize that we can t go on like this getting farther and farther l a t and you and t me i just don t know what s going to ha q ai he had a moment s pity for her bewilderment he thought of bow many deep and tender things would be hurt if they really couldn t go on like this but his was in and he was wouldn t it maybe be a good thing if not a divorce and all that o course but kind of a little more while she looked at him y he drove on in a chapter he was away from her while he kicked about and swept the snow off the board and examined a cracked he repented he was alarmed and astonished that he could have out at bis wife and thought fondly how more lasting she was than the bunch he went in to that he was sorry didn t mean to be and to	42
simply furious at each other and oh i do hate that kind of a mix up don t you i mean it s so lacking in but and mother wants to come and stay with me for a whole month and of course i do love ha i suppose i do but shell my style something dreadful she never can learn not to comment and she always wants to know ere i m going when i go out evenings and if i lie to her she always around and around and finds out where i ve been and then she looks like patience on a m till i just scream and oh i must n on j v s you know i never talk about i just hate pet le who do don t you but i feel so stupid to night and i know i must be you with all this but what would you do about mother he gave her masculine advice she was to put off her mother s stay she was to tell to go to the deuce for these valuable she thanked him and they into the familiar gossip of the bunch of what sentimental fool was of what a lazy was of how nice could be course lots of people think he s a regular old when they meet him because he doesn t give em the glad hand the first crack out of the box but when they get to know he s a but as they had gone through each of these before the staggered tried to be intellectual and deal with general t he said some thoroughly sound thin about and and but it seemed to him that general tc interested only when she could apply them to or themselves he was conscious of their silence he tried to stir her into again but rose like a gray presence and hovered between them i he labored it strikes it strikes me that is maybe ml get a decent job then silence desperately he what s the trouble old honey yon seem kind of quiet to night am i oh i m not but do you really care i am or not care course i do you really she on him sat on the arm of his chair he hated the drain of having to fond of n on j v her he ha hand at her and bank back george i if you really like me at all course i do silly do you really precious do you care a bit why you don t suppose i d be here if i didn tl now see here young man won t have you q to me in that way i didn t mean to sound i just la injured and rather childish tones almighty it makes me tired the way says i sound when i just talk do they expect me to sing it or something who do you mean by everybody how many other ladies have you look here now i won t have this l humbly i know dear i was only i know it didn t mean to talk it was just tired for ve bad but say you love me say it i i love you course i do yes you oh darling i don t mean to be rude but i get so i feel so useless nobody needs me nothing i can do for anybody and you know dear i m so active i could be if there was something to do and i am n aren t ii i m not an old thing i m not old and id am i he had to assure her she his hair and he had to look pleased under that touch the more demanding in its softness he was impatient he wanted to see out to a hard sure man world through her delicate and caressing fingers she may have caught something of his she left him he was for the moment relieved she dragged a to his feet and sat looking up at him but as in many men the of a dog the of a frightened child rouse not pi but a surprised and cruel so her annoyed him and he saw her now as middle aged as to be old be detested his own thou ts they rode him she was old he he noted how the soft flesh was into folds beneath her below her es at the base of ha wrists a patch of her throat bad a minute like the from a rubber she was younger in years than himself yet it was sickening to have her yearning up at him with rolling great eyes as if he shuddered his own aunt were making love to him he fretted inwardly i m through with this around i m going to cut her out she s a dam decent nice and i don t want to hurt her but hurt a lot to cut her right out like a good clean he was on his feet he was by way rule of self esteem he bad to prove to her and to that it was her fault suppose maybe i m kind of out of sorts to night but honey when i stayed away for a while to catch iq on work and everything and figure out where i was at you ought to have been and waited till i came back can t yon see dear when you made me come i being about an average bull headed my was to resist listen dear i m going now not for a while precious i no i right now and then well see about the future what do you mean dear about the future have i d hie	42
something i ou td t to oh i m so dreadfully he put his hands him not a thing god bless you not a thing you re as good as th r make em but it just good lord do you realize i ve got things to do in the i ve got a business to attend to and you might not believe it but i ve got a wife and that i m awful fond ofl then only during the be was m i be to feel nobly virtuous i want m to be friends but i can t go on this way i got to come tp here so often oh darling darling and i ve always told you so carefully that you were absolutely free i just wanted you to around when you were tired and wanted to talk to me or you could our parties she was so reasonable she was so gently it took an hour to make his escape with nothing settled and everything horribly settled in a barren freedom of icy northern wind he sighed thank god that s over poor poor darling decent i but it is over absolute ite v chapter his was up when he came in did you have a time she i did not i had a rotten time i anything i got to george how can you speak like oh i don t what i come over good lord there s nothing come over me i why do yoa look for trouble the time re was warning himself stop being so disagreeable course she feels it being left alone here all evening but he forgot his warning as she went on why do you go out and see all sorts of strange pet le i say you ve been to another committee meeting this evening i ve been calling on a woman we sat to the fire and each other and bad a whale of a good time if yon want to well from the way you say it i sh pose it s my fault went i probably sent you did i well upon n word you hate strange people as you call em if you had your way i d be as much of an old stick in the mud as you never want to have anybody with any to em at the house you want a bunch of old that around and gas about the weather you re doing your best to make me old well let me teu you i m not to have b she bait to his and b she mourned oh dearest i don t think that s true i don t mean to make you old i know you re partly right i am slow about getting acquainted with new people but when you think of all the dear good times we have and the q er parties and the and all with true masculine be not only convinced that she had injured him but by the of his voice and the of his attack he convinced her also and presently he had her for his having si ent the with he went to bed well pleased not only the master but the martyr of the household for a distasteful moment after he had down he wondered if he bad been just ought to be ashamed her maybe there is side to maybe she hasn t had such a time but i don t good for her to get up a little and i m going to ke free of ber and and the fellows at the club and everybody i going to run my own in this mood he was particularly objectionable at the era club lunch next day they addressed by a who had just returned from an three study of the political systems divisions resources and of g many france great britain italy and he told them all about those subjects together with three stories about of america and some words on the necessity of ignorant out of america say was a mighty talk real r but the four bunch of hot and the matter with the aren t all ignorant and i got a we re all from ourselves oh you make me tired s d was aware that dr a i was listening from across the table dr was one of the most in men in the he was not a dan but a surgeon a more romantic and sounding occupation he was an intense lai e man with a boiling of black hair and a thick black the newspapers his q he was professor of in the state university be to dinner at the very best houses on royal ridge and he was said to be worth several hundred thousand dollars it was to to have such a person at him he hastily praised the s wit to but for dr s b that afternoon three men shouldered into s with the air of a committee in frontier days they were lai e resolute big men and tb were all high lords in the land of dr the surgeon charles the and most of all the n te bearded colonel snow owner of the advocate times in their felt small and insignificant ell well great pleasure have chairs what c n i do f w you he they neither sat nor offered observations on the weather said colonel snow we ve come from the good citizens league we ve decided we want you to join says you care to but i think we can show you a the league b going to combine with the chamber a of commerce in s for the open h so it for to put your name down in his could not recall his for not wishing to join the league if indeed he had ever definitely	42
whipped his first comfort was from ted and they danced in one evening when ted was home from the university and ted chuckled what s this i hear from she says her you raised by c hot dog give em stir em this old is ed down on s lap kissed him her hair against liis chin and i think you re lots than why is it that is such an old the man has a good heart and honestly he s awfully bright but he never will learn to step on the gas after all the training i ve given him don t you think we could do something with him dearest why that isn t a nice way to speak of your papa observed in the best manner but he was happy for the first time in weeks he pictured himself ib the liberal strengthened by the loyalty of the young generation they went out to rifle the ice box if your mother t us at this we d certainly get our come and became maternal a number of eggs for them kissed on the ear and in the voice of a brooding it beats devil why f like me go on nursing these men i thus stimulated was reckless he encountered of the ca and leader of the road church with one of his damp hands imprisoned s thick while he brother we t seen you at church very often lately i know you re busy with a multitude of details but you mustn t forget your dear friends at the old church home shook the affectionate i liked to hold hands for a long time and well i guess you fellows can run the show without me sorry got to beat it g day but afterward he if that worm had the nerve to try to drag me back to the old church home then the h must have been doing a lot of talking about me too he heard than john n jn j v drew even the out of bim and he walked the of men s eyes and the hiss of chapter ha tried to explain to his wife as they p for how objectionable was but all her answer was he has such a beautiful voice so spiritual i don t think you ought to speak of him like that just because you can t appreciate mu cl he saw ber then as a stranger he stared at this plump and woman with the broad bare arms and wondered how she had ever come here in his chilly cot turning from aching de to side he pondered of he d been a fool to lose her he had to have somebody he really talk to he d oh he d bust if he went on about things by himself and useless to expect her to well rats no use ng the issue dam shame for two married people to drift a art after ail these years dam rotten shame but nothing could bring them together now as long as he refused to let bully him into taking orders and he was by not going to let anybody bully him into anything or him or him either i he woke at three roused by a passing and ed out of bed for a drink of water as he passed through the bedroom he beard his wife groan his resentment was night he was in inquiring what s the trouble bon ive got such a pain down here in my oh it s just it tears at me bad shall i get you some on think that would help i felt funny last evening s and and then oh it passed away and i got t sleep woke me up her voice was laboring like a ship in a he was i call the doctor no not go away but maybe you mi t get me ao ice bag he stalked to the for the ice bag down to the kitchen for ice he felt dramatic in this late night but as he the of ice with the dagger like pick he was cool steady mature and the old friendliness was in his voice as he patted the ice bag into place on her that ll be better now he retired to bed but be did not sleep he heard her groan again instantly he was q soothing her still pretty bad honey yes it just me and i can t get to sleep her voice was faint he knew her dread of doctors and he did not inform her but he down stairs to dr and waited shivering trying with eyes to read a magazine till he heard the doctor s car the was and ha came in as though it were sunny well george little trouble eh how is she now he said busily as with tremendous and rather cheerfulness he tossed his coat on a chair and warmed his hands at a he took charge of the felt and as he followed the doctor up to the bedroom and it was the doctor chuckled oh just little stomach ache en peeped through ber door begging what is it what is it to mrs the doctor said with amiable his examination kind of a bad old pain give you something to make you sleep and i think feel better in the morning ill come in ri t after breakfast but to lying in wait in the lower hall the doctor i don t like the feeling there in her belly there s some and some she s never had her aj out has she urn well no use worrying ill be here first thing in the morning and meantime shell get some rest i ve given her a good night then was caught in the black tempest instantly all	42
to go out this evening will you he was on his knees t y the bed she feebly ruffled his hair he sobbed be kissed the lawn of her sleeve and old honey i love you more than anything in the world i i ve kind of been worried by and everything but that all over now and i m back again are you really george i was thinking ij here maybe it would be a good thing if i just i was wondering if ai really needed me or wanted me i was was the use of my living i ve been getting so id and ugly why you old i fishing for compliments when i oi t to be packing your me sure i m young and handsome and a regular village cut t and he not go on he sobbed again and in muttered th found each other as he packed bis brain was curiously clear and swift he d have no more wild be realized he admitted that he would regret them a little grimly he that this had been his last de before uie contentment of middle age well and he grinned in q it was one good party while it lasted i and how much was the c going to cost i ou t to have t that out with but no damn it i don t care how much it the was at the door even in his grief ae admired all was inter in the kindly skill with the attendants slid upon a and carried her down the was a huge thing mrs moaned it me it s just like a like being put in a i want you to stay with me ill be right up front with the driver promised no i want you to stay inside with me to the attendants can t he be inside sure ma am you bet there s a fine little camp in there the older said with professional pride he sat beside her in that cabin with its cot its stool its active little electric and its quite a girl eating and the name of an but as be flung out his band in hopeless it touched the and he i why george i won t have you cur g and swearing and i know awful but all fish hooks look how i burned n hand it hurts it hurts like the why that damn is hot as it s hot as it s n the hinges of i you can see e so as they drove up to st mary s hospital with the nurses already laying out the instruments for an to save her life it was she who consoled him and kissed the place to make it well and though he tried to be and mature he to her and was ad to be t e whirled under the carriage entrance of the hospital and instantly he was reduced to a in the oi succession of cork halls endless doors open on old women sitting up in bed an the room a young contemptuous of husbands he was to kiss his wife he saw a thin dark nurse fit s g over bo and nose he at a sweet and then he was driven out and on a high in a he sat dazed to see her again to insist that he had s loved her had never for a second loved anybody or looked at ai body else in the be was conscious only of a decayed object in a bottle of it made him very sick but be could not take his eyes from it he was more aware of it than of waiting his mind floated in coming back s to that bottle to escape it he opened the door to the ri t hoping to find a sane and like he that he was looking into the oi room in one ance be in dr strange in white gown and head bending over the steel table with its and wheels then nurses holding and cotton and a thing just a lifeless chin and a of white in the midst of which was a square of sallow flesh with a a little bloody at the edges from the a of like he shut the door with haste it may be that his frightened of the night and morning had not eaten in but this ng of ber who had been so human shook him utterly and as he crouched again on the hi stool in the he swore faith to his wife to to business to the club to y faith of the of good fellows them a nurse was soothing all perfect shell come out shell be out from under the soon and you can see he found her on a curious bed her face an but her purple lips moving then only did he really believe that she was alive she was muttering he bait and heard her sighing hard get real t for he laughed he beamed on the nurse and proudly confided think of ber talking about ji by i m going to go and a hundred of it light from she was oat of the ho in seventeen days he went see h each afternoon and in long talks drifted to intimacy once be something of hia to and the bunch and she was by the view that a wicked woman bad her poor george if once lie bad doubted bis neighbors and the supreme charm of the good fellows he was convinced now you didn t he noted see coming around any flowers or ing in to chat with the but mrs brought to the hospital her wine with real wine jones spent hours in picking out the kind of novels mrs liked nice love stories about new york and a pink bed jacket	42
and lis merry brown eyed of a wife selected the prettiest oi in all the stock of and all bis friends ceased whispering about him suspecting him at the club they asked after her daily club members whose names he did not know stopped bim to inquire how s your good lady getting on felt that he was swinging from bleak down into the rich warm air of a valley pleasant with cottages one noon suggested you planning to be at the hospital about six the wife and i thought we d drop in they did drop in was so humorous that mrs said he must stop making her because honestly it was her as they passed down the hall demanded george old you were about something here a while back i don t know why and it s none of my you seem to be feeling ad s i ain and why don t you come join us in the good league old man we have some together and we need your advice then did almost tearful with joy at being instead of at being permitted to stop fitting at be ing able to desert without his opinion of cease utterly to be a domestic he patted s shoulder and next day he became a of the good within two no one in the league was more violent regarding the wickedness of the crimes of labor the perils of and the delights of and bank accounts than was george f chapter ths good citizens league had read the but nowhere was it so effective and well esteemed as in cities of the type of commercial cities of a few hundred thousand inhabitants most of which though not all lay land against a background of and mines and of small towns which depended upon them for art social hy and to the league belonged most of the prosperous citizens of they were not all of the kind who called regular besides these hearty fellows these of prosperity there were the that is the men who were richer or had been rich for more generations the of banks and of the land owners the lawyers the fashionable doctors and the few young om men who worked not at all but reluctantly remaining in collected ware and first as though they were back in paris all of them agreed that the must be kept in their place and all of them perceived that american did not imply any equality of wealth but did demand a wholesome of thought dress morals and in this they were like the ruling class of any other country particularly of great britain but they differed in being vigorous and in actually trying to produce the ted standards which all classes everywhere desire but usually de air of the longest e of the good citizens league was i n jn j v a for the open which was secretly a struggle against all union labor it was an movement with evening classes in english and history and and daily articles in the ers so that newly arrived mi t ham that the true blue and one per cent american way of settling labor troubles was for workmen to trust and love their the league was more than generous in af other agreed with its aims it helped the y m ca to raise a two hundred thousand dollar fund for a new and even charles told the at how great an influence for manly the good old y had been in their own lives and the and colonel snow owner of the advocate times was the hand of of the ca it is true that afterward when li ed you must come to one of our prayer meetings the ferocious colonel what the hell would i do that for i ve got a bar of my own but this did not appear in the public prints the league was of value to the american at a tim when of the lesser and newspapers ing that organization of of the great war one n ng a number of young men the burned its records beat the office staff and agreeably out of the window all of the new save the advocate times and the evening advocate attributed this valuable but perhaps hasty direct to the american then a flying from the good league called on the papers and explained that no ex er could possibly do such a thing and the saw the il t and retained their when s lone conscientious came home from prison and was run out of town the new to the as an mob n on j v in all the and of the good citizens league took part and con won back to and the affection of his friends but he began to i ve done my share in cleaning up the i to tend to business think iii just kind of up on this g stuff now he had returned to the church as he had returned to the he had even endured the lavish greeting which gave him he was worried lest during his late discontent he had his salvation he was not quite sure there was a heaven to be attained but dr john drew said was and was not to take a chance one evening when he was walking past dr drew s he went in and found the in his study minute getting call said dr drew in business like tones then to the im this and reverend drew speaking where the is the proof for next sunday s y ought to have it here well i can t help it if they re ab i got to have it to ni t get an a d t boy and shoot it up here quick he turned without his well brother c n i do you i just wanted to	42
ask tell you how it is here a ago i i got kind of slack took a few drinks and so on what i wanted to ask is how is it if a cuts that all out and comes back to his senses does it sort of well you mi t say does it score against him in the long run the reverend dr drew was suddenly interested and brother the other things too women mo practically you t say practically not at all n on j v don t to me that s wliat i m lor been going joy rides girls in cars tlie reverend eyes no o tell you i ve got a from the t make ih joke coming to see me in a of an hour and one from the anti birth control at a of ten he busily glanced at his watch bat i can take five minutes off and pray with ri t down by your chair brother don t be ashamed to se the guidance of god s and he longed to flee but dr drew bad already ed down be hb desk and his bad changed from to an familiarity with sin and with the also knelt drew o lord thou our brother here who has been led astray by manifold o heavenly father make his heart to be pure as pure as a little child s oh let him know again the of a manly courage to from came into the study at the ti t of the two men he patted c the shoulder and beside him bis arm about him while he dr drew s in q of yes lord help our brother though he was trying to keep bis eyes closed between bis fingers and saw the glance at hia watch as he concluded with a and let him never be afraid to come to us for and tender care and let know that the church can lead him as a little lamb dr drew s up rolled his eyes in the general i of heaven his watch into his pocket and demanded has the come yet right outside answered with equal to brother if it would help i d n n to go into the next room and pray vith you dr drew is receiving the brothers from the don t make a joke association no no thanks can t the rushing toward the door thereafter he was often seen at the road church but it is recorded that he avoided shaking hands with the at the door if bis moral had been so weakened by rebellion that he was not quite in the of the good citizens league nor quite of the church yet there was no doubt of the joy with which returned to the pleasures of his home and of the club the the and were eventually and y married for the wedding was dressed as carefully as was he was crammed into the morning coat he wore to thrice a year and with a certain relief after and had driven away in a he returned to the house removed the morning coat sat with his aching feet up on the and reflected that his wife and he could have the living room to themselves now and not have to listen to and worrying in a manner about wages and the drama league but even this sinking into peace was less than his return to being one of the best loved men in the club president began that club standing quiet and staring at than so that th feared he was about to announce the death of a he ke slowly then and gravely i have something to reveal to yon about one of our own members several including looked disconcerted a knight of the grip a trusted friend of mine recently made a trip and in a certain town where a certain spent his boyhood he found out something can no longer be concealed in fact he discovered the inward nature of a man whom we have accepted as a real and as one of us gentlemen i cannot trust my voice to say it so i have written it down he uncovered a large and on it in huge vas the legend george oh you folly i the cheered they laughed they wept they threw rolls at they cried speech oh yon folly president i continued that gentlemen is the awful thing has been concealing all these years when we thought he was just plain george f now i want you to tell us taking it in turn what youve always posed the f stood for they suggested and face and and and and and by the of their knew that he had been taken back to their hearts and he rose boys ive got to admit it i ve never worn a wrist watch or parted my name in the middle but i will confess to my only justification is that my old otherwise he was perfectly sane and an awful when it came to the city at named me after the family old dr i boys in my next what d you call it see to it that i get named something really practical that sounds and yet is good and in fact like that grand old name so familiar to every household that bold and almost overpowering name n jn j v be by the cheer that h secure and he knew that he ne more us security pop t from the of good on dashed into the office big says the bunch are dissatisfied with the way and wing handled their last de l and they re to di er with was pleased ia the that the last ta bis was healed yet as he drove borne be was annoyed l	42
one could see through a door at one end of the to the with its chairs and array of outside were usually two or three arriving or departing in accordance with the movement of the trains to this came the best of the political social patronage of the state several had i made it their permanent abiding place during their terms of office the two united states whenever business called them to invariably maintained parlor at the hotel one of them was looked upon by the proprietor as more or less of a permanent guest because he was not only a resident of the city but an otherwise bachelor other and more transient guests included state and merchants professional men and after them the whole of who coming and going make up the glow and stir of this world mother and daughter suddenly into this realm of superior brightness felt they j went about too timid to touch anything for fear of giving the great red which they were set to s had for them all the of a palace they kept their eyes down and spoke in lowest tones when it came to the steps and the brass work of the splendid stairs both to steel themselves the mother against her timidity the daughter against the shame at so public n exposure wide beneath lay the imposing and men lounging smoking passing constantly in and out could see them both isn t it fine whispered and started nervously at the sound of her own voice yes returned her mother who upon her knees was wringing out her cloth with earnest but clumsy hands i it must cost a good deal to live here don t you think yes said her mother don t forget to rub into these little comers look here what you ve left by this fell earnestly to her task and polished vigorously without again d to lift her eyes with diligence they worked downward until about ve o clock it was dark outside and all the was brightly lighted now they were very near the bottom of the through the big swinging doors there from the chilly world without a tall middle aged gentleman whose silk hat and loose cape coat marked him at once among the crowd of general as s ome on e of importance his face was of a dark and solemn cast but broad and sympathetic in its lines and his bright eyes were heavily shaded with thick black passing to the desk he picked up the key that had already been laid out for him and coming to the staircase started up the middle aged woman at his feet be acknowledged not only by walking around her but by graciously waving his hand as much as to say don t move for me l the daughter however caught his eye by standing up her troubled glance showing that she feared she was in his way he bowed and smiled pleasantly you shouldn t have troubled yourself he only smiled when he had reached the upper landing an impulsive glance assured him more clearly than before of her uncommonly appearance he noted the high white forehead with its smoothly parted and hair the eyes he saw were blue and the complexion fair he had even time to admire the mouth and the full cheeks above all the well rounded graceful form full of youth health and that hopeful which to the middle aged is so suggestive of all that is worth begging of providence without another look he went upon his way but the impression of her charming went with him this was the hon george junior wasn t that a fine looking man who went up just now observed a few moments later yes he was said her mother he had a gold headed cane you mustn t stare at people when they pass her mother wisely it isn t nice i didn t stare at him returned innocently he bowed to me well don t you pay any attention to anybody said her mother they may not like it fell to her task in silence but the of the great world was having its effect upon her senses she could not help ear to the sounds the bright ness the of conversation and laughter surrounding her in one section of the parlor was the and from the of dishes one could tell that supper was being prepared in another was the parlor l proper and there some one came to play on the piano that feeling of rest and which comes before the evening meal pervaded the place it touched the j heart of the innocent working with hope for hers were the years and poverty could not as yet fill her mind with cares she rubbed diligently always and sometimes forgot the troubled mother at her side whose kindly eyes were becoming invested with feet and whose lips half repeated the hundred cares of the day she could only think that all of this was very fascinating and wish t a portion of it might come to her at half past five the housekeeper remembering them came and told them that they might go the fully finished was by both with a sigh of relief and after putting their implements away they hastened homeward the mother at least pleased to think that at last she had something to do as they passed several fine houses was again touched by that half defined emotion which the unwonted novelty of the hotel life had in her consciousness isn t it fine to be rich she said yes answered her mother who was thinking of l the suffering did you see what a big dining room they had there yes they went on past the low cottages and among the dead leaves of the year i wish we were rich murmured half to herself i don t know just	43
what to do confided her mother with a long drawn sigh i don t there s a thing to eat in the house let s stop and see mr i ain exclaimed her natural sympathies restored by the hopeless note in her mother s voice i do you think he would trust us any more let s tell him where we re working i will well said her mother wearily into the small dimly lighted y store which was two blocks from their house they ventured nervously mrs was about to begin but spoke first will you let us have some bread to night and a little bacon we re working now at the house and we ll be sure to pay you saturday yes added mrs i have something to do who bad long supplied them before illness and trouble began knew that they told the truth how long have you been working there he asked this afternoon you know mrs he said how it is with me i don t want to refuse you mr is good for it but i am poor too times are hard he explained further i have my to keep yes i know said mis weakly her old shawl hid her rough hands red from the day s work but they were working nervously stood by in strained silence well concluded mr i guess it s all right this time do what you can for me saturday he wrapped up the bread and bacon and handing the parcel he added with a touch of when you get money again i guess you ll go and trade somewhere else no returned mrs you know better than that but she was too nervous to long they went out into the shadowy street and on past the low cottages to their own home i wonder said the mother wearily when they the door if they ve got any coal don t worry said if they haven t i ll go l a man run us away was almost the first greeting that the george offered when the mother made her inquiry about the coal i got a little though he added i threw it off a car mrs only smiled but laughed how is she inquired she seems to be sleeping said the father i gave her medicine again at five while the scanty meal was being prepared the mother went to the sick child s bedside taking up another long night s quite as a matter of course while the supper was being eaten offered a suggestion and his larger experience in social and commercial matters made his proposition worth considering though only a car s without any education except such as to doctrine to which he objected very strongly he was with american color and energy his transformed name of bass suited him exactly tall and well for his age he was a typical o the town already he had a philosophy of life to succeed one must do one must associate i or at least seem to associate with those who were fore i most in the world of appearances for this reason the young boy loved to hang about the house it seemed to him that this hotel was the and of all that was worth while in the social sense he would go down town evenings when he first secured money enough to buy a decent suit of clothes and stand around the hotel entrance with his friends kicking his heels smoking a five cent cigar himself on his appearance and looking after the girls others were there with him town and young men who came there to get shaved or to drink a glass of and all of these he admired and sought to clothes were the main if men wore nice d l clothes and bad rings and pins whatever they did seemed appropriate he wanted to be like them and to act uke them and so his experience of the more forms hfe why don t you get some of those hotel fellows to give you their he asked of after she had related the afternoon s experiences it would be better than the stairs how do you get it she replied why ask the clerk of course this plan struck as very much worth while don t you ever speak to me if you meet me around there he her a little later privately don t you let on that you know me why she asked innocently well you know why he answered having indicated before that when they looked so poor he did not want to be disgraced by having to own them as relatives just you go on by do you hear all right she returned meekly for although this youth was not much over a year her senior his superior will the next day on their to the hotel she spoke of it to her mother bass said we might get some of the of the men at the hotel to do mrs whose mind had been straining all night at the problem of adding something to the three dollars which her six would bring her approved of the idea so we might she said i ll ask that clerk when they reached the hotel however no immediate opportunity presented itself they worked on until late in the afternoon then as fortune would have it the housekeeper sent them in to up the floor behind the clerk s desk that important individual felt very kindly toward mother and daughter he liked i the former s sweetly troubled countenance and the latter s pretty face so be listened graciously when mrs ventured meekly to put the question which she had been revolving in her mind all the afternoon is there any gentleman here she said who would give me his washing to do i d be so very much obliged for it the clerk	43
looked at her and again recognized that absolute want was written all over her anxious face let s see he answered thinking of and both were charitable men who would be more than glad to aid a poor woman you go up and see he continued he s in twenty two here he added writing out the number you go up and tell him i sent you mrs took the card with a tremor of her eyes looked the words she could not say that s all right said the clerk observing her emotion you go right up you ll find him in his room now with the greatest mrs knocked at number twenty two stood silently at her side after a moment the door was opened and in the full radiance of the bright room stood the attired in a handsome smoking coat he looked younger than at their first meeting well madam he said the couple and particularly the daughter what can i do for you very much abashed the mother hesitated in her reply we would like to know if you have any washing you could let us have to do washing he repeated after her in a voice which had a peculiarly quality washing come right in let me see he stepped aside with much grace waved them in and closed the door let me see he repeated opening l and closing drawer after drawer of the massive studied the room with interest such an array of and pretty things on mantel and dressing case she had never seen before the s easy chair with a green shaded lamp beside it the rich heavy carpet and the fine upon the floor what comfort what l sit down take those two chairs there said the graciously disappearing into a closet still mother and daughter thought it more polite to decline but now the had completed his and he his invitation very they yielded and took chairs is this your daughter he continued with a smile at yes sir said the mother she s my oldest girl is your husband alive what is his name f where does he live to all of these questions mrs very humbly answered how many children have you he went on six said mrs well he returned that s quite a family you ve certainly done your duty to the nation yes sir returned mrs who was touched by his genial and interesting manner and you say this is your oldest daughter yes sir what does your husband do he s a glass but he s sick now during the s large blue eyes were wide with interest whenever he looked at her she turned upon him such a frank gaze and smiled in such a vague sweet way that he could not keep his eyes ofi of her for more than a minute of time d l well he continued that is too bad i have some washing here not very much but you are welcome to it next week there may be more he went about now articles of apparel into a blue cotton bag with a pretty design on the side do you want these any certain day questioned mrs no he said any day next week will do e him with a simple phrase and started to go let me see he said stepping ahead of them and opening the door you may bring them back monday yes sir said mrs thank you they went out and the returned to his reading but it was with a peculiarly disturbed mind too bad he said closing his volume there s something very pathetic about those people s spirit of wonder and appreciation was abroad in the room mrs and made their way anew through the shadowy streets they felt encouraged by this fortunate venture didn t he have a fine room whispered yes answered the mother he s a great man he s a isn t he continued the daughter yes it must be nice to be famous said the girl softly l chapter ii the spirit of shall express it this daughter of poverty who was now to fetch and carry the of this distinguished citizen of was a creature of a of temperament which words can but vaguely suggest there are natures bom to the inheritance of flesh that come without understanding and that go again without seeming to have wondered why life so long as they endure it is a true a thing of infinite beauty which could they but wander into it would be heaven enough opening their eyes they see a and perfect world trees flowers the world of sound and the world of color these are the valued inheritance of their state if no one said to them mine they would wander forth singing the song which all the earth may some day hope to hear it is the song of goodness in the world of the material however such a nature is almost invariably an that other world of flesh into which has been woven pride and looks at the the if one says it is sweet to look at the clouds the answer is a warning against idleness if one seeks to give ear to the winds it shall be well with his soul but they will seize upon his possessions if all the world of the so called delay one calling with tenderness in sounds that seem to be too perfect to be less than understanding it shall be ill with the body the hands of the actual i are forever reaching toward such as these forever is i seizing upon them it is of such that the bond servants are made r in the world of the actual was such a spirit from her earliest youth goodness and gilded her every t id fall and injure himself it was e who struggled with	43
straining anxiety carried him safely to his mother did george complain that he was hungry she gave him all of her bread many were the hours in which she had rocked her younger brothers and sisters to sleep singing whole l and dreaming far dreams since her earliest walking period she had been as the right hand of her mother what errand running and there had been to do she did no one had ever i heard her rudely complain though she often thought of hardness of her lot she knew that there were other girls whose lives were infinitely and fuller but it never occurred to her to be her heart might be lonely but her lips continued to sing when the days were fair she looked out of her window and longed to go where the meadows were nature s fine curves and shadows touched her as a song itself there were times when she had gone with george and the others leading them away to where a patch of flourished because there were open fields with shade for comfort and a brook of living water no artist in the of her soul still responded to these things and every sound and every sigh were welcome to her because of their beauty when the soft low call of the wood those spirits of the summer came out of the distance she would incline head and listen the whole spiritual quality of it dropping like silver into her own great heart where the sunlight was warm and the shadows with its splendid radiance she delighted to wonder at the pattern of it to walk where it was most golden and i follow with instinctive the holy of the trees color was not lost upon h t that wonderful radiance which fills the western sky at evening touched and her heart i wonder she said once with girlish simplicity how it would feel to float away off there among those she had discovered a natural swing of a wild vine and was sitting in it with and george oh wouldn t it be nice if you had a boat up there said george she was with uplifted face at a far off cloud a red island in a sea of silver just supposing she said people could live on an island like that her soul was already up there and its paths knew the of her feet there goes a bee said george noting a by yes she said it s going home does everything have a home asked nearly everything she answered do the birds go home questioned george yes she said deeply feeling the poetry of it herself the birds go home do the bees go home urged yes the bees go home do the dogs go home said george who saw one along the road why of course she said you know that dogs go home do the he persisted seeing one of those of minute insects turning in the light yes she said half believing her remark listen exclaimed george i wonder what kind of houses they live in i z i c listen she gently persisted putting out her hand to still him it was that hour when the like a upon the day far os the notes were sounding gently and nature now that she listened i seemed to have paused also a scarlet robin was in short spaces upon the grass before her a humming bee a cow bell while some suspicious told of a secretly keeping her pretty hand weighed in the air she listened until the long soft notes spread and faded and her heart could hold no more then she arose oh she said her fingers in an agony of poetic feeling there were crystal tears overflowing in her eyes the wondrous sea of feeling in her had its banks of such was the spirit of by chapter iii the junior george wa s a man of peculiar in hi m there were joined to a remarkable degree the wisdom of the and the sympathetic nature of the true of the people bom a native of southern had been raised and educated there if one might except the years in which he had studied law at university he knew common and criminal law perhaps as well as any citizen of his state but he bad never practised with that which makes for success at the bar he had made money and bad had splendid opportunities to make a great deal more if he had been willing to his conscience but that he had never been able to do and yet his integrity had not been at all times proof against the claims of j friendship only in the last election he had thrown his support to a man for governor who be well knew had no claim which a strictly honorable conscience could have recognized in the same way he had been guilty of some very questionable and one or two actually i ments whenever his conscience pricked him too keenly he would endeavor to himself with his pet phrase all in a lifetime thinking over things quite alone in his easy be would sometimes rise up with these words on his lips and smile as be did so conscience was not by any means dead in his sympathies if anything were than ever this man e times from the district l z i c of which was a part and twice united states had never married in his youth he had had a love a ir but there was nothing to in the fact that it came to nothing the lady found tt inconvenient to wait for him he was too long in learning a upon which they might tall straight shouldered neither lean nor stout he was to day an i e having received his hard and endured his losses there was that about	43
which touched and awakened the sympathies of the imaginative people thought him y agreeable and his looked upon h im as not any too heavy mentally but personally a fine man his presence in at this particular time was due to the fact that his political fences needed careful the general election had weakened in the state there were enough to re elect him but it would require the most careful political to hold them together other men were ambitious there were a half dozen available any one of whom would have rejoiced to step into his shoes he realized the of the occasion they could not well beat him he thought but even if this should happen surely the president could be induced to give him a abroad yes he might be called a successful man but for all that felt that he had missed something he had wanted to do so many things here he was fifty two years of age clean honorable highly distinguished as the world takes it but single he could not i help looking about him now and then and upon the fact that he had no one to care for him his chamber seemed strangely hollow at times his own personality exceedingly disagreeable fifty he often thought to himself alone absolutely alone sitting in his chamber that saturday afternoon a rap so z i at his door aroused him he had been upon the of his political energy in the light of the of life and what a great fight we make to sustain ourselves i he thought how uttle difference it will make to me a few years hence he arose and opening wide his door perceived she had come as she had suggested to her mother at i this time instead of on monday in order to give a more favorable impression of come right in said the and as on the first a ca ion he graciously made way for her passed in expecting some compliment upon the with which the washing i had been done the never noticed it at all well my young lady he said when she had put the bundle down how do you find yourself this evening very well replied we thought we d better bring your clothes to day instead of monday i oh that would not have made any difference re plied lightly just leave them on the chair without considering the fact that she had been offered no payment for the service rendered was about i to retire had not the detained her how u your mother he asked pleasantly i she s very well said simply and your little sister is she any better i the doctor thinks so she replied i sit down he continued graciously i want to talk to you moving to a chair the young girl seated her self hem he went on clearing his throat lightly what seems to be the matter with her she has the returned we thought once that she was going to die studied her face as she said this and be by thought he saw something exceedingly pathetic there the girl s poor clothes and her wondering admiration for his exalted station in life him it made feel almost ashamed of the comfort and luxury that i surrounded him how high up he was in the world i indeed i am glad she is better now he said kindly how old is your father i fifty seven and is he any better oh yes sir he s around now although he can t go just yet i believe your mother said he was a glass by trade yes sir well knew the depressed local conditions in this branch of manufacture it had been part of the political issue in the last campaign they must be in a bad way truly do all of the children go to school he inquired why yes sir returned she was too to own that one of the children had been obliged to leave school for the lack of shoes the utterance of the troubled her he reflected awhile then that he had no t good excuse for further her he arose and came i over to her from his pocket he took a thin of i bills and removing one handed it to her i you take that he said and tell your mother that i said she should use it for whatever she wants accepted the money with mingled feelings it did not occur to her to look and see how much it was the great man was so near her the wonderful chamber in which he dwelt so impressive that she scarcely realized what she was doing thank you she said is there any day you want your washing called for she added c l h yes he answered monday evenings she went away and in a half reverie he closed the door behind her the interest that he felt in these people was unusual poverty and beauty certainly made up an affecting combination he sat down in his chair and gave himself over to the pleasant speculations which her coming had aroused why should he not help them i ll find out where they live he finally resolved in the days that followed came for the clothes found himself more and more interested in her and in time he managed to remove from her mind that timidity and fear which had made her feel uncomfortable in his presence one thin f which helped toward this was his calling her by her first name this began with her third visit and thereafter he used it with almost unconscious it could scarcely be said that he did this in a spirit for he had little of that attitude toward any one he exceedingly young as he talked to this girl and he often wondered whether it were not possible	43
tuesday the monday before there was no school before going to the hotel mrs bad g that he must bring enough coal from the yards to last over christmas day the latter went at once with his two younger sisters but there being a of good picking it took them a long time to fill their baskets and by night they had gathered only a scanty supply did you go for the coal asked mrs the first thing when she returned from the hotel that evening yes said george l did you get enough for to morrow yes he replied i guess so well now i ll go and look she replied taking the lamp they went out into the where the coal was deposited ob my i she exclaimed when she saw it why that isn t near enough you must go right off and get some more oh said george his lips i don t want to go let bass go bass who had returned promptly at a quarter past six was already busy in the back bedroom wasting and dressing preparatory to going down town no said mrs bass has worked hard all day you must go i don t want to george all right said maybe to morrow you ll be without a fire and then what they went back to the house but george s conscience was too troubled to allow him to consider the case as closed bass you come too he called to his elder brother when he was inside go where said bass to get some coal no said the former i guess not what do you take me for well then i ll not said george with an obstinate jerk of his head why didn t you get it up this afternoon questioned bis sharply you ve had all day to do it aw i did try said george we couldn t find enough i can t get any when there ain t any can i i guess you didn t try very hard said the what s the matter now asked who coming in after having stopped at the s for her mother saw george with a solemn on his face a d l oh bass won t go with me to get any coal didn t you get any this afternoon yes said george but i didn t get enough i ll go with you said his sister bass will you come along no said the young man indifferently i won t he was his and felt irritated there ain t any said george unless we get it off the cars there wasn t any cars where i was there are too exclaimed bass there ain t said george oh don t quarrel said get the baskets and let s go r ht now before it gets too late the other children who had a fondness for their big sister got out the implements of supply a basket and william and george a big clothes basket which he and were to fill and carry between them bass moved by his sister s and the little regard he still maintained for her now made a su i ll tell you what you do he said you go over there with the to eighth street and wait around those cars i ll be along in a minute when i come by don t any of you pretend to know me just you say won t you please throw us some coal down and then i ll get up on the cars and pitch off enough to fill the baskets d ye understand all right said very much pleased out into the snowy night they went and made their way to the railroad tracks at the of the street and the broad railroad yard were many heavily laden cars of coal newly backed in ah of the children gathered within the shadow of one while they were standing there waiting the arrival of their brother the washington special arrived a long fine train with several of the new style drawing room cars the big plate glass windows shining and the passengers l out from the depths of their comfortable the children instinctively drew back as it thundered past oh wasn t it long said george wouldn t i like to be a though sighed william alone kept silent but to her particularly the suggestion of travel and comfort had appealed how beautiful life must be for the rich now appeared in the distance a spring in his stride and with every evidence that he took himself seriously he was of that peculiar and determination that had the children failed to carry out his plan of he would have gone by and refused to help them at all however took the situation as it needed to be taken and out won t you please throw us down some coal stopped abruptly and looking sharply at them as though he were really a stranger exclaimed why certainly and proceeded to climb up on the car from whence he cast down with remarkable more than enough to their baskets then as though not caring to linger any longer amid such company he hastened across the of tracks and was lost to view on their way home they encountered another gentle man this time a real one with high bat and distinguished cape coat whom immediately recognized this was the honorable himself newly returned from washington and a very christmas he had arrived upon the express which had the attention of the children and was carrying his light grip for the pleasure of it to the hotel as he passed he thought that he recognized is that you he said and paused to be more certain l the latter who had discovered him even more than he had her exclaimed oh there is mr then dropping her end of the basket with a caution to	43
the children to take it right home she hurried away in the opposite direction the followed vainly calling three or four times losing hope of her and suddenly and thereupon respecting her simple girlish shame he stopped and turning back decided to follow the children again he felt that same sensation which he seemed always to get from this the far cry between her estate and his it was something to be a to night here where these children were picking coal what could the joyous of the morrow hold for them he along an honest lightness coming into his step and soon he saw them enter the of the low cottage crossing the street he stood in the weak shade of the snow laden trees the light was burning with a yellow glow in a rear window all about was the white snow in the he could hear the voices of the children and once he thought he detected the form of mrs after a time another form came through the side gate he knew who it was it touched him to the quick and he bit his sharply to suppress any further show of emotion then he turned vigorously on his heel and walked away the chief of the city was conducted by one a of and one who felt honored by the s acquaintance to him at his busy desk came the this same night he said could i get you to undertake a little work for me this evening why certainly certainly said the when did you get back glad to see you certainly i want you to get everything together that would d l make a nice christmas for a of eight father and mother and six children christmas tree toys u know what i mean certainly certainly never mind the cost now send plenty of everything i ll give you the address and he picked up a note book to write it why i ll be delighted went on mr father affected himself i ll be delighted you always were generous here you are said the grimly rom the mere necessity of preserving his dignity send everything at once and the bill to me i ll be delighted was all the astonished and man could say the passed out but remembering the old people visited a and shoe man and finding that he could only guess at what sizes might be required ordered the several articles with the privilege of exchange when his labors were over he returned to his room carrying coal he thought over and over really it was very thoughtless in me i mustn t forget them any more l chapter iv the desire to see which experienced upon seeing the again was to what she considered the disgrace of her position she was ashamed to think that he who thought so well of her should discover her doing so common a thing she was inclined to imagine that his interest in her depended upon something else than her mere personality when she reached home mrs had heard of her flight from the other children what was the matter with you anyhow asked george when she came in ob nothing she answered but immediately turned to her mother and said mr came by and saw us oh did he softly exclaimed her mother he s back then what made you run though you foolish girl well i didn t want him to see me well t know you anyhow she said with a certain sympathy for her daughter s oh yes he did too whispered he called after me three or four times mrs shook her head what is it said who had been hearing the conversation from the adjoining room and now came out oh nothing said the mother who hated to explain the significance which the s personality had come to have in their lives a man frightened them when they were bringing the coal i the arrival of the christmas presents later in the evening threw the household into an uproar of excitement neither nor the mother could believe their eyes when a w on halted in front of their cottage and a clerk began to in the gifts after failing to persuade the clerk that he had made a mistake the large of good things was looked over with very human glee just you never mind was the clerk s words i know what i m about isn t it well you re the people mrs moved about rubbing her hands in her excitement and giving vent to an occasional well isn t that nice himself was melted at the thought of the generosity of the unknown benefactor and was inclined to lay it all to the goodness of a great local mill owner who knew him and wished him well mrs suspected the source but said nothing knew by instinct the author of it all the afternoon of the day after christmas encountered the mother in the hotel having been left at home to look after the house how do you do mrs he exclaimed extending his hand how did you enjoy your christmas poor mrs took it nervously her eyes filled rapidly with tears there there he said patting her on the shoulder don t cry you mustn t forget to get my to day oh no sir she returned and would have said more had he not walked away from this on heard continually of the fine at the hotel how pleasant he was and how much be paid for his washing with the simplicity of a german he was easily persuaded that z i c mr must be a very great and a very good man whose feelings needed no encouragement in this direction was more than ever prejudiced in his favor there was developing in her that perfection of womanhood the full of form which could not	43
help but i attract any man already she was well built and tall for a had she been dressed in the trailing skirts of a woman of fashion she would have made a fitting companion for a man the height of the her x eyes were clear and bright her skin fair and i her teeth white and even she was clever too in a sen way and by no means deficient in observation all that she lacked was and the assurance of which the knowledge of utter one but the carrying of washing and the to acknowledge almost anything as a put her at a dis advantage nowadays when she came to the hotel upon her errand took her presence with easy grace and to this she responded he often gave her little presents for herself or for her brothers and sisters and he talked to her so that finally the sense of the great difference between them was brushed away and she looked upon him more as a generous friend than as a distinguished he asked her once how she would like to go to a all the while how attractive she would be when she came out finally one evening be called her to his side come over here he said and stand by me she came and moved by a sudden impulse he took her hand well he said studying her face in a way what do you think of me anyhow c l oh she answered away i don t know what makes you ask me that oh yes you do he returned you have some opinion of me tell me now what is it no i haven t she said innocently oh yes you have he went on pleasantly interested by her transparent you must think something of me now what is it do you mean do i like you she asked frankly looking down at the big of black hair well with gray which hung about his forehead and gave an almost cast to his fine face well yes he said with a sense of disappointment she was barren of the art of the why of course i like you she replied prettily haven t you ever thought anything else about me he went on i think you re very kind she went on even more e realized now that he was still holding her hand is that all he asked well she said with fluttering eyelids isn t that enough he looked at her and the playful of her answering gaze thrilled him through and through he studied her face in silence while she turned and twisted feeling but scarcely understanding the deep import of his scrutiny well he said at last i think you re a fine girl don t you think i m a pretty nice man yes said promptly he leaned back in his ct r and laughed at the unconscious of her reply she looked at him curiously and smiled what made you laugh she inquired oh your answer he returned i ought not l to laugh though you don t appreciate me in the least i don t believe you like me at all but i do though she replied earnestly i think you re so good her eyes showed very plainly that she felt what she was saying well he said drawing her gently down to him then at the same instant he pressed his lips to her cheek oh she cried up at once startled and frightened y it was a new note in their relationship the quality vanished in an instant she recognized in him something that she had not felt before he seemed younger too she was a woman to him and he was playing the part of a lover she hesitated but not knowing just what to do did nothing at all well he said did i frighten you r she looked at him but moved by her respect for this great man she said with a smile yes you did l i did it because i like you so much she meditated upon this a moment and then said i think i d better be going now then he pleaded are you going to run away because of that r no she said moved by a curious feeling of ingratitude but i ought to be going they ll be wondering where i am you re sure you re not angry about it no she replied and with more of a womanly air than she had ever shown before it a novel experience to be in so a position it was so remarkable that it was somewhat to both of them you re my girl anyhow the said rising i m going to take care of you in the future heard this and it pleased her he was so well c l fitted she thought to do wondrous things he was nothing less than a veritable she looked about her and the thought of coming into such a life and such an atmosphere was heavenly not that she fully understood his meaning however he meant to be good and generous and to give her fine things naturally she was happy she took up the that she had come for not seeing or feeling the of her position while he felt it as a direct reproof she ought not to carry that he thought a great wave of sympathy swept over him he took her cheeks between his hands this time in a superior and more generous way little girl he said you won t have to do this always i ll see what i can do the of this was simply a more sympathetic relationship between them he did not hesitate to ask her to sit beside him on the arm of his chair the next time she came and to question her intimately about the family s condition and her own	43
desires several times he noticed that she was his questions particularly in regard to what her father was doing she was ashamed to own that he was wood fearing lest something more serious was impending he decided to go out some day and see for himself this he did when a convenient morning presented itself and his other duties did not press upon him it was three days before the great fight in the began which ended in his defeat nothing could be done in these few remaining days so he took his cane and strolled forth coming to the cottage in the course of a half hour and knocked boldly at the door mrs opened it good he said cheerily then seeing her hesitate he added may the good mother who was all but overcome by his astonishing presence wiped her hands upon d l her much mended apron and seeing that he waited for a reply said oh yes come right in she hurried forward forgetting to close the door and offering him a chair asked him to be seated feeling sorry that he was the occasion of so much confusion said don t trouble yourself mrs i passing and thought i d come in how is your husband he s well thank you returned the mother he s out working to day then he has found employment yes sir said mrs who hesitated like to say what it was the children are all well now and in school i hope yes replied mrs she had now her apron and was nervously turning it in her lap that s good and where is the latter who had been had abandoned the board and had concealed herself in the bedroom where she was busy herself in the fear that her mother would not have the to say that she was out and so let her have a chance for escape she s here returned the mother i ll call her what did you tell him i was here for said weakly what could i do asked the mother together they hesitated while the surveyed the room he felt sorry to think that such deserving people must suffer so he intended in a vague way to their condition if possible good the said to when finally she came hesitatingly into the room how do you do to day came forward extending her hand and blushing she found herself so much disturbed by this visit that she could hardly find tongue to answer questions l i thought he said i d come out and find where you live this is a quite comfortable house how many rooms have you five said you ll have to excuse the looks this morning we ve been and it s all upset i know said gently don t you think i understand you mustn t feel nervous about me she noticed the comforting personal tone be always used with her when she was at his room and it helped to subdue her senses you mustn t think it anything if i come here occasionally i intend to come i want to meet oh said he s out to day while they were talking however the honest was coming in at the gate with his buck and saw saw him and at once recognized him by a slight resemblance to his daughter there he is now i believe he said oh is he said looking out who was given to speculation these days passed by the window without looking up he put his wooden buck down and hanging his saw on a nail on the side of the house came in mother he called in german and then not seeing her he came to the door of the front room and looked in arose and extended his hand the knotted and weather beaten german came forward and took it with a very questioning expression of countenance this is my father mr said all her dissolved by sympathy this is the gentleman from the hotel papa mr what s the name said the german turning his head said the oh yes be said with i considerable german accent l since i had the fever i don t hear good my wife she spoke to me of you yes said the i thought i d come out and make your acquaintance you have quite a family yes said the father who was conscious of his very poor garments and anxious to get away i have six children all young she s the oldest girl mrs now came back and seeing his chance said hurriedly well if you ll excuse me i ll go i broke my saw and so i had to stop work certainly said graciously now why had never wanted to explain he half wished that she were courageous enough not to conceal anything well mrs he said when the mother was stiffly seated i want to tell you that you mustn t look on me as a stranger hereafter i want you to keep me informed of how things are going with you won t always do it smiled quietly mrs only rubbed her hands yes she answered humbly grateful they talked for a few minutes and then the rose tell your husband he said to come and see me next monday at my office in the hotel i want to do something for him thank you faltered mrs i ll not stay any longer now he added don t forget to have him come oh he ll come she returned a glove on one hand he extended the other to here is your finest treasure mrs he said i think i ll take her l well i don t know said her mother whether i could spare her or not well said the going toward the door and giving mrs his hand good he nodded and walked out while a half dozen neighbors	43
extremely with his leader he met her with the most formality when she knocked at his door he only troubled to open it a foot exclaiming almost harshly i can t bother about the clothes to night come tomorrow retreated shocked and surprised by this reception she did not know what to think of it he was restored on the instant to his far off mighty throne and left to rule in peace why should he not withdraw the light of his countenance if it pleased him but why a day or two later he repented mildly but had no time to matters his washing was taken and delivered with considerable formality and he went on toiling until at last he was miserably defeated by two astounded by this result he into gloomy of soul what was he to do now into this atmosphere came bringing with her the lightness and comfort of her own hopeful disposition to desperation by his thoughts first talked to her to amuse himself but soon his distress took flight he found himself actually smiling ah he said speaking to her as he might have done to a child is on your side you possess the most valuable thing in life do i yes but you don t realize it you never will until it is too late d l i love that he thought to himself that night i wish i could have her with me always but fortune had another sing for him to endure it got about the hotel that was to use the expression conducting herself strangely a girl who carries washing must expect criticism if anything not her station is observed in her apparel was seen wearing the gold watch her mother was informed by the housekeeper of the state of things i thought i d speak to you about it she said people are talking you d better not let your daughter go to his room for the mrs was too astonished and hurt for utterance had told her nothing but even now she did not believe there was to tell the watch had been both approved of and admired by her she had not thought that it was her daughter s reputation going home she worried almost incessantly and talked with about it the latter did not admit the that things had gone too far in fact she did not look at it in that light she did not own it is true what really had happened while she was visiting the it s so terrible that people should begin to talk said her mother did you really stay so long in the room i don t know returned compelled by her conscience to admit at least part of the truth perhaps i did he has never said anything out of the way to you has he no answered her daughter who did not attach any suspicion of evil to what had passed between them if the mother had only gone a little bit further she might have learned more but she was only too glad for her own peace of mind to hush the matter up people d l were a good man that she knew had been the least bit people were r so ready to talk how could the poor girl amid such unfortunate circumstances do otherwise than she did it made her cry to think of it the result of it all was that she decided to get the washing herself she came to his door the next monday after this decision who was expecting was both surprised and disappointed why he said to her what has become of having hoped that he would not notice or at least not comment upon the change mrs did not know what to say she looked up at him weakly in her innocent way and said she couldn t come to night not ill is she he inquired no i m glad to hear that he said how have you been mrs answered his kindly inquiries and departed after she had gone he got to thinking the matter over and wondered what could have happened it seemed rather odd that he should be wondering over it on saturday however when she returned the clothes he felt that there must be something wrong what s the matter mrs he inquired has anything happened to your daughter no sir she returned too troubled to wish to deceive him isn t she coming for the any more i i ventured the mother in her she they have been talking about her she at last forced herself to say who has been talking he asked gravely the people here in the hotel z i c who what people he interrupted a touch o annoyance showing in his voice the housekeeper the housekeeper he exclaimed what has she got to say the mother related to him her experience and she told you that did she he remarked in wrath she to trouble herself about my affairs does she i wonder people can t mind their own business without interfering with mine your daughter mrs is perfectly safe with me i have no intention of doing her an injury it s a shame he added indignantly that a girl can t come to my room in this hotel without having her motive questioned i u look into this matter i hope you don t think that i have anything to do with it said the mother i know you like and wouldn t injure her you ve done so much for her and all of us mr i feel ashamed to keep her away that s all right mrs he said quietly you did perfectly right i don t blame you in the least it is the lying accusation passed about in this hotel that i object to we ll see about that mrs stood there pale with	43
the watch must go bass took it and after much argument with the local he had been able to bring home ten dollars mrs expended the money upon her children and heaved a sigh of relief looked very much better naturally was glad now however when the spoke of it her hour i z i c of seemed at band she actually trembled and he noticed her discomfiture why he said gently what made you start like that nothing she answered haven t you your watch she paused for it seemed impossible to tell a deliberate falsehood there was a strained silence then she said with a voice that had too much of a sob in it for him not to suspect the truth no sir he persisted and she confessed everything well he said dearest don t feel badly about it there never was such another girl i ll get your watch for you hereafter when you need anything i want you to come to me do you hear i want you to promise me that if i m not here i want you to write me i ll always be in touch with you from now on you will have my address just let me know and i ll help you do you understand yes said you ll promise to do that now will you yes she replied for a moment neither of them spoke he said at last the spring like quality of the night moving him to a burst of feeling i ve about decided that i can t do without you do you think you could make up your mind to live with me from now on looked away not clearly understanding his words as he meant them i don t know she said vaguely well you think about it he said pleasantly i m serious would you be willing to marry me and let me put you away in a for a few years go away to school yes after you marry me i guess so she replied her mother came into her mind maybe she could help the family sa d l he looked around at her and tried to make out the expression on her face it was not dark the moon was now above the trees in the east and already the vast host of stars were before it don t you care for me at all he asked yes i you never come for my any more though he returned it touched her to hear him say this i didn t do that she answered i couldn t help it mother thought it was best so it was he assented don t feel badly i was only joking with you you d be glad to come if you could wouldn t you yes i would she answered frankly he took her hand and pressed it so that all his kindly words seemed doubly to her reaching up she put her arms about him you re so good to me she said with the loving tone of a daughter you re my girl he said with deep feeling i d do anything in the world for you l chapter vi the father of this unfortunate family william was a man of considerable interest on his personal side bom in the kingdom of he had had character enough to oppose the army and to flee in his year to paris from there he had set forth for america the land of promise arrived in this country he had made his way by slow stages from new york to philadelphia and thence westward working for a time in the various glass in in one romantic village of this new world he had found his heart s ideal with her a simple american girl of german he had removed to and thence to each time following a glass by the name of whose business and by turns was an honest man and he liked to think that others appreciated his integrity william his employer used to say to him i want you because i can trust you and this to him was more than gold this honesty like his religious convictions ue to he had never reasoned about it and grandfather before him were sturdy german who had never cheated anybody out of a dollar and this honesty of intention came into his veins his had been strengthened by years of church going and the religious of home in father s cottage the influence of the l minister had been all powerful he had inherited the feeling that the church was a perfect institution and that its were of all importance when it came to the issue of the future life his wife of the faith was quite willing to accept her husband s creed and so his household became a god ring on e wherever they went first public step was to ally themselves with the church and the minister was always a welcome guest in the home the shepherd of the church was a sincere and ardent christian but his and hard and fast made him he considered that the members of his flock were their eternal salvation if they danced or went to and he did not hesitate to declare that hell was yawning for those who his drinking even was a sin smoking well he smoked himself right conduct in marriage however and innocence before that state were absolute of christian living no one talk of salvation he had said for a who had failed to keep her or for the parents who by had her to hell was yawning for all such you must walk the straight and narrow way if you would escape eternal punishment and a just god was angry with every day and his wife and also accepted the doctrines of their church as by mr without reserve with however the assent was	43
little more than religion had as yet no striking hold upon her it was a pleasant thing to know that there was a heaven a one to realize that there was a hell young girls and boys ought to be good and obey their parents otherwise the whole religious problem was badly in her mind l z i c i was convinced that everything spoken from the pulpit of his church was literally true death and the future life were realities to him now that the years were slipping away and the problem of the world was becoming more and more inexplicable he with pathetic anxiety to the doctrines which contained a solution oh if he could only be so honest and upright that the lord might have no excuse for ruling him out he trembled not only for himself but for his wife and children would he not some day be held responsible for them would not his own and lack of in the laws of eternal life to them end in his and their he pictured to himself the of hell and wondered how it would be with him and his in the final hour r naturally such a deep religious feeling made him stem with his children he was prone to with a narrow eye the pleasures and of youthful desire was never to have a lover if her father had any voice in the any with the youths she might meet upon the streets of could have no in her home forgot that be was once young himself and looked only to the welfare of her spirit so the was a novel in her life he first began to be a part of their family affairs e conventional standards of father proved he had no means of judging such a character this was no ordinary person with his pretty daughter the manner in which the entered the family life was so original and so plausible that he became an active part before any one thought anything about it himself was deceived and nothing but honor and profit to flow to the family from such a source accepted the interest and the service and on his wife did not tell him of the many presents which had come before and since the wonderful christmas s d l but one morning as was coming home from his night work a neighbor named him he said i want to speak a word with you as a friend of yours i want to tell you what i hear the neighbors you know they talk now about the man who comes to see your daughter my daughter said more puzzled and pained by this abrupt attack than mere words could indicate whom do you mean i don t know of any one who comes to see my no inquired nearly as much astonished as the of his confidences the middle aged man with gray hair he carries a cane sometimes you don t know him his memory with a puzzled face they say he was a once went on doubtful of what he had got into i don t know ah returned relieved yes he has come sometimes so well what of it it is nothing returned the neighbor only they talk he is no longer a young man you know your daughter she goes out with him now a few times these people they see that and now they talk about her i thought you might want to know was shocked to the depths of his being by these terrible words people must have a reason for saying such things and her mother were seriously at fault still he did not hesitate to defend his daughter he is a friend of the family he said people should not talk until they know my daughter has done nothing that is so it is nothing continued people talk before they have any grounds you and i are old friends i thought you might want to know stood there motionless another minute or so his jaw fallen and a strange helplessness upon him the world was such a grim thing to have to you its opinions and good favor were so essential how hard he had tried to live up to its rules why should it not be satisfied and let him alone i am glad you told me he murmured as he started homeward i will see about it good by took the first opportunity to question bis wife what is this about coming out to call on he asked in german the neighbors are talking about it why nothing answered mrs in the same language she was decidedly taken at his question he did call two or three times you didn t tell me that he returned a sense of her in and such weakness in one of their children him no she replied absolutely he has only been here two or three times two or three times exclaimed the german tendency to talk loud coming upon him two or three times the whole neighborhood talks about it what is this then he only called two or three times mrs repeated weakly comes to me on the street continued and tells me that my neighbors are talking of the man my daughter is going with i didn t know anything about it there i stood i didn t know what to say what kind of a way is that what must the man think of me there is nothing the matter declared the mother using an effective german has gone walking with him once or twice he has called here at the what is there now in that for the people l to talk about can t the girl have any pleasure at au but he is an old man returned the words of he is a public citizen what should he want to call on a girl like	43
for i don t know said mrs he comes here to the house i don t know anything but good about the man can i tell him not to come paused at this all that he knew of the was excellent what was there now that was so terrible about it the neighbors are so ready to talk they haven t got anything else to talk about now so they talk about you know whether she is a good girl or not why should they say such things and tears came into the soft little mother s eyes that all right grumbled but he ought not to want to come around and take a girl of her age out walking it looks bad even if he don t mean any harm at this moment came in she had heard the talking in the front bedroom where she slept with one of the children but had not suspected its import now her mother turned her back and bent over the table where she was making in order that her daughter might not see her red eyes what s the matter she inquired vaguely troubled by the tense stillness in the attitude of both her parents nothing said firmly mrs made no sign but her very told something went over to her and quickly discovered that she had been weeping what s the matter she repeated gazing at her father only stood there his daughter s innocence his terror of evil what s the matter she urged softly of her mother oh it s the neighbors the mother q l they re always ready to talk about something they don t know anything about is it me again inquired her face flushing faintly you see observed apparently addressing the world in general she knows now why didn t you tell me that he was coming here the neighbors talk and i hear nothing about it until to day what kind of a way is that anyhow oh exclaimed out of the purest sympathy for her mother what difference does it make what difference cried still talking in german although answered in english is it no difference that men stop me on the street and speak of i it you should be ashamed of yourself to say that i always thought well of this man but now since you don t tell me about him and the neighbors talk i don t know what to think must i get my knowledge of what is going on in my own home from my neighbors mother and daughter paused had already begun to think that their error was serious i didn t keep anything from you because it was evil she said why he only took me out riding once yes but you didn t tell me that answered her you know you don t like for me to go out after dark replied that s why i didn t there wasn t anything else to hide about it he shouldn t want you to go out after dark with him observed always of the world outside what can he want with you why does he come here he is too old anyhow i don t think you ought to have anything to do with him such a young girl as you are he doesn t want to do anything except help murmured he wants to marry me l z i c many you ha why doesn t he tell me that i shall look into this i won t have him running around with my daughter and the neighbors talking besides he is too old i shall tell him that he ought to know better than to put a girl she gets talked about it is better he should stay away altogether this threat of s that he would tell to stay away seemed simply terrible to and to her mother what good come of any such attitude why must they be degraded before him of course did call again while was away at work and they trembled lest the father should hear of it a few days later the came and took for a long walk neither she nor her mother said anything to but he was not to be put off the scent for long has been out again with that man he inquired of mrs the next evening he was here last night returned the mother did she tell him he shouldn t come any more i don t know i don t think so well now i will see for myself once whether this thing will be stopped or not said the determined father i shall talk with him wait till he comes again in accordance with this he took occasion to come up from his factory on three different evenings each time carefully surveying the house in order to discover whether any visitor was being entertained on the fourth evening came and inquiring for who was exceedingly nervous he took her out for a walk she was afraid of her father lest some things should happen but did not know exactly what to do who was on his way to the house at the time observed her departure that was enough for him walking deliberately in upon his wife he said i l where is she is out somewhere said her mother yes i know where said i saw her now wait till she comes home i will tell him he sat down calmly reading a german paper and keeping an eye upon his wife until at last the gate and the front door opened then he got up where have you been he exclaimed in german who had not suspected that any trouble of this character was felt irritated and uncomfortable was covered with confusion her mother was suffering an agony of torment in the kitchen why i have been out for a walk she answered	43
bit unworthy he did not know what to do about the situation and while he was trying to come to some decision several days went by then he was called to washington and he went away without having seen again in the mean time the family struggled along as before they were poor indeed but was willing to face poverty if only it could be endured with honor the bills were of the same size however the children s clothing was steadily wearing out economy had to be practised and stopped on old bills that was trying to then came a day when the annual interest on the was due and yet another when two different men met on the street and asked about their little bills he did not hesitate to explain just what the situation was and to tell them with convincing honesty that he would try hard and do the best he could but his spirit was by his misfortunes he prayed for the favor of heaven while at his labor and did not hesitate to use the daylight hours that he should have had for sleeping to go about either looking for a s more position or to obtain such little as he could now and then pick up one of them was that of cutting grass mrs protested that he was killing himself but he explained his by pointing to their necessity when people stop me on the street and ask me for money i have no time to sleep it was a distressing situation for all of them to cap it all got in jail it was that old coal stealing of his practised once too often he got up on a car one evening while and the children waited for him and a railroad arrested him there had been a good deal of coal stealing during the past two years but so long as it was confined to moderate quantities the railroad took no notice when however customers of complained that cars from the fields lost thousands of in to and other points were set to work s children were not the only ones who upon the railroad in this way other families in many of them were constantly doing the same thing but happened to be seized upon as the example you come off that car now said the suddenly appearing out of the shadow and the other children dropped their baskets and and fled for their lives s first impulse was to jump and run but when he tried it the him by the coat hold on here he exclaimed i want you aw let go said savagely for he was no there was nerve and determination in him as well as a keen sense of his awkward let go i tell you he and giving a jerk he almost upset his c l come here now said the pulling him in an effort to establish his authority came but it was with a blow which staggered his adversary there was more struggling and then a passing railroad band came to the s assistance together they hurried him toward the and there discovering the local officer turned him over it was with a torn coat hands and face and a black eye that was locked up for the night when the children came home they could not say what had happened to their brother but as nine o clock struck and then ten and eleven and did not return mrs was beside herself he had stayed out many a night as late as twelve and one but his mother had a of something terrible tonight when half past one arrived and no she began to cry some one ought to go up and tell your father she said he may be in jail volunteered but george who was soundly sleeping was awakened to go along with her what said astonished to see his two children bass hasn t come yet said and then told the story of the evening s adventure in explanation left his work at once walking back with his two children to a point where he could turn off to go to the jail he guessed what had happened and his heart was troubled is that so now he repeated nervously rubbing his clumsy hands across his wet forehead arrived at the station house the in charge told him that bass was under arrest he said looking over his yes here he is stealing coal and resisting an is he your boy oh said he actually wrong his hands in distress want to see him asked the yes yes said the father take him back said the other to the old in chaise and let him see the boy when stood in the back room and was brought out all marked and he broke down and began to cry no word could cross his lips because of his emotion don t cry pop said bravely i couldn t help it it s all right i ll be out in the morning only shook with his grief don t cry continued doing his very best to restrain his own tears i ll be all right what s the use of crying i know i know said the gray headed parent but i can t help it it is my fault that i should let you do that no no it isn t said you couldn t help it does mother know anything about it yes she knows he returned and george just came up where i was and told me i didn t know anything about it until just now and he began to cry again well don t you feel badly went on bass the finest part of his nature coming to the i ll be all right just you go back to work now and don t worry i ll be au right how	43
sitting up i may think of something you go to bed went to her room but the very thought of repose she had read in the paper shortly d l after her father s quarrel with the that the latter had departed for washington there had been no notice of his return still he might be in the city she stood before a short narrow mirror that surmounted a shabby thinking her sister with whom she slept was already herself to dreams finally a grim resolution fixed itself in her consciousness she would go and see if he were in town he would help bass why shouldn t she he loved her he had asked over and over to marry her why should she not go and ask him for help she hesitated a little while then hearing breathing regularly she put on her hat and jacket and noiselessly opened the door into the sitting room to see if any one were stirring there was no sound save that of rocking nervously to and fro in the kitchen there was no light save that of her own small room lamp and a gleam from under the kitchen door she turned and blew the former out then slipped quietly to the front door opened it and stepped out into the night a moon was shining and a hushed sense of growing life filled the air for it was spring again as hurried along the shadowy streets the arc light had not yet been invented she had a sinking sense of fear what was this rash thing she was about to do how would the receive her what would he think she stood stock still wavering and doubtful then the recollection of bass in his night cell came over her again and she hurried on the character of the hotel was such that it was not difficult for a woman to find through the ladies entrance to the various floors of the hotel at any hour of the night the hotel not unlike many others of the time was in no sense loosely conducted but its method of in places was any per d l son could enter and by applying at a rear entrance to the gain the attention of the clerk otherwise not much notice was taken of those who came and went when she came to the door it was dark save for a low light burning in the entry way the distance to the s room was only a short way along the hall of the second floor she hurried up the steps nervous and pale but giving no other outward sign of the storm that within her when she came to his familiar door she paused she feared that she might not find him in his room she trembled again to think that he might be there a light shone through the and all her courage she knocked a man and himself his surprise as he opened the door knew no bounds why he exclaimed how i was thinking of you come come in he welcomed her with an eager embrace i was coming out to see you believe me i wag i thinking all along how i could this matter out and now you come but what s the trouble he held her at arm s length and studied her distressed face the fresh beauty of her seemed to him like cut lilies wet with dew he felt a great of tenderness i have something to ask you she at last brought herself to say my brother is in jail we need ten dollars to get him out and i didn t know where else to go my poor child he said her hands where else should you go haven t i told always to come to me don t you know i would do anything in the world for you yes she gasped well then don t worry about that any more but won t fate ever cease striking at you poor child how did your brother come to get in jail l they caught him throwing coal down from the cars she replied ah he his sympathies touched and awakened here was this boy arrested and for what fate was practically driving him to do here was this i girl pleading with him at night in his room for what to i her was a great necessity ten dollars to him a mere nothing i will arrange about your brother he said quickly don t worry i can get him out in half an hour you sit here now and be comfortable until i return he waved her to his easy chair beside a large lamp and hurried out of the room knew the who had personal of the county jail he knew the judge who had administered the fine it was but a five minutes task to write a note to the judge asking him to the fine for the sake of the boy s character and send it by a messenger to his home another ten minutes task to go personally to the jail and ask his friend the to release the boy then and there here is the money he said if the fine is you can return it to me let him go now the was only too glad to he hastened below to personally the task and bass a very much astonished boy was set free no explanations were vouchsafed him that s all right now said the you re at liberty run along home and don t let them catch you at anything like that again bass went his way wondering and the ex returned to his hotel trying to decide just how this delicate situation should be handled obviously had not told her father of her mission she had come as a last resource she was now waiting for him in	43
his room there are in all men s lives when they d l the strict fulfilment of justice and duty and the i great possibilities for personal happiness which another nine of conduct seems to assure and the dividing line is not always marked and clear he knew that the issue of taking her even as his wife was made difficult by the senseless opposition of her father the opinion of the world brought up still another supposing he should take her openly what would the world say f she was a significant type that he knew there was something there which was far and beyond the keenest suspicion of lie herd he did not know himself quite what it was but he felt a of feeling not altogether with intellect or perhaps better yet experience which was worthy of any man s desire this remarkable girl he thought seeing her clearly in his mind s eye meditating as to what he should do he returned to his hotel and the room as he entered he was struck anew with her beauty and with the irresistible appeal of her personality in the glow of the shaded lamp she seemed a figure of well he said to appear calm i have looked after your brother he is out she rose oh she exclaimed clasping her hands and stretching her arms out toward him there were tears of in her eyes he saw them and stepped close to her for heaven s sake don t cry he entreated you angel you sister of mercy to think you should have to add tears to your other sacrifices he drew her to him and then all the caution of years deserted him there was a sense both of need and of fulfilment in his mood at last in spite of other losses fate had brought him what he most desired love a woman whom he could love he took her in his arms and kissed her again and again d l the english has told us that it requires a hundred and fifty years to make a perfect maiden from all enchanted things of earth and air this has been drawn from the south wind that breathed a century and a half over the green wheat from the perfume of the growing waving over heavy laden and laughing hiding the green the bee from rose lined hedge and blue where wheat crowd up under the shadow of green all the sweetness where the stays the sunlight all the wild woods hold of beauty all the broad hills of and freedom thrice a hundred years repeated a hundred years of purple spring and golden autumn sunshine shower and mornings the night immortal all the of time a chronicle and past all power of writing who shall preserve a record of the that fell from the roses a century ago the to the house tops three hundred times think of that thence she sprang and the world toward her beauty as to flowers that are past the loveliness of seventeen is centuries old that is why passion is almost sad if you have understood and appreciated the beauty of three hundred times repeated if the quality of the roses of the music of the ruddy mornings and evenings of the world has ever touched your heart if all beauty were passing and you were given these things to hold in your arms before the world slipped away would you give them up l chapter the significance of the material and spiritual changes which sometimes overtake us are not very clear at the time a sense of shock a sense of danger and then apparently we to old ways but the change has come never again here or elsewhere will we be the same pondering after the subtle turn which her evening s sympathetic expedition had taken i was lost in a vague confusion of emotions she had no definite of what social and physical changes this new relationship to the might she was not conscious as yet of that shock which the possibility of even under the most favorable conditions must bring to the average woman her present attitude was one of surprise wonder and at the same time she experienced a genuine feeling of quiet happiness was a good man now he was closer to her than ever he loved her because of this new relationship a change in her social condition was to inevitably follow life was to be different from now on was different at this moment assured her over and over of his enduring affection i tell you he repeated as she was leaving i don t want you to worry this emotion of mine got the best of me but i ll marry you i ve been carried off my feet but i ll make it up to you go home and i say nothing at all caution your brother if it isn t too keep your own counsel and i will marry you and take you away i can t do it right now i don t c l want to do it here but i m going to washington and send for you and here he reached for his purse and took from it a hundred dollars practically all he had with him take that i ll send you more tomorrow you re my girl now remember that you belong to me he embraced her tenderly she went out into the night thinking no doubt he would do as he said she dwelt in imagination upon the possibilities of a new and fascinating existence of course he would many her think of it she would go i to washington that far off place and her father and mother they would not need to work so hard any more and bass and she glowed as she i to herself	43
the many ways in which she could help them all a block away she waited for who accompanied her to her own gate and waited while she made a cautious she up the steps and tried the door it was open she paused a moment to indicate to her lover that she was safe and entered all was silent within she slipped to her own room and heard breathing she went quietly to where bass slept with george he was in bed stretched out as if asleep when she entered he asked is that you yes where have you been listen she whispered have you seen papa and yes did they know i had gone out ma did she told me not to ask after you where have you been i went to see for you oh that was it they didn t say why they let me out don t tell any one she pleaded i don t want any one to know you know how papa feels about him all ri ht he replied but he was curious as to what the ex thought what he had done and how she had appealed to him she explained briefly then she heard her mother come to the door she whispered went out oh why did you go she asked i couldn t help it ma she replied i thought i must do something why did you stay so long he wanted to talk to me she answered her mother looked at her nervously i have been so afraid oh so afraid your went to your room but i said you were asleep he locked the front door but i opened it again when bass came in he wanted to call you but i persuaded him to wait until morning again she looked wistfully at her daughter i m all right mamma said i ll tell you all about it to morrow go to bed how does he think bass got out he doesn t know he thought maybe they just let him go because be couldn t pay the fine laid her hand lovingly on her mother s shoulder to bed she said i she was already years older in thought and act she felt as though she must help her mother now as well as herself the days which followed were ones of dreamy uncertainty to she went over in her mind these dramatic events time and time and time and again it was not such a difficult matter to tell her mother that the had talked again of marriage that he proposed to come and get her after his next trip to washing ton that he had given her a hundred dollars and in c l tended to give her more but of that other matter the one all important thing she could not bring herself to i speak it was too sacred the balance of the money that be had promised ber arrived by messenger the following day four hundred dollars in bills with the that she should put it in a local bank the ex explained that he was already on his way to washington but that he would come back or send for her keep a stout heart he wrote there are better days in store for you was gone and s fate was really in the balance but her mind still retained all of the and of her youth a certain gentle was the only outward change in her he would surely send for her there was the of a distant country and wondrous scenes up in her mind she had a little fortune in the bank more than she had ever dreamed of with which to help her mother there were natural girlish of good still holding over which made her less apprehensive than she could otherwise possibly have been all nature life possibility was in the balance it might turn good or ill but with so inexperienced a soul it would not be entirely evil until it was so how a mind under such uncertain circumstances could retain so comparatively placid a vein is one of those which find their explanation in the inherent of the spirit of youth it is not often that the minds of men retain the of their younger days the marvel is not that one should thus retain but that any should ever lose them go the world over and after you have put away the wonder and tenderness of youth what is there left the few of green that sometimes the of your the few glimpses of summer which flash past the eye of the wintry soul the half hours during the long of these reveal to the hardened i the universe which the youthful mind has with it always no fear and no favor the open fields and the light upon the bills morning noon night stars the bird calls the water s these are the natural inheritance of the mind of the child men call it poetic those who are hardened fanciful in the days of their youth it was natural but the of youth has departed and they cannot see how this worked out in her personal actions was to be seen only in a slightly a touch of which was in every task sometimes she would wonder that no letter came but at the same time she would recall the fact that he had a few weeks and hence the six that actually elapsed did not seem so long in the meanwhile the distinguished ex had gone light to bis conference with the president he had joined in a pleasant round of social calls and he was about to pay a short visit to some friends in when he was seized with a slight attack of fever which confined him to his room for a few days he felt a little irritated that he should be laid up just	43
at this time but never suspected that there was serious in his then the doctor discovered that he was suffering from a form of the of which took away his senses for a time and left him very weak he was thought to be however when just six weeks after he bad last parted with he was seized with a sudden attack of heart and never regained consciousness remained ignorant of his illness and did not even see the heavy of the announcement of his death until bass came home that evening look here he said excitedly s dead he held up the newspaper on the first column of which was printed in heavy block type z i c death op sudden passing of s distinguished son to heart failure at the in washington recent attack of from which he was thought to be recovering proves notable phases of a remarkable career looked at it in blank amazement dead she exclaimed there it is in the paper returned bass his tone being that of one who is a very interesting piece of news he died at ten o clock this morning l chapter ix took the paper with but ill concealed trembling and went into the adjoining room there she stood by the front window and looked at it again a sickening sensation of dread holding her as though in a trance he is dead was all that her mind could for the time and as she stood there the voice of bass the fact to in the adjoining room sounded in her ears yes he is dead she heard him say and once again she tried to get some conception of what it meant to her but her mind seemed a blank a moment later mrs joined her she had heard bass s announcement and had seen leave the room but her trouble with over the had caused her to be careful of any display of emotion no conception of the real state of affairs ever having crossed her mind she was only interested in seeing how would take this sudden of her hopes isn t it too bad she said with real sorrow to think that he should have to die just when he was going to do so much for you for us all she expecting some word of agreement but remained dumb i wouldn t feel badly continued mrs it can t be helped he meant to do a good deal but you mustn t think of that now it s over and it can t be helped you know she paused again and still remained motionless d l and mute mis seeing how useless her words were that wished to be alone and she went away still stood there and now as the real s of the news began to itself into thought she began to realize the wretchedness of her position its helplessness she went into her bedroom and sat down upon the side of the bed from which position she saw a very pale face staring at her from out of the small mirror she looked at it could that really be her own countenance i ll have to go away she thought and began with the courage of despair to wonder what refuge would be open to her in the mean time the evening meal was announced and to maintain appearances she went out and joined the family the of her part was very difficult to sustain observed her subdued condition without the depth of emotion which it covered bass was too much interested in his own affairs to pay particular attention to anybody during the day that followed pondered over the difficulties of her position and wondered what she should do money she had it was true but no friends no experience no place to go she bad always lived with her family she began to feel unaccountable of spirit nameless and fears seemed to surround and haunt her once when she arose in the morning she felt an desire to cry and frequently thereafter this feeling would seize upon her at the most times mrs began to note her moods and one afternoon she resolved to question her daughter now you must tell me what s the matter with you she said quietly you must tell mother everything to whom confession had seemed impossible i z i c under the sympathetic of her mother broke down at last and made the fatal confession mrs stood there too dumb with misery to give vent to a word oh she said at last a great wave of self accusation sweeping over her it is all my fault i might have known but we ll do what we can she broke down and sobbed aloud after a time she went back to the washing she had to do and stood over her tub and crying the tears ran down her cheeks and dropped into the once in a while she stopped and tried to dry her eyes with her apron but they soon filled again now that the first shock had passed there came the vivid consciousness of ever present danger what would do if he learned the truth he had often said that if ever one of his daughters should act like some of those he knew he would turn her out of doors she should not stay under my roof i he had exclaimed i m so afraid of your father mrs often said to in this period i don t know what he ll say perhaps i d better go away suggested her daughter no she said he needn t know just yet wait awhile but in her heart of hearts she knew that the evil day could not be long postponed one day when her own suspense had reached such a pitch that it could no longer be endured mrs sent away with the children hoping to be	43
able to tell her husband before they returned all the morning she about the moment and letting him retire to his slumber without speaking when afternoon came she did not go out to work because she could not leave with her painful duty arose at four and still she hesitated knowing full well that would soon return and that the specially prepared occasion would then be lost it is almost certain that she would not have had the courage to say anything if he himself had not brought up the subject of s appearance she doesn t look well he said there seems to be something the matter with her oh began mrs visibly ling with her fears and moved to make an end of it at any cost is in trouble don t know what to do who had a door lock and was trying to mend it looked up sharply from his work what do you mean he asked mrs had her apron in her hands at the time her nervous tendency to roll it coming upon her she tried to sufficient courage to explain but fear mastered her completely she lifted the apron to her eyes and began to cry looked at her and rose he was a man with the type of face rather spare with skin sallow and as the result of age and work in the wind and rain when he was surprised or angry sparks of light glittered in his eyes he frequently pushed his hair back when he was troubled and almost invariably walked the floor just now he looked alert and dan what is that you say he inquired in german his voice straining to a hard note in trouble has some one he paused and flung his hand upward why don t you speak he demanded i never thought went on mrs frightened and yet following her own train of thought that anything like that would happen to her she was such a good girl oh she concluded to think he should ruin by thunder shouted giving way to a fury of feeling i thought so ha your fine man that comes of letting her go running around l at riding walking the streets i thought so god in heaven he broke from bis dramatic attitude and struck out in a fierce stride across the narrow chamber turning like a animal ruined he exclaimed ruined ha so he has ruined her has he suddenly he stopped like an image jerked by a string he was directly in front of mrs who had retired to the table at the side of the wall and was standing there pale with fear he is dead now he shouted as if this fact had now first occurred to him he is dead he put both hands to his temples as if he feared his brain would give way and stood looking at her the mocking irony of the situation seeming to bum in his brain like fire dead he repeated and mrs fearing for the reason of the man shrank still farther away her wits taken up rather with the tragedy of the figure he presented than with the actual substance of his woe he intended to marry her she pleaded nervously he would have married her if he had not died would have shouted coming out of his trance at the sound of her voice would have that s a fine thing to talk about now would have the hound may his soul bum in hell the dog ah god i hope i hope if i were not a christian he his hands the of his passion shaking him like a leaf mrs burst into tears and her husband turned away his own feelings far too intense for him to have any sympathy with her he walked to and fro his heavy step shaking the kitchen floor after a time he came back a new phase of the dread calamity having offered itself to his mind when did this happen he demanded i i don t know returned mrs too to tell the truth i only found it out the other day you lie he exclaimed in his excitement you were always her it is your fault that she is where she is if you had let me have my way there would have been no cause for our trouble to night a fine ending he went on to himself a fine ing my boy gets into jail my daughter walks the streets and gets herself talked about the neighbors come to me with open remarks about my children and now this scoundrel ruins her by the god in heaven i don t know what has got into my children i don t know how it is he went on unconsciously himself i try i try every night i pray that the lord will let me do right but it is no use i i might work and work my hands look at them are rough with work all my life i have tried to be an honest man now now his voice broke and it seemed for a moment as if he would give way to tears suddenly he turned on his wife the major passion of anger possessing him you are the cause of this he exclaimed you are the sole cause if you had done as i told you to do this would not have happened no you wouldn t do that she must go out out she has become a that s what she has become she has set herself right to go to hell let her go i wash my hands of the whole thing this is enough for me he made as if to go off to his little bedroom but he had no sooner reached the door than he came back she shall get out	43
he said she shall not stay under my roof to night at once i will not let her enter my door again i will show her whether she will disgrace me or not you mustn t turn her out on the streets to night pleaded mrs she has no place to go q l to night he repeated this very minute let her find a home she did not want this one let her get out now we will see how the world treats her he walked out of the room fixed upon his rugged features at half past five when mrs was going about the duty of getting supper returned her mother started when she heard the door open for now she knew the storm would burst afresh her father met her on the threshold get out of my sight he said savagely you shall not stay another hour in my house i don t want to see you any more get out stood before him pale trembling a little and silent the children she had brought home with her crowded about in frightened amazement and who loved her dearly began to cry what s the matter george asked his mouth open in wonder she shall get out i don t want her under my roof if she wants to be a let her be one but she shall not stay here pack your things he added staring at her had no word to say but the children cried loudly be still said go into the kitchen he drove them all out and followed himself went quietly to her room she gathered up her few little and began with tears to put them into a her mother brought her the little girlish that she had accumulated from time to time she did not take she saw them but thought of her younger sisters and let them stay and would have assisted her but their father forbade them to go at six o clock bass came in and seeing the nervous i assembly in the kitchen inquired what the trouble was looked at him grimly but did not answer what s the trouble insisted bass what are you all sitting around for he is driving away whispered mrs what for asked bass opening his eyes in astonishment i shall tell you what for broke in still speaking in german because she s a street that s what for she goes and gets herself by a man thirty years older than she is a man old enough to be her father let her get out of this she shall not stay here another minute bass looked about him and the children opened their eyes all felt clearly that something terrible had happened even the little ones none but bass understood what do you want to send her out to night for he inquired this is no time to send a girl out on the streets can t she stay here until morning no said he t to do that put in the mother she goes now said let that be an end of it where is she going to go insisted bass i don t know mrs weakly bass looked around but did nothing until mis him toward the front door when her husband was not looking go in go int was the import of her gesture bass went in and then mrs dared to leave her work and follow the children stayed awhile but one by one even they slipped away leaving alone when he thought that time enough bad elapsed he arose by in the interval had been hastily by her mother should go to a private boarding house somewhere and send back her address bass should not accompany her but she should wait a little way up the street and he would follow when her father was away the mother might get to see her or could come home all else must be postponed until they could meet again while the discussion was still going on came in is she going he asked harshly yes answered mrs with her first and only note of defiance bass said what s the hurry but frowned too for him to venture on any further remonstrance entered wearing her one good dress and carrying her there was fear in her ey for she was passing through a fiery ordeal but she had become a woman the strength of love was with her the support of patience and the ruling sweetness of sacrifice silently she kissed her mother while tears fell fast then she turned and the door closed upon her as she went forth to a new life l chapter x thb world which was thus thrust forth was that in which virtue has always vainly struggled since time for virtue is the wish ing well and the doing well unto others virtue is quality of generosity which offers itself willingly for an other s service and being this it is held by society to be nearly worthless sell yourself and you shall be used lightly and trampled under foot hold dearly however and you will be respected j society in the mass in the matter of its is the opinion of others j its one test that of self preservation has he preserved his fortune has e preserve her purity only in rare instances and with rare individuals does there seem to be any guiding light from within had not sought to hold herself dear innate feeling in her made for self sacrifice she could not be readily by the world s selfish lessons on how to preserve from the evil to come it is in such supreme moments that growth is greatest it comes as with a vast this feeling of strength and we may still tremble the fear of doing may linger but we grow flashes of inspiration come to guide the soul in nature there is	43
no outside when we are cast from a group or a condition we have still the companionship of all that is nature ia not its winds and stars are fellows with you let the soul be but gentle and and this vast truth will come home not in set phrases perhaps d l but as a feeling a comfort which after all is the last essence of knowledge in the universe peace is wisdom had hardly turned from the door when she was overtaken by bass give me your grip be said and then seeing that she was dumb with unutterable feeling he added i think i know where i can get you a room he led the way to the southern part of the city where they were not known and up to the door of an old lady whose parlor clock had been recently purchased from the firm by whom he was now employed she was not well he knew and had a room to rent is that room of yours still vacant he asked yes she said looking at i wish you d let my sister have it we re moving away and she can t go yet the old lady expressed her and was soon temporarily don t worry now said bass who felt rather sorry for her this u blow over ma said i should tell you not to worry come up to morrow when he s gone said she would and after giving her further encouragement he arranged with the old lady about board and took his leave it s all right now he said as he went out you ll come out all right don t worry i ve got to go back but i ll come around in the morning he went away and the bitter stress of it blew lightly over his head for he was thinking that had made a mistake this was shown by the manner in which he had asked her questions as they had walked together and that in the face of her sad and doubtful mood what d you want to do that for and didn t you ever think what you were doing he persisted please don t ask me to night bad said which put an end to the form of his she had no excuse to offer and no complaint to make l if any blame attached very likely it was hers his own misfortune and the s and her sacrifice were alike forgotten left alone in her strange abode gave way to her the shock and shame of being banished from her home overcame her and she wept although of a naturally long suffering and i disposition the wind up of all her hopes was too much for her what was this element in life that could seize and one as does a great wind why this sudden intrusion of death to all that had seemed most promising in life as she thought over the past a very clear recollection of the details of her long relationship with came back to her and for all her suffering she could only feel a j loving affection for him after all he had not j willed her any harm his kindness his generosity these things had been real he had been essentially a good man and she was sorry more for his sake than for her own that his end had been so these while not at all at least served to pass the night away and the next morning bass stopped on his way to work to say that mrs wished her to come home that same evening would not be present and they could talk it over she spent the day enough but when night fell her spirits brightened and at a quarter of eight she set out there was not much of comforting news to tell her was in a angry and outraged mood he had already decided to throw up his place on the following saturday and go to any place was better than after this he could never expect to hold up his head here again its were odious he would go away now and if he j succeeded in finding work the family should follow a decision which meant the of the uttle d l he was going to to meet the on the house he could not hope to at the end of the week took his leave home and for a time at least there was a restoration of the old order a condition which of course could not endure bass saw it s trouble and its possible consequences weighed upon him was no place to stay was no place to go if they should all move away to some larger city it would be much better he pondered over the situation and hearing that a boom was on in he thought it might be wise to try his luck there if he succeeded f the others might follow if still worked on in as he was now doing and the family came to it would save from being turned out in the streets bass waited a little while before making up his mind but finally announced his purpose i believe i ll go up to he said to his mother one evening as she was getting supper why she asked looking up she was rather afraid that bass would desert her i think i can get work there he returned we t to stay in this old town don t swear she returned oh i know he said but it s enough to make any one swear we ve never had anything but rotten here i m going to go and maybe if i get anything we can all move we d be better off if we d get some place where people don t know us we can t	43
be anything here mrs listened with a strong hope for a of their miserable life creeping into her heart if bass would only do this if he would go and get work and come to her rescue as a strong bright young son i might what a thing it would be i they were in the of a life which was moving toward a dreadful calamity if only something would happen do you think you could get something to do she asked i ought to he said i ve never looked for a place yet that i didn t get it other fellows have gone up there and done all right look at the he his hands into his pockets and looked out the window do you think you could get along until i try my hand up there be asked i guess we could she replied papa s at work now and we have some money that that she hesitated to name the source so ashamed was she of their i know said bass grimly we won t have to pay any rent here before fall and then we ll have to give it up anyhow she added she was referring to the on the house which fell due the next september and which unquestionably could not be met if we could move away from here before then i guess we could get along i ll do it said bass i ll go accordingly he threw up his place at the end of the month and the day after be left for q l chapter xi the incidents of the days that followed relating as they did peculiarly to were of an order which the morality of our day has agreed to certain processes of the ail mother the great wisdom of the power that works and in silence and in darkness when viewed in the light of the established opinion of some of the little individuals created by it are considered very vile we turn our faces away from the creation of life as if that were the last thing that man should dare to interest himself in openly it is curious that a feeling of this sort should spring up in a world whose very essence is the vast process and where wind water soil and light alike minister to the of that which is all that we are although the whole earth not we alone is moved by passions and everything has into being by the one common road yet there is that ridiculous tendency to close the eyes and turn away the head as if there were something in nature jt tf conceived in and in sin is the interpretation put upon the process by the extreme and the world by its silence gives assent to a judgment so surely there is something wrong in this attitude the of philosophy and the of should find more practical application in the daily reasoning of man no process is vile no is unnatural the accidental from a given social practice does not necessarily sm no i z i c poor little caught in the enormous grip of chance and so from the established customs of men could possibly be guilty of that depth of which the attitude of the world would seem to so was now to witness the unjust interpretation of that wonder of nature which but for s death might have been consecrated and as one of the ideal functions of li fe although herself unable to distinguish the of this from every other process of life yet was she made to feel by the actions of all about her that degradation was her portion and sin the i foundation as well as the condition of her state almost j not quite it was sought to the affection the consideration the care which afterward the world would demand of her for her child almost not quite was the and essential love looked upon as evil although her punishment was neither the nor the jail of a few hundred years before yet the ignorance and of the beings about her made it impossible for them to see anything in her present condition but a vile and of code the punishment of which was she could do now was to the scornful gaze of men and to bear in silence the great change that was coming upon her strangely enough she felt no useless remorse no vain regrets her heart w s pure and she was conscious that it was filled with peace sorrow there was it is true but only a mellow phase of it a vague uncertainty and won i der which would sometimes cause her eyes to fill with t ears i you have heard the wood dove calling in the lone stillness of the you have found the singing and where no ear comes to hear under dead leaves and snow banks the delicate its simple blossom answering some heavenly call for color so too this other flower of womanhood was left alone but like the wood dove she was a voice of sweetness in the time going about her household duties she was content to wait without a the fulfilment of that process for which after all she was but the when her duties were she was content to sit in quiet meditation the marvel of life holding her as in a trance when she was hardest pressed to aid her mother she would sometimes find herself quietly singing the pleasure of work lifting her out of herself always she was content to face the future with a serene and courage it is not so with all women nature is unkind in permitting the minor type to bear a child at all the larger natures in their maturity welcome see in it the immense possibilities of fulfilment and find joy and satisfaction in being the hand maiden of so immense	43
a purpose a child in years was a woman physically and mentally but not yet come into rounded conclusions as to life and her place in it the great situation which had forced her into this position was from one point of view a tribute to her individual capacity it proved her courage the of her sympathy her to sacrifice for what she considered a worthy cause that it resulted in an unexpected consequence which placed upon her a larger and more complicated burden was due to the fact that her sense of self protection had not been with her emotions there were times when the coming of the child gave her a sense of fear and confusion because she did not know but that the child might eventually reproach her but there was al that saving sense of justice id w not her to be utterly crushed to her way of thinking people were not cruel vague thoughts of sympathy and divine goodness her soul l e at worst or best was beautiful had always ji ai l these thoughts did not come to her all at once but through the months during which she watched and waited it was a wonderful thing to be a mother even under these conditions she felt that she would love this child would be a good mother to it if life permitted that was the problem what would life j there were many things to be done clothes to be made certain provisions of and diet to be observed one of her fears was that might return but he did not the old family doctor who had nursed the various members of the family through their doctor was taken into consultation and he gave sound and practical advice despite his the practice of medicine in a large and kindly way had led him to the conclusion that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our and in our small neighborhood so it is he observed to mrs when she confided to him nervously what the trouble was well you mustn t worry these things happen in more than you think if you knew as much about life as i do and about your neighbors you would not cry your girl will be all right she is very healthy she can go away somewhere afterward and people will never know why should you worry about what your neighbors think it is not so uncommon as you mrs he was such a wise man it gave her a little courage as for she listened to his advice with interest and without fear she wanted things not so much for herself as for her child and she was anxious to do whatever she was told the doctor was curious to know who the father was when informed he lifted his eyes indeed he commented that ought to be a bright baby there came the final hour when the child was ushered into the world it was doctor who presided assisted by the mother who having brought forth six herself knew exactly what to do there was no difficulty and at the first cry of the new bom infant there awakened in a tremendous yearning toward it this was her child it was weak and feeble a little and it needed her care she took it to her when it had been bathed and with a tremendous sense of satisfaction and joy this was her her little girl she wanted to live to be able to work for it and rejoiced even in her weakness that she was so strong doctor predicted a quick recovery he thought two weeks would be the outside limit of her need to stay in bed as a matter of fact in ten days she was up and about as vigorous and healthy as ever she had been bom with strength and with that quality which makes the ideal mother the great crisis had passed and now life went on much as before the children outside of bass were too young to understand fully and had been deceived by the story that was married to who had died they did not know that a child was coming until it was there the neighbors were feared by mrs for they were ever watchful and really knew all would never have this local atmosphere except for the advice of bass who having secured a place in some time before had written that he thought when she was well enough it would be advisable for the whole family to seek a new start in things were flourishing there once away they would never hear of their present neighbors and could find something to do so she stayed at home l chapter xii bass was no sooner in than the marvel of that growing city was sufficient to completely restore his of soul and to stir up new illusions v as to the possibility of for himself and his family if only they could come here he thought if only they could all get work and do right here was no evidence of any of their recent troubles no ac who could suggest by their mere presence the troubles of the past all was business all activity the very turning of the comer seemed to rid one of old times and crimes it was as if a new world existed in every block he soon found a place in a cigar store and after working a few weeks he began to write home the cheering ideas he had in mind ought to come as soon as she was able and then if she found something to do the others might follow there was plenty of work for girls of her age she could live in the same house with him temporarily or maybe they could take one of the fifteen dollar	43
a month cottages that were for rent there were big general furnishing houses where one could buy everything needful for a small house on very easy monthly terms his mother could come and keep house for them they would be in a clean new atmosphere unknown and about they could start life all over again they could be decent honorable prosperous filled with this hope and the which new scenes and new invariably throw over the mind he wrote a final letter in which he i l z i c suggested that should come at once this was when the baby was six months old there were here he said and beautiful streets vessels from the lakes came into the heart of the city it was a wonderful city and growing very fast it was thus that the new life appealed to him r the effect which all this had upon mrs and the rest of the family was mrs i long weighed upon by the misery which s error had was for taking measures for i carrying out this plan at once so was her natural temperament that she was completely carried away by the glory of and already saw fulfilled therein not only her own desires for a nice home but the prosperous advancement of her children of course they could get work she said bass was right she had always wanted to go to some large city but he would not now it was necessary and they would go and become better off than they ever had been and did take this view of the situation in answer to his wife s letter he wrote that it was not advisable for him to leave his place but if bass saw a way for them it might be a good thing to go he was the more ready to in the plan for the simple reason that he was half distracted with the worry of supporting the i and of paying the debts already every week he laid by five dollars out of his salary which he sent in the form of a order to mrs three dollars he paid for board and fifty cents he kept for spending money church a little tobacco and occasionally a glass of beer every week he put a dollar and a half in a little iron bank against a rainy day his room was a bare comer in the of the mill to this he would ascend after sitting alone on the of the mill in this lonely neighborhood until nine o clock of an evening and here amid the of machinery up from the floor below by the light of a single candle he would conclude his solitary day reading his german paper folding his hands and thinking kneeling by an open window in the shadow of the night to say ms prayers and silently stretching himself to rest long were the days dreary the prospect still he lifted his hands in utmost faith to god praying that his sins might be forgiven and that he might be vouchsafed a few more years of comfort and of happy family life so the momentous question was finally decided there was the greatest longing and impatience among the children and mrs shared their emotions in a suppressed way was to go first as bass had suggested later on they would all follow when the hour came for s departure there was great excitement in the household how long you going to be fore you send for us was s inquiry several times repeated tell bass to hurry up said the eager george i want to go to i want to go to was caught singing to herself listen to her exclaimed george aw you hush up was her displeased when the final hour came however it required all of s strength to go through with the though everything was being done in order to bring them together again under better conditions she could not help feeling depressed her little one now six months old was being left behind the great world was to her one it frightened her you mustn t worry ma she found courage enough to say i ll be all right i ll write you just as soon as i get there it won t be so very long but when it came to bending over her baby for the last time her courage went out like a blown lamp stooping over the cradle in which the little one was rest os o ing she looked into its face with passionate yearning is it going to be a good little girl she then she caught it up into her arms and hu it closely to her neck and bosom she buried her f against its little body mrs saw that she was trembling she said you mustn t on so she will be all right with me i ll take care of her if you re going to act this way you d better not try to go at all lifted her head her blue eyes wet with tears and handed the little one to her mother i can t help it she said half crying half smiling quickly she kissed her mother and the children then she hurried out as she went down the street with george she looked back and bravely waved her hand mrs responded noticing how much more like a woman she looked it had been necessary to invest some of her money in new clothes to wear on the train she had selected a neat ready made suit of brown which fitted her nicely she wore the skirt of this with a white and a sailor hat with a white veil wound around it in such fashion that it could be easily drawn over her face as she went farther and farther away mrs followed her lovingly with her glance and when	43
she disappeared from view she said tenderly through her own tears i m glad she looked so nice anyhow l chapter xiii r ass met at the in and talked of the prospects the first thing is to get work he began while the sounds and the changing which the city thrust upon her were and almost her senses get something to do it doesn t matter what so long as you get something if you don t get more tl n three or four dollars a week it will pay the rent then with what george can earn when he comes and what pop sends we can get along all right it ll be better than being down in that hole he concluded yes said vaguely her mind so by the new display of life about her that she could not bring it forcibly to bear upon the topic under discussion i know what you mean i ll get something she older now in understanding if not in years the ordeal through which she had so recently passed had aroused in her a clearer conception of the of life her mother was always in her mind her mother and the children in particular and must have a better opportunity to do for themselves than she had had they should be dressed better they ought to be kept longer in school they must have more companionship more opportunity to their lives like every other growing city at this time was crowded with those who were seeking new were constantly springing up but those who were seeking to fulfil the duties they provided invariably in excess of the demand a stranger coming to the city might walk into a small position of almost any kind on the very day he arrived and he might as readily wander in search of for weeks and even bass suggested the shops and department i stores as a first field in which to inquire the and other avenues of employment were to be her second choice don t pass a place though he had her if you think there s any chance of getting anything to do go right in what must i say asked nervously tell them you want work you don t care what you do to begin with in compliance with this advice set out the very first day and was rewarded by some very chilly experiences wherever she went no one seemed to want any help she applied at the stores the the shops that lined the but was l always met by a as a last resource she turned to although she had hoped to avoid that and studying the want columns she selected four which seemed more promising than the others to these she decided to apply one had already been filled when she arrived but the lady who came to the door was so taken by her appearance that she invited her in and questioned her as to her ability i wish you had come a little earlier she said i like you better than i do the girl i have taken leave me your address anyhow went away smiling at her reception she was not quite so youthful looking as she had been before her recent trouble but the thinner cheeks and the slightly deeper eyes added to the and delicacy of her countenance she was a model of neatness her clothes all newly cleaned and before leaving home gave her a fresh and inviting appearance there was growth coming to her in the matter of height but io already in appearance and intelligence she looked to be a woman of twenty best of all she was of that j naturally sunny disposition which in spite of toil and kept her always cheerful any one in need of a servant girl or house companion would have been delighted to have had her i the second place at which she applied was a large residence in avenue it seemed tax too imposing for anything she have to offer in the way of services but come so far she decided to make the attempt the servant who met her at the door directed her to wait a few moments and finally ushered her into the of the mistress of the house on the second floor the latter a mrs a of the fashionable type had a keen eye for feminine and was impressed rather with she talked with her a little while and finally decided to try her in the general capacity of maid i will give you four dollars a week and you can sleep here if you wish said mrs explained that she was living with her brother and would soon have her family with her oh very well replied her mistress do as you like about that only i expect you to be here promptly she wished her to remain for the day and to begin her duties at once and agreed mrs provided her a dainty cap and apron and then spent some little time in her in her duties her principal work would be to wait on her mistress to brush her hair and to help her dress she was also to answer the bell wait on the table if need be and do any other errand which her mistress might indicate mrs seemed a little hard and formal to her servant but for all that admired the dash and go and the obvious capacity of her employer at eight o clock that evening was dismissed for d l the day she wondered if she could be of any use in such a household and that she had got along as well as she had her mistress had set her to cleaning her and ornaments as an opening task and though she had worked steadily and diligently she had not finished by the time she left she hurried away to her brother	43
s apartment delighted to be able to report that she had found a situation now her mother could come to now she could have her baby with her now they could really begin that new life which was to be so much better and finer and sweeter than anything they had ever had before at bass s suggestion wrote her mother to come at once and a week or so later a suitable house was found and mrs with the aid of the children packed up the simple of the family including a single of furniture and at the end of a fortnight they were on their way to the new home mrs always had had a keen desire for a really comfortable home solid furniture and trimmed a thick soft carpet of some warm pleasing color plenty of chairs pictures a and a piano she had wanted these nice things all her life but her had never been good enough for her hopes to be realized still she did not despair some day maybe before she died these things be added to her and she would be happy perhaps her chance was coming now arrived at this feeling of was encouraged by the sight of s cheerful face bass assured her that they would get along all right he took them out to the house and george was shown the way to go back to the and have the freight looked after mrs had still fifty dollars left out of the money which had sent to and with this a way of getting a little extra furniture on the plan w provided bass had already paid the first no d l month s rent and bad her evenings for the last few days in washing the windows and floors of this new house and in getting it into a state of perfect cleanliness now when the first night fell they had two new and spread upon a clean floor a new lamp purchased from one of the stores a single box borrowed by from a store for cleaning purposes upon which mrs could sit and some and bread to stay them until morning they talked and planned for the future nine o clock came when all but and her mother retired these two talked on the burden of resting on the daughter mrs had come to feel in a way dependent upon her in the course of a week the entire cottage was in order with a half dozen pieces of new furniture a new carpet and some necessary kitchen the most disturbing thing was the need of a new cooking stove the cost of which added greatly to the bill the younger children were entered at the public school but it was decided that e must find some employment both and her mother felt the injustice of this keenly but knew no way of preventing the sacrifice we will let him go to school next year if we can said as the new life seemed to have begun the with which their expenses were their income was an ever present menace bass originally very generous in his soon announced that he felt four dollars a week for his room and board to be a sufficient contribution from himself gave everything she earned and protested that she did not stand in need of anything so long as the baby was properly taken care of george secured a place as an cash boy and brought in two dollars and fifty cents a week all of which at first he gladly contributed later he was allowed the fifty cents for iii d l there came the final hour when the child was ushered into the world it was doctor who presided assisted by the mother who having brought forth six herself knew exactly what to do there was no difficulty and at the first cry of the new bom infant there awakened in a tremendous yearning toward it this was her child it was weak and feeble a little and it needed her care she took it to her when it had been bathed and with a tremendous sense of satisfaction and joy this was her her little girl she wanted to live to be able to work for it and rejoiced even in her weakness that she was so strong doctor predicted a quick recovery he thought two weeks would be the outside limit of her need to stay in bed as a matter of fact in ten days she was up and about as vigorous and healthy as ever she had been bom with strength and with that quality which makes the ideal mother the great crisis had passed and now life went on much as before the children outside of bass were too young to understand fully and had been deceived by the story that was married to who had died they did not know that a child was coming until it was there the neighbors were feared by mrs for they were ever watchful and really knew all would never have this local atmosphere except for the advice of bass who having secured a place in some time before had written that he thought when she was well enough it would be advisable for the whole family to seek a new start in things were flourishing there once away they would never hear of their present neighbors and could find something to do so she stayed at home l chapter bass was no sooner in than the marvel of that growing city was sufficient to completely restore his of soul and to stir up new illusions as to the possibility of for himself and his if only they could come here he thought if only they could all get work and do right here was no evidence ol any of their recent troubles no acquaintances who could by their mere presence the troubles of the	43
past all was business all activity the very turning of the comer seemed to rid one of old times and crimes it was as if a new world existed in every block he soon found a place in a cigar store and after working a few weeks he began to write home the cheering ideas he had in mind ought to come as soon as she was able and then if she found something to do the others might follow there was plenty of work for girls of her age she could live in the same house with him temporarily or maybe they could take one of the fifteen dollar a month cottages that were for rent there were big general furnishing houses where one could buy everything needful for a small house on very easy monthly terms his mother could come and keep house for them they would be in a clean new atmosphere and about they could start life all over again they could be decent honorable prosperous filled with hope and the which new scenes and new invariably throw over the mind he wrote a final letter in which he chapter xiv the days spent in the employ of the household were of a character this great house was a school to not only in the matter of dress and manners but as a theory of existence mrs and her husband were the last word in the matter of self taste in the matter of care in the matter of dress good form in the matter of reception entertainment and the various of social life now and then of nothing save her own mood mrs would indicate her philosophy of life in an j life is a battle my dear if you gain anything you will have to fight for it in my judgment it is silly not to take advantage of any aid which will help you to be what you want to be this while a faint suggestion of e most people are bom silly they are exactly what they are capable of being i despise lack of taste it is the worst crime j most of these worldly wise counsels were not given directly to she overheard them but to her quiet and mind they had their import like seeds fallen upon good ground they took root and grew she began to get a faint perception of powers they were not for her perhaps but they were in the world and if fortune were kind one might better j j one s state she worked on wondering however just how better might come to her who would have her to wife knowing her history how she ever explain the existence of her child l her child her child the one theme of joy and fear if she could only do something i for it sometime somehow for the first winter things went smoothly h by the economy the children were clothed and kept in school the rent paid and the met once it looked as though there might be some difficulty about the continuance of the home life and that was when wrote that he would be home for christmas the mill was to close down for a short period at that time he was naturally anxious to see what the new life of his family at was like mrs would have welcomed his return with pleasure had it not been for the fear she entertained of his creating a scene talked it over with her mother and mrs in turn spoke of it to bass whose advice was to brave it out don t worry he said he won t do anything about it i ll talk to him if he says the scene did occur but it was not so unpleasant as mrs had feared came home during the afternoon while bass and george were at work two of the younger children went to the train to meet him when he entered mrs greeted him affectionately but she trembled for the discovery which was sure to come her suspense was not for long opened the front bedroom door only a few minutes after he arrived on the white of the bed was a pretty child sleeping he could not but know on the instant whose it was but he pretended ignorance whose child is that he questioned it s s said mrs weakly when did that come here not so very long ago answered the mother nervously i guess she is here too he declared s refusing to pronounce her name a feet which he had already anticipated she s working in a family returned his wife in a pleading tone she s doing so well now she had no place to go let her alone had received a light since be had been away certain inexplicable thoughts and feelings had come to him in his religious meditations in his prayers he had admitted to the all seeing that he might have done differently by his daughter yet he could not make up his mind how to treat her for the future she had great sin impossible to get when came home that night a meeting was saw her coming and pretended to be deeply engaged in a newspaper mrs who had begged him not to entirely trembled for fear he would say or do something which would hurt her feelings she is coming now she said crossing to the door of the front room where he was sitting but refused to look up speak to her anyhow was her last appeal before the door opened but he made no reply when came in her mother whispered he is in the front room put her thumb to her lip and stood not knowing how to meet the situation has he seen paused as she realized from her mother s face and nod that knew of the child s existence	43
go ahead said mrs it s all right he won t say anything finally went to the door and seeing her father his brow wrinkled as if in serious but not thought she hesitated but made her way forward papa she said unable to a definite sentence ii l looked up his brown eyes a study under their heavy sandy lashes at the sight of his daughter he weakened but with the of resolve about him he showed no sign of pleasure at seeing her all the forces of his understanding of morality and his naturally i sympathetic and disposition were within him but as in so many cases where the average mind is j concerned was temporarily the victor i yes he said won t you for ve me papa i do he returned grimly she hesitated a moment and then stepped forward for what purpose he well understood there he said her gently away as her lips barely touched his cheek it had been a meeting when went out into the kitchen after this very trying ordeal she lifted her eyes to her waiting mother and tried to make it seem as though all had been well but her disposition got the better of her did he make up to you her mother was about to ask but the words were only half out of her mouth before her daughter sank down into one of the chairs close to the kitchen table and laying her head on her arm burst forth into soft sobs now now said mrs there now don t cry what did he say it was some time before recovered herself sufficiently to answer her mother tried to treat tht situation lightly i wouldn t feel bad she said he ll get over it it s his way l chapter xv the return of forward the child question in all its bearings he could not help considering it from the of a particularly since it was a human being possessed of a soul he wondered if it had been then he inquired no not yet said his wife who had not forgotten this duty but had been uncertain whether the little one would be welcome in the faith no of course not sneered whose opinion of his wife s religious devotion was not any too great such carelessness such that is a fine thing he thought it over a few moments and felt that this evil should be corrected at once it should be he said why don t she take it and have it mrs reminded him that some one would have to stand to the child and there was no way to have the ceremony without the fact that it was without a legitimate father listened to this and it him for a few moments but his religion was something which he could not see put in the background by any such difficulty how would the lord look upon like this i it was not christian and it was his duty to attend to the matter it must be taken forthwith to the church himself and his wife accompanying it as or if he did not choose to condescend thus far to his daughter he must see that it was ed il when she was not present he over this difficulty and finally decided that the ceremony should take place on one of these week days between christmas and new year s when would be at her work this proposal he to his wife and receiving her approval he made his next announcement it has no name he said and her mother had talked over this very matter and had expressed a preference for now her mother made bold to suggest it as her own choice how would do heard this with indifference secretly he had settled the question in his own mind he had a name in store left over from the period of his youth and never available in the case of his own children of course he had no idea of in the least toward his small he merely the name and the child ought to be grateful to get it with a far off air he brought forward this first offering upon the altar of natural affection for offering it was after all that is nice he said forgetting his indifference but how would do mrs did not dare cross him when he was thus unconsciously her woman s tact came to the rescue we might give her both names she it makes no difference to me he replied drawing back into the shell of opposition from which he had been drawn just so she is heard of this with pleasure for she was anxious that the child should have every advantage religious or otherwise that it was possible to obtain she took great pains to and iron the clothes it was to wear on the appointed day sought out the minister of the nearest lu d l church a round headed thick set of the most type to whom he stated his errand your inquired the minister yes said her father is not here so replied the minister looking at him curiously was not to be disturbed in his purpose he explained that he and his wife would bring her the the probable difficulty did not question him further the church cannot refuse to her so long as you as are willing to stand for her he said came away hurt by the shadow of disgrace in which he felt himself involved but satisfied that he had done bis duty now he would take the child and have it and when that was over his present responsibility would cease it came to the hour of the however he found that another influence was working to guide him into greater interest and responsibility the stem religion with which he was its upon a higher law was there and	43
he heard again the which had helped to bind him to his own children is it your intention to this child in the knowledge and love of the gospel asked the minister as they stood before him in the silent little church whither they had brought the infant he was reading from the form provided for such occasions answered yes and mrs added her affirmative do you engage to use all necessary care and diligence by instruction example and discipline that this child may and avoid everything that is evil and that she may keep god s will and as declared in his sacred word a thought flashed through s mind as the d l words were uttered of how it had with his own children they too bad been thus they too had heard his solemn pledge to care for their spiritual welfare he was silent we do prompted the minister we do repeated and his wife weakly do you now this child by the of unto the lord who brought it we do and finally if you can declare before god that the faith to which you have assented is your faith and that the solemn promises you have made are the serious resolutions of your heart please to announce the same in the presence of god by saying yes yes they replied i thee concluded the minister stretching out his hand over her in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost let us pray bent his gray head and followed with humble reverence the beautiful which followed almighty and everlasting god we thee as the great parent of the children of men as the father of our spirits and the former of our bodies we praise thee for giving existence to this infant and for preserving her until this day we bless thee that she is called to virtue and glory that she has now been to thee and brought within the pale of the christian church we thank thee that by the gospel of the son she is furnished with everything necessary to her spiritual happiness that it supplies light for her mind and comfort for her heart encouragement and power to discharge her duty and the precious hope of mercy and immortality to sustain and make her faithful and we thee o most merciful god that this child may be enlightened and from her early years by the holy spirit and be saved by thy mercy direct and l bless thy servants who are with the care of her in the momentous work of her education inspire them with just conception of the absolute necessity of religious instruction and principles forbid that they should ever forget that this offspring belongs to thee and that if through their criminal neglect or bad example thy reasonable creature be lost thou wilt require it at their hands give them a deep sense of the divinity of her nature of the worth of her soul of the dangers to which she will be exposed of the honor and felicity to which she is capable of ascending with thy blessing and of the ruin in this world and the misery i in the world to come which springs from wicked and conduct give them grace to check the first rising j of forbidden inclinations in her breast to be her against the temptations incident to childhood and youth and as she grows up to e her understanding and to lead her to an acquaintance with thee and with christ whom thou hast sent give them grace to in her heart a supreme reverence and love for thee a grateful attachment to the gospel of thy son her a due regard for all its and institutions a temper of kindness and good will to all mankind and an invincible love of sincerity and truth help them to watch continually over her with tender solicitude to be that by their conversation and her heart may not be and at all times to set before her such an example that she may safely tread in their footsteps if it please thee to her days on earth grant that she may prove an honor and a comfort to her parents and friends be useful in the world and find in thy providence an and support whether she live let her live to thee or whether she die let her die to thee and at the great day of account may she and her parents meet each other with rapture and rejoice together in thy love through christ forever and ever amen as this solemn was read a feeling of descended upon the grandfather of this uttle outcast a feeling that he was bound to give the tiny creature lying on his wife s arm the care and attention which god in his had commanded he bowed his head in utmost reverence and when the was concluded and they left the silent church be was without words to express his feelings religion was a i with him god was a person a dominant reality religion was not a thing of mere words or of interesting ideas to be to on sunday but a strong vital expression of the divine will handed down from a time when men were in personal contact with god its fulfilment was a matter of joy and with him the one consolation of a creature sent to wander in a whose explanation was not here but in heaven slowly walked on and as he on the words and the duties which the involved the shade of lingering disgust that had possessed h m when he had taken the child to church dis appeared and a feeling of natural affection took its place however much the daughter had the infant was not to blame it was a helpless tender thing demanding his sympathy and his love felt his heart go out to	43
the uttle child and yet he could not yield his position all in a moment that is a nice man he said of the minister to his wife as they walked along rapidly softening in his conception of his duty yes he was agreed mrs timidly it s a good sized little church he continued yes looked around him at the street the houses the show of brisk life on this winter s day and then finally at the child that his wife was carrying she must be heavy he said in his characteristic german let me take her d l mrs who was rather weary did not refuse there he said as he looked at her and then fixed her comfortably upon his shoulder let us hope she proves worthy of all that has been done to day mrs listened and the meaning in his voice interpreted itself plainly enough the presence of the child in the house might be the cause of of depression and unkind words but there would be another and greater influence him there would be her soul to consider he would never again be utterly unconscious of her soul l chapter xvi during the of s stay he was shy in s presence and endeavored to act as though he were unconscious of her existence when the time came for parting he even went away without bidding her good by his wife she might do that for him but after he was on his way back to he regretted the i might have bade her good by he thought to himself as the train heavily along but it was too late for the time being the of the family drifted continued her work with mrs himself firmly in his in the cigar store george was promoted to the noble sum of three dollars and then three fifty it was a narrow life the family led coal shoes and clothing were the uppermost topics of their conversation every one felt the stress and strain of trying to make ends meet that which worried most and there were many things which weighed upon her sensitive soul was the of her own life not so much for herself as for her baby and the family she could not really see where she fitted in who would have she asked over and over how was she to dispose of in the event of a new love such a was quite possible she was young good looking and men were inclined to with her or rather to attempt it the entertained many masculine guests and some of them had made unpleasant to her d l my dear you re a very pretty girl said one old of fifty odd when she knocked at his door one morning to give him a message from his hostess i b your pardon she said and colored indeed you re quite sweet and you needn t beg my pardon i d like to talk to you some time he attempted to her under the chin but hurried away she would have reported the matter to her mistress but a nervous shame her why would men always be doing this she thought could it be because there was something bad about her an inward corruption that attracted its like it is a curious characteristic of the non dis position that it is like a honey jar to flies nothing is brought to it and much is taken away around a soft i unselfish disposition men swarm naturally they sense this generosity this non attitude from afar a girl like is like a comfortable to the average masculine mind they to it seek its sympathy to possess it hence she was annoyed by many unwelcome attentions one day there arrived from a certain the son of a carriage of great trade distinction in that city and elsewhere throughout the country who was wont to visit this house frequently in a social way he was a friend of mrs more than of her husband for the former had been raised in and as a girl had visited at his father s house she knew his mother his brother and sisters and to all and purposes had always been considered one of the family s coming to morrow henry heard mrs tell her husband i had a wire from him this noon he s such a i m going to give him the big east front room up stairs be and pay him some attention his father was so good to me d l i know it said her husband calmly i like he s the biggest one in that family but he s too indifferent he doesn t care enough i know but he s so nice i do think he s one of the men i ever knew i ll be decent to him don t i always do pretty well by people yes pretty well oh i don t know about that he replied when this notable person arrived was prepared to see some one of more than ordinary importance and she was not disappointed there came into the to greet her mistress a man of perhaps thirty six years of age above the medium in height clear eyed firm direct and vigorous he had a deep voice that carried clearly everywhere people somehow used to stop and listen whether they knew him or not he was simple and abrupt speech oh there you are he began i m glad to see you again how s mr how s he asked his questions whole and his hostess answered with an equal warmth i m glad to see you she said e will take your things up stairs come up into my room it s more how are and he followed her up the stairs and who had been standing at the head of the stairs listening felt the charm of his personality it	43
seemed why she could hardly say that a real personage had arrived the house was the attitude of her mistress was much more everybody seemed to feel that something must be done for this man went about her work but the impression persisted his name ran in her mind and he was from she looked at him now and then on the sly and felt for the first time in her hfe an interest in a man on his own account he was so big l z i c so handsome so she wondered what bis business was at the same time she felt a little dread of him once she caught him looking at her with a steady stare she inwardly and took the first opportunity to get out of his presence another time he tried to address a few remarks to her but she pretended that her duties called her away she knew that often his eyes were on her when her back was turned and it made her nervous she wanted to run away from him although there was no very definite reason why she should do so as a matter of fact this man so superior to in s wealth education and social position felt an instinctive interest in her unusual personality like the others he was attracted by the peculiar softness of her disposition and her pre eminent there was that about her which suggested the luxury of love he felt as if somehow she could be reached why he could not have said she did not bear any outward marks of her previous experience there were no evidences of about her but still he felt that he might he was inclined to make the venture on his first visit but business called him away he left after four days and was absent from for three weeks thought he was gone for good and she experienced a queer sense of relief as well as of regret then suddenly he returned he came apparently unexpectedly explaining to mrs that business interests again demanded his presence in as he spoke he looked at sharply and she felt as if somehow his presence might also concern her a little on this second visit she had various opportunities of seeing him at breakfast where she sometimes served at dinner when she could see the guests at the table from or sitting room and at odd times when he mrs s to talk things over re very friendly l why don t yon settle down and get married heard her say to him the second day he was there yon know it s time i know he but i m in no mood for that i want to around a little while yet yes i know about you ought to be ashamed of yourself your father is really worried he chuckled father doesn t worry much about me he has got all he can attend to to look after the bu ess looked at him curiously she scarcely under stood what she was thinking but this man drew her if she had realized in what way she would have fled his presence then and there now he was more in his observation of her addressed an occasional remark to her engaged her in brief conversations she could not help answering him he was pleasing to her once he came across her in the hall on the second floor searching in a for some linen they were all alone mrs having gone out to do some morning and the other servants being below stairs on this occasion he made short work of the business he approached her in a commanding and thoroughly determined way i want to talk to you he said where do you live i i she stammered and out on street what number he questioned as though she were compelled to tell him she and shook inwardly i fourteen she replied mechanically he looked into her big soft blue eyes with his dark vigorous brown ones a flash that was significant passed between them l so handsome so she wondered what bis business was at the same time she felt a little dread of him once she caught him looking at her with a steady stare she inwardly and took the first opportunity to get out of his presence another time he tried to address a few remarks to her but she pretended that her duties called her away she knew that often his eyes were on her when her back was turned and it made her nervous she wanted to run away from him although there was no very definite reason why she should do so as a matter of fact this man so superior to in s wealth education and social position felt an instinctive interest in her unusual personality like the others he was attracted by the peculiar softness of her disposition i and her pre eminent there was that about f her which suggested the luxury of love he felt as if somehow she could be why he could not have said she did not bear any outward marks of her previous experience there were no evidences of about her but still he felt that he might he was inclined to make the venture on his first visit but business called him away he left after days and was absent from for three weeks thought he was gone for good and she experienced a queer sense of relief as well as of regret then suddenly he returned he came apparently unexpectedly explaining to mrs that business interests again demanded his presence in as he spoke he looked at sharply and she felt as if somehow his presence might also concern her a little on this second visit she had various opportunities of seeing him at breakfast where she sometimes served at dinner	43
when she could see the guests at the table from the parlor or sitting room and at odd times when he came to mrs s to talk things over they were very friendly l t and get mc ai c i ne i ir no tes j be of n iii your iu s le il r be i at y she im er b m r if bad in a c b ve bis s w be w m it he of ber ac x ner be in c n si b be o be ic tbe vi is a ven ax l r b ii a m i c tt and est on fr be made work tc ht ber i want v io bt dr j i i te and y b t what be j d as to bin she ei j v she d y he looked s jn es bis vigorous a i i was p si n j jl l i you belong to me he said i ve been looking for j you when can i see you i oh you mustn t she said her fingers going nervously to her lips i can t see you i i oh i mi n t mustn t i look here he took her arm and drew her slightly closer you and i might f as well understand each other right now i like you do you like me say she looked at him her eyes wide filled with wonder with fear with a growing terror i don t know she gasped her lips dry do you he fixed her grimly firmly with his eyes i don t know look at me he said yes she replied he pulled her to him quickly i ll talk to you later he said and put his lips to hers she was stunned like a bird in the grasp f a cat but through it all something and was speaking to her he released her with a short we won t do any more of this here but remember you belong to me he said as he turned and walked down the hall in sheer panic ran to her mistress s room and locked the door behind her l chapter xvii the shock of this sudden encounter was so great to that she was hours in herself at first she did not understand clearly just what had happened out of clear sky as it were astonishing thing bad taken place she had yielded herself to another man why why she asked herself and yet within her own consciousness there was an answer though she could not explain her own emotions she belonged to hi m and he belonged to her there is a fate in love and in fight this strong intellectual bear of a man son of a wealthy stationed so far as material conditions were concerned in a world immensely superior to that in which moved was nevertheless instinctively and to this poor she was his ji l though he did not know it woman t p red ow th e biggest his ha sorts of women rich and poor the highly bred maidens of his own class the daughters of the but he r had never yet found one who seemed to combine for him tjie its of an of i an ideal remained l seated in t brain when the right woman appeared he intended to take her he had the notion that for purposes of marriage he ought perhaps to find this woman on his own plane for purposes of temporary happiness he might take her from anywhere d l leaving marriage of course out of the question he had no idea of making anything like a proposal to a servant girl but was different he had never seen a servant quite like her and she was lady and lovely without appearing to know it why this was a rare flower why shouldn t he try to her us be just to let us try to understand him and his position not every mind is i to be estimated by the weight of a single folly not every i personality is to be judged by the drag of a single passion we live in an age in which the of forces is well nigh irresistible the spiritual nature is overwhelmed by the shock the tremendous complicated development of our material civilization the and variety of our social forms i the depth and of our imaginative i impressions gathered and by such as the railroad the express and the post office the the telegraph the newspaper and in short the whole machinery of social intercourse these elements of existence combine to produce what may be termed a glitter a dazzling and of life that and the mental and moral nature it a sort of intellectual fatigue through which we see the ranks of the victims of and insanity constantly our modem brain pan does not seem capable as yet of receiving and the vast army of facts and impressions which present them selves daily the white light of is too white we are weighed things it is as if i the wisdom of the infinite were struggling to beat self into and cup big minds i was the natural product of these un toward conditions his was a naturally observing mind in its strength and tendencies but confused by the of things the of d l the of life tlie glitter of its details the nature of its forms the uncertainty of their justification bom a catholic he was no longer a in the divine inspiration of raised a member of the social elect he had ceased to accept the that birth and station any innate superiority brought	43
up as the heir to a comfortable fortune and expected to marry in his own sphere he was by no means sure that he wanted marriage on any terms of course the state was an institution it was established yes certainly but what of it the whole nation believed in it true but other nations believed in there were other questions that such questions as the belief in a single deity or ruler of the universe and whether a or aristocratic form of government were best in short the whole body of things material social and spiritual had come under the of mental and been left but half life was not j proved to him not a single idea of his unless it were the need of being honest was finally settled in all other he wavered questioned leaving to time and to the powers back of the universe the solution of the problems that vexed him yes was the natural product of a combination of elements religious commercial social modified by that atmosphere of liberty in our national life which is productive of almost freedom of thought and action thirty six years of age and apparently a man of vigorous and sound personality he was nevertheless an essentially pleasantly by education and th oi who in his father s day had worked on the railroad tracks dug in the mines picked and in the and carried up bricks and mortar on the endless of a new land he was strong hairy and witty i z i c do you want me to come back here next year he had asked of brother when in his year that member was about to him for some school boy the other stared at in astonishment your father will have to look after that he replied well my father won t look after it returned if you touch me with that whip i ll take things into my own bands i m not committing any and i m not going to be knocked around any more words unfortunately did not avail in this case but a good vigorous irish american did in which the whip was broken and the discipline of the school so far that he was compelled to take his clothes and leave after that he looked his father in the eye and told him that he was not going to school any more i m perfectly willing to jump in and work he explained there s nothing in a classical education for me let me go into the office and i guess i ll pick up enough to carry me through old keen single minded of commercial honor admired his son s determination and did not attempt to him come down to the office he said perhaps there is something you can do entering upon a business life at the age of eighteen had worked faithfully rising in his father s estimation until now he had come to be in a way his personal representative whenever there was a contract to be entered upon an important move to be decided or a representative of the to be sent anywhere to a deal was the agent selected his father trusted him and so and earnest was he in the of his duties that this trust had never been bi is business was a favorite with bim d l and the very tone in which he pronounced the words was a of his character and personality there were forces in him flames which burst forth now and then in spite of the fact that he was sure that he had them under control one of these impulses was a taste for liquor of which he was perfectly sure he had the upper hand he drank but very little he thought and only in a social way among friends never to excess another weakness lay in his nature but here again he believed that he was the master if he chose to have irregular relations with women he was capable of deciding where the danger point lay if men were only guided by a sense of the inherent in all such there would not be so many troublesome consequences growing out of them finally he flattered himself that he had a grasp upon a right method of living a method which was nothing more than a quiet acceptance ce as they were tempered by a little personal as to the right and wrong of individual conduct not to fuss and not to cry out about not to be sentimental to be vigorous and sustain your personality such was his theory of life and he was satisfied that it was a good one as to his original object in approaching her had been purely selfish but now that he had asserted his masculine and she had yielded at least in part he began to realize that she was no common girl no toy of the passing hour there is a time in some men s lives when they unconsciously begin to view feminine youth and beauty not so much in relation to the ideal of happiness but rather with regard to the social by which they are must it be they ask themselves in concerning the possibility of taking a maiden to wife that i shall be compelled to swallow the whole social code s make a with society sign a pledge of and give to another a life interest in all my affairs when i know too well that i am but taking to my arms a creature like myself whose wishes are apt to become and jn proportion to the of her beauty and interest these are the men who unwilling to risk the manifold i of an connection are led to consider the advantages of a less binding union a temporary com they seek to seize the happiness of life without t cost indulgence later on	43
they think the more definite and conventional relationship may be established without reproach or the necessity of radical was past the youthful love period and he knew it the innocence and of younger had gone he wanted the comfort of feminine companionship but he was more and more to give up his personal liberty in order to obtain it he would not wear the social if it were possible to satisfy the needs of his heart and nature and still remain free and of course he must find the right woman and in he believed that he had discovered her she appealed to him on every side he had never known anybody quite like her i was not only impossible but he had only to say come and she must obey it was her destiny thought the matter over calmly he strolled out to the shabby street where she lived he looked at the humble roof that sheltered her her poverty her narrow and touched his heart ought he not to treat her generously fairly then the remembrance of her beauty swept over him and changed his mood no he must possess her if he could to day quickly as soon as possible it was in that frame of mind that he returned to mrs s home from his visit to street d l chapter xviii was now going through the agony of one who has a varied and complicated problem to her baby her father her brothers and sisters all rose up to her what was this thing that she was doing was she allowing herself to slip into another wretched relationship how was she to explain to her family about this man he not marry her that was sure if he knew all about her he would not marry her anyhow a man of his station and position yet here she was with him what ought she to do she pondered over the problem until evening deciding first that it was best to run away but remembering painfully that she had told him where she lived then she resolved that she would summon up her courage and refuse him tell him she couldn t wouldn t have anything to do with him this last solution of the difficulty seemed simple enough in his absence and she would find work where he could not follow her up so easily it all seemed simple enough as she put on her things in the evening to go home her lover however was not without his own conclusion in this matter since leaving he had thought and to the point he came to the decision that he must act at once she might tell her family she might tell mrs she might leave the city he wanted to know more of the conditions which surrounded her and there was only one way to do that talk to her he must persuade her to come and live with him she would he thought she ad i z i c that she liked him that soft yielding note in her character which had originally attracted him seemed to that he could win her without much difficulty if he wished to try he decided to do so anyhow for truly he desired her greatly at half past five he returned to the home to see if she were still there at six he had an opportunity to say to her unobserved i am going to with you wait for me at the next comer will you yes she said a sense of to do his bid seizing her she explained to herself afterward that she ought to talk to him that she must tell him finally of her decision not to see him again and this was as good an opportunity as any at half past six he left the house on a pretext a forgotten engagement and a little after seven he was waiting for her in a closed carriage near the appointed spot he was calm absolutely satisfied as to the result and curiously elated beneath a sturdy shock proof exterior it was as if he breathed some fragrant perfume soft grateful a few minutes after eight he saw coming along the of the gas lamp was not strong but it gave sufficient for his eyes to make her out a wave of sympathy passed over him for there was a great appeal in her personality he stepped out as she the comer and confronted her come he said and get in this carriage with me i ll take you home no she replied i don t think i ought to come with me i ll take you home it s a better way to talk once more that sense of on his part that power of she yielded feeling all the time that she should not he called out to the anywhere for a little while when she was seated beside him he began at once d l listen to me i want you tell me something about yourself i have to talk to you she replied trying to stick to her original line of about what he inquired seeking to her expression in the half light i can t go on this way she murmured nervously i can t act this way you don t know how it all is i shouldn t have done what i did this morning i mustn t see you any more really i mustn t you didn t do what you did this morning he remarked seizing on that one particular expression i did that and as for seeing me any more i m going to see you he seized her hand you don t know me but i like you i m crazy about you that s all you belong to me now listen i m going to have you are you going to come to me	43
no no no she replied in an voice i can t do anything like that mr please listen to me it can t be you don t know oh you don t know i can t do what you want i don t want to i t even if i wanted to you don t know how things are but i don t want to do anything wrong i mustn t i can t i won t oh no i please let me go home he listened to this troubled feverish outburst with sympathy with even a little pity what do you mean by you can t he asked curiously oh i can t tell you she replied please don t ask me you t to know but i mustn t see you any more it won t do any good but you like me he retorted oh yes yes i do i can t help that but you mustn t come near me any more please don t he turned his proposition over in his mind with the solemnity of a judge he knew that this girl liked him loved him really brief as their contact had been and i he was drawn to her perhaps not but with exceeding strength what prevented her from yielding especially since she wanted to he was curious see here he replied i hear what you say i don t know what you mean by can t if you want to you say you like me why can t you come to me you re my sort we will get along beautifully together you re suited to me i d like to have you with me what makes you say you can t come i can t she replied i can t i don t want to i t oh please don t ask me any more you don t know i can t tell you why she was thinking of her baby the man had a keen sense justice and fair play above all things he wanted to e n t ia hi tr a tm a t of people in this case he intended to be tender and considerate and yet he must win her he turned this over in his mind listen to me he said finally still holding her hand i may not want you to do anything immediately i want you to think it over but you belong to me you say you care for me you admitted that this morning i know you do now why should you stand out against me i like you and i can do a lot of things for you why not let us be good friends now then we can talk the rest of this over later but i mustn t do anything wrong she insisted i don t want to please don t come near me any more i can t do what you want now look here he said you don t mean that why did you say you liked me have you changed your mind look at me she had lowered her eyes look at me you haven t have you oh no no no she half sobbed swept by some force beyond her control d l well then why stand out against me i love you i tell you i m crazy about you that s why i came back this time it was to see you was it asked surprised yes it was and i would have come again and again if necessary i tell you i m crazy about you i ve got to have you now tell me you ll come with me no no no she pleaded i can t i must work i want to work i don t want to do anything wrong please don t ask me you mustn t you must let me go really you must i can t do what you want tell me he said changing the subject what does your father do he s a glass here in no he works in is your mother alive yes sir you live with her yes sir he smiled at the sir don t say sir to me sweet he pleaded in his way and don t insist on the mr i m not to you any more you belong to me uttle girl me and he pulled her close to him please don t mr she pleaded oh please don t i can t i can t you mustn t but he sealed her lips with his own listen to me he repeated using his favorite expression i tell you you belong to me i like you better every moment i haven t had a chance to know you i m not going to give you up you ve got to come to me eventually and i m not going to have you working as a lady s maid you can t stay in that place except for a little while i m going to take you somewhere else and i m going to leave you some money do you hear you have to take it by at the word money she and withdrew her hand no no no she repeated no i won t take it yes you will give it to your mother i m not trying to buy you i know what you think but i m not i want to help you i want to help your family i know where you live i saw the place to day how many are there of you six she answered faintly the families of the poor he thought well you take this from me he insisted drawing a purse from his coat and i u see you very soon again there s no escape sweet no no she protested i won t i don t need it no you mustn t	43
ask me he insisted further but she was firm and finally he put the money away one thing is sure you re not going to escape me he said you ll have to come to me eventually don t you know you will your own attitude shows that i m not going to leave you alone oh if you knew the trouble you re causing me i m not causing you any real trouble am i he asked surely not yes i can never do what you want you will you he exclaimed eagerly the bare thought of this prize escaping him his passion you ll come to me and he drew her close in spite of all her there he said when after the struggle that mystic something between them spoke again and she relaxed tears were in her eyes but he did not see them don t you see how it is you like me too i can t she repeated with a sob her evident distress touched him you re not crying little girl are you he asked she made no answer i m sorry he went on i ll not say anything d l more to night we re almost at your home i m leaving to morrow but i ll see you again yes i will sweet i can t give you up now i ll do anything in reason ii make it easy for you but i can t do you hear she shook her head here s where you get out he said as the carriage drew up near the comer he could see the evening lamp gleaming behind the cottage curtains good by he said as she stepped out good by she murmured remember he said this is just the beginning oh no no she pleaded he looked after her as she walked away the beauty he exclaimed stepped into the house weary discouraged ashamed what had she done there was no denying that she had herself he come back he would come back and he had offered her money that was the worst of all q l chapter xix the nature of this interview exciting as it was did not leave any doubt in s or s mind certainly this was not the end of the affair knew that he was deeply fascinated this girl was lovely she was sweeter than he had had any idea of her her repeated her gentle no no no moved him as music might depend upon it this girl was for him and he would get her she was too sweet to let go what did he care about what his family or the world might think it was curious that held the well founded idea that in time would yield to him physically as she had already done just why he could not say i something about her a warm womanhood a i expression of countenance intimated a sympathy to ward sex relationship which had nothing to do with hard v brutal she was the kind of a woman who was made for a man one man all her attitude toward sex was bound up with love tenderness service when the one arrived she would love him and she would go to him that was as understood her he felt it she would yield to him because he was the one man on s part there was a great sense of and of possible disaster if he followed her of course he would learn all she had not told him about because she was still under the vague illusion that in the end she might escape when she left him she knew that he would come back she knew in spite d l of herself that she wanted him to do so yet she felt that she must not yield she must go on leading hfe this was her punishment for having made a mistake she had made her bed and she must lie on it the family mansion at to which returned after leaving was an imposing establishment which contrasted strangely with the home it was a great rambling two story done after the manner of the french but in red brick and it was set down among flowers and trees in an almost park like and its very stones spoke of a splendid dignity and of a refined luxury old the father had a tremendous fortune not by and and unfair methods but by seeing a big need and filling it early in life he had realized that america was a growing country there was going to be a big demand for carriages and he knew that some one would have to supply them having founded a small wagon industry he had built it up into a great business he made good and he sold them at a good profit it was his theory that r most men were honest he believed that at bottom they wanted honest things and if you gave them these they would buy of you and come back and buy again and again until you were an influential and rich man he believed in the measure heaped full and running over all through his life and now in his old age he enjoyed the respect and approval of every one who knew him you would hear his say ah there is a fine man shrewd but honest he s a big man this man was the father of two sons and three all healthy all good looking all blessed with exceptional minds but none of them so generous and as their long living and big hearted the l eldest a man forty years of age was his father s man in matters a ce hard which fitted him for the somewhat sordid details of business life he was of medium height of a rather spare build with a	43
high forehead slightly inclined to bright liquid blue eyes an eagle nose and thin firm even lips he was a man of few words rather slow to action and of deep thought he sat close to his father as vice president of the big company which i occupied two whole blocks in an section of the city he was a strong man a coming man as his father well knew p the second boy was his father s favorite he was not by any means the that robert was but he had a the t l fr j e he was softer more human more good natured about everything and strangely enough old admired and trusted him he w he had the bigger vision perhaps he turned to robert when it was a question of some intricate financial problem but was the most loved as a son then there was thirty two years of age married handsome the mother of one child a boy twenty eight also married but as yet without en and twenty five single the best of the girls but also the and most critical was tha most eager of all for social distinction the vigorous of all in her love of family the desirous that the family should other she was proud to think that the family was so well placed and carried herself with an air and a which was sometimes amusing sometimes to he liked her in a way she was his favorite sister but he thought she might take herself with a little less seriousness and not do the family stand ing any harm mrs the mother was a quiet refined woman l sixty years of age who having come up from comparative poverty with her husband cared but little for social life but she loved her children and her husband and was n proud of t heir position and it was enough for her to shine reflected glory a good woman a good wife and a good mother arrived at early in the evening and drove at once to his home an old irish met him at the door ah mr he began sure i m glad to see you back i ll take your coat yes yes it s been fine weather we re having yes yes the family all well sure your sister is just after the house with the boy your mother s up stairs in her room yes yes smiled cheerily and went up to his mother s room in this which was done in white and gold and overlooked the garden to the south and east sat mrs a subdued graceful quiet woman with smoothly laid gray hair she looked up when the door opened laid down the volume that she had been reading and rose to greet him there you are mother he said putting his arms around her and kissing her how are you oh i m just about the same how have you been fine i was up with the for a few day again i had to stop off in to see they all asked after you how is just the same she doesn t change any that i can see she s just as interested in entertaining as she ever was she s a bright girl remarked his mother recalling mrs as a girl in i always liked her she s so sensible she hasn t lost any of that i can tell you replied n l significantly mrs smiled and went on to speak of various family s husband was leaving for st louis on some errand robert s wife was sick with a cold old the yard at the factory who had been with mr for over forty years had died her husband was going to the funeral listened a trifle as he walked down the hall encountered smart was the word for her she was dressed in a black silk dress fitting close to her form with a burst of at her throat which contrasted with her dark complexion and black hair her eyes were black and piercing oh there you are she exclaimed when did you get in be careful how you kiss me i m going out and i m all fixed even to the powder on my nose oh you bear had her firmly and kissed her soundly she pushed him away with her strong hands i didn t brush much of it off he said you can always dust more on with that puff of yours he passed on to his own room to dress for dinner dressing for dinner was a custom that had been adopted by the family in the last few years guests had become so common that in a way it was a necessity and in particular made a point of it to night robert was coming and a mr and mrs old friends of his father and mother and so of course the meal would be a formal one knew that his father was around somewhere but he did not trouble to look him up now he was thinking of his last two days in and wondering when he would see again j z d g gk chapter xx as came down stairs after making his toilet he found his father in the library reading he said looking up from his paper over the top of his glasses and extending his hand where do you come from replied his son shaking hands heartily and smiling robert tells me you ve been to new york yes i was there how did you find my old friend just about the same returned he doesn t look any older i suppose not said as if the report were a compliment to his own hardy condition he s been a temperate man a fine old gentleman he led the way back to the sitting room where they over business and	43
home news until the of the clock in the hall warned the guests up stairs that dinner had been served sat down in great comfort amid the of the great louis dining room he liked this home atmosphere his mother and father and his sisters the old family friends so he smiled and was exceedingly genial announced that the were going to give a dance on tuesday and inquired whether he intended to go you know i don t dance he returned why should i go f don t dance won t dance you mean you re getting too lazy to move if robert is willing to dance occasionally i think you might robert s got it on me in lightness replied and politeness retorted be that as it may said don t try to stir up a fight observed robert after dinner they to the library and robert talked with his brother a little on business there were some coming up for he wanted to see what suggestions had to make was going to a party and the carriage was now announced so you are not coming she asked a trifle too tired said lightly make my excuses to mrs pace asked about you the other night called back from the door kind replied i m greatly obliged she s a nice girl put in his father who was standing near the open i only wish you would marry her and settle down you d have a good wife in her she s charming mrs what is this asked a conspiracy you know i m not strong on the matrimonial business and i well know it replied his mother i wish you were changed the subject he really could not stand for this sort of thing any more he told himself and as he thought his mind wandered back to and her peculiar oh no no there was that appealed to him that was a type of womanhood worth while not not seeking not iso d l watched over and set like a man trap in the path of men but a sweet little girl sweet as a flower who was with l out anybody apparently to watch over her that night in his room he composed a letter which he dated a week later because he did not want to appear too and because he could not again leave for at least two weeks my dear although it has been a week and i have said nothing i have not forgotten you believe me was the impression i gave of myself very bad i will make it better from now on for i love you little girl i really do there is a flower on my table which reminds me of you very much white delicate beautiful your personality lingering with me is just that you are the essence of everything beautiful to me it is in your power to flowers in my path if you will but what i want to say here is that i shall be in on the i th and i shall expect to see you i arrive thursday night and i want you to meet me in the ladies parlor of the at noon friday will you you can lunch with me you see i respect your suggestion that i should not call i will not on condition these are dangerous to good friendship write me that you will i throw myself on your generosity but i can t take no for an answer not now with a world of affection he sealed the letter and addressed it she s a remarkable girl in her way he ht she really is l chapter xxi the arrival of this letter coming after a week of silence and after she had had a chance to think moved deeply what did she want to do what ought she to do how did she truly feel about this man did she sincerely wish to answer his letter if she did so what should she say heretofore all her movements even the one in which she had sought to sacrifice herself for the sake of bass in had not seemed to involve any one but herself now there seemed to be others to consider her family above all her child the little was now eighteen months of age she was an interesting child her large blue eyes and light hair giving promise of a which would closely that of her mother while her traits indicated a clear and intelligent mind mrs had become very fond of her had so gradually that his interest was not even yet clearly but he had a distinct feeling of toward her and this of her father s attitude had aroused in an ardent desire to so conduct herself that no pain should ever come to him again any new folly on her part would not only be base ingratitude to her father but i would tend to injure the prospects of her little one her life was a failure she fancied but s was a thing apart she must do nothing to spoil it she wondered whether it would not be better to write and explain everything she had told him that she did not wish to do wrong suppose she went on to inform him d l that she had a child and beg him to leave her in peace would he obey her she doubted it did she really want him to take her at her word the need of making this confession was a painful thing to it caused her to hesitate to start a letter in which she tried to explain and then to tear it up finally fate in the sudden home coming of her father who had been seriously injured by an accident at the glass works in where he worked it	43
was on a wednesday afternoon in the latter part of august when a letter came from but instead of the customary communication written in german and the regular weekly of five dollars there was only a brief note written by another hand and explaining that the day before had received a severe bum on both hands due to the accidental of a of glass the letter added that he would be home the next morning what do you think of that exclaimed william his mouth wide open poor papa said tears up in her eyes mrs sat down clasped her hands in her lap and stared at the floor now what to do she nervously exclaimed the possibility that was for life opened long of difficulties which she had not the courage to contemplate bass came home at half past six and at eight the former heard the news with an astonished face that s tough isn t it he exclaimed did the letter say how bad he was hurt no replied mrs well i wouldn t worry about it said bass easily it won t do any good we ll get along somehow i wouldn t worry like that if i were you the truth was he wouldn t because his nature was wholly different life did not rest heavily upon his d l shoulders his brain was not large enough to grasp the significance and weigh the results of things i know said mrs to recover herself i can t help it though to think that just when we were getting along fairly well this new calamity should be added it seems sometimes as if we were under a curse we have so much bad luck when came her mother turned to her instinctively here was her one stay what s the matter ma asked as she opened the door and observed her mother s what have you been crying about mrs looked at her and then turned half away pa s had his hands burned put in bass solemnly he ll be home to morrow and stared at him his hands burned she exclaimed yes said bass how did it happen a pot of glass was turned over looked at her mother and her eyes with tears instinctively she ran to her and put her arms around her now don t you cry ma she said barely able to control herself don t you worry i know how you feel but we ll get along don t cry now then her own lips lost their and she struggled long before she pluck up to contemplate this new disaster and now without upon her part there leaped into her consciousness a new and persistent thought what about s offer of assistance now what about his declaration of love somehow it came back to her his affection his his desire to help her his sympathy so like that which had shown when bass was in jail was she doomed to a second sacrifice did it really is i make any difference wasn t her life a failure already j she thought this over as she looked at her mother sitting there so silent haggard and what a pity she thought that her mother must always suffer wasn t it a shame that she could never have any real j i wouldn t feel so badly she said after a time maybe pa isn t burned so as we think did the letter say he d be home in the morning f yes said mrs recovering herself they talked more quietly from now on and gradually as the details were exhausted a kind of dumb peace settled down upon the household one of us ought to go to the train to meet him in the morning said to bass i will i guess mrs won t mind no said bass gloomily you mustn t lean go he was sour at this new fling of fate and he looked his feelings he stalked off gloomily to his room and shut himself in and her mother saw the others off to bed and then sat out in the kitchen talking i don t see what s to become of us now said mrs at last completely overcome by the financial which this new calamity had brought about she looked so weak and helpless that could hardly contain herself don t worry mamma dear she said softly a resolve coming into her heart the world was wide there was comfort and ease in it scattered others with a lavish hand surely surely misfortune could not press so sharply but that they could live j she sat down with her mother the difficulties of the future seeming to approach with audible and ghastly steps what do you suppose will become of us now repeated her mother who saw how her fanciful conception of this home had before her eyes why said who saw clearly and knew what could be done it will be all right i wouldn t worry about it something will happen we ll get something she realized as she sat there that fate had shifted the burden of the situation to her she must sacrifice herself there was no other way bass met his father at the railway station in the morning he looked very pale and seemed to have suffered a great deal his cheeks were slightly sunken and his bony appeared rather gaunt his hands were heavily and altogether he presented such a picture of distress that many stopped to look at him on the way home from the station by he said to bass that was a bum i got i thought once i couldn t stand the pain any longer such pain i had such pain by i will never forget it he related just how the accident had occurred and said that he did not know whether he would ever be able to use his	43
hands again the thumb on his right hand and the first two fingers on the left had been burned to the bone the latter had been at the first joint the thumb he might save but his hands would be in danger of being by i he added just at the time when i needed the money most too bad too bad when they reached the house and mrs opened the door the old mill conscious of her sympathy began to cry mrs sobbed also even bass lost control of himself for a moment or two but quickly recovered the other children wept until bass called a halt on all of them don t cry now he said what s the use of crying it isn t so bad as all that you ll be all right again we can get along bass s words had a soothing effect temporarily and is l z i c now that her husband was home mrs recovered her composure though his hands were the mere i ct that he could walk and was not otherwise injured was some consolation he might recover the use of his hands and be able to undertake light work again anyway they would hope for the best when came home that night she wanted to run to her father and lay the treasury of her services and affection at his feet but she trembled lest he might be as cold to her as formerly too was troubled never had he completely recovered from the shame which his daughter had brought upon him although he wanted to be kindly his feelings were so tangled that he hardly knew what to say or do papa said approaching him timidly looked confused and tried to say something natural but it was the thought of his helplessness the knowledge of her sorrow and of his own to her affection it was all too much for him he broke down again and cried helplessly forgive me papa she pleaded i m so sorry oh i m so sorry he did not attempt to look at her but in the of feeling that their meeting created he thought that he could forgive and he did i have prayed he said it is all right when he recovered himself he felt ashamed of his emotion but a new relationship of sympathy and of understanding had been established from that time although there was always a great reserve between them tried not to her completely and she endeavored to show him the simple affection of a daughter just as in the old days but while the household was again at peace there were other cares and burdens to be faced how were they to get along now with five dollars taken from the l weekly and with the cost of s presence added bass might have contributed more of bis weekly but be did not feel called upon to do it and so the l sum of nine dollars weekly must meet as best it could the current expenses of rent food and coal to say nothing of which now began to press very heavily had to go to a doctor to have his hands dressed daily george needed a new pair of shoes either more money must come from some source or the family must beg for credit and suffer the old of want the situation the resolve in s mind s letter had been left the day was drawing near should she write he would help them had he not tried to force money on her she finally decided that it was her duty to avail herself of this proffered assistance she sat down and wrote him a brief note she would meet him as he had requested but he would please not come to the house she the letter and then waited with mingled feelings of and thrilling the arrival of the day l chapter xxii tie fatal friday came and stood face to with this new and overwhelming in her modest scheme of existence there was really no alternative she thought her own life was a failure why go on lighting if she could make her family i happy if she could give a good education if she could conceal the true nature of this older story and keep in the background perhaps perhaps men had married poor girls before this and was very kind he certainly liked her at seven o clock she went to s at noon she excused herself on the pretext of some work for her mother and left the house for the hotel leaving a few days earlier than he expected had failed to receive her reply he arrived at feeling sadly out of tune with the world he had a lingering hope that a letter from might be awaiting him at the hotel but there was no word from her he was a man not easily wrought up but to night he felt depressed and so went gloomily up to his room and changed his linen after supper he proceeded to drown his dissatisfaction in a game of with some friends from whom he did not part until he had taken very much more than his usual amount of the next morning he arose with a vague idea of the whole but as the hours elapsed and the time of his appointment drew near he decided that it might not be to give her one last chance she might come accordingly when it stiu l z i c lacked a quarter of an hour of the time he went down into the parlor great was his delight when he beheld her sitting in a chair and waiting the of her acquiescence he walked briskly up a satisfied gratified smile on his face so you did come after all he said gazing at her with the look of one who has	43
lost and recovered a prize what do you mean by not writing me i thought from the way you neglected me that you had made up your not to come at all i did write she replied where to the address you gave me i wrote three days ago that explains it it came too late you should have written me before how have you been oh all right she you don t look it he said you look worried what s the trouble nothing gone wrong out at your house has there it was a question he hardly knew why he had asked it yet it opened the door to what she wanted to say my father s sick she replied what s happened to him he burned his hands at the glass works we ve been terribly worried it looks as though he would not be able to use them any more she paused looking the distress she felt and he saw plainly that she was facing a crisis that s too bad he said that certainly is when did this happen oh almost three weeks ago now it certainly is bad come in to lunch though i want to talk with you i ve been wanting to get a better understanding of your family affairs ever since i left he led the way into the dining room and selected i z i c a secluded table he tried to divert her mind by asking her to order the luncheon but she was too worried and too shy to do so and he had to make out the by then he turned to her with a cheering air now he said i want you to tell me all about your family i got a little something of it last time but i want to get it straight your father you said was a glass by trade now he can t work any more at that that s obvious yes she said how many other children are there six are you the oldest no my brother is he s twenty two and what does he do he s a clerk in a cigar store do you know how much he makes i think it s twelve dollars she replied thoughtfully and the other children and don t do anything yet they re too young my brother george works at s he s a cash boy he gets three dollars and a half and how much do you make i make four he stopped up mentally just what they had to live on how much rent do you pay he continued twelve dollars how old is your mother she s nearly fifty now he turned a fork in his hands back and forth he was thinking earnestly to tell you the honest truth i fancied it was something hke that he said i ve been thinking about you a lot now i know there s only one answer to your problem and it isn t such a bad one if you ll believe me he paused for an i i l but she made none her mind was running on her own difficulties don t you want to know he inquired yes she answered mechanically it s me he replied you have to let me help you i wanted to last time now you have to do you hear f i thought i wouldn t she said simply i knew what you thought he replied that s all over now i m going to tend to that family of yours and i ll do it right now while i think of it he drew out his purse and extracted several ten and twenty dollar bills two hundred and fifty dollars in all i want you to take this he said it s just the beginning i will see that your family is provided for from now on here give me your hand oh no she said not so much don t give me all that yes he replied don t argue here give me your hand she put it out in answer to the summons of his eyes and he shut her fingers on the money pressing them gently at the same time i want you to have it sweet i love you httle girl i m not going to see you suffer nor any one belonging to you her eyes looked a dumb and she bit her lips i don t know how to thank you she said you don t need to he replied the thanks are all the other way believe me he paused and looked at her the beauty of her face holding him she looked at the table wondering what would come next how would you like to leave what you re doing and stay at home he asked that would give you your freedom day times i couldn t do that she replied papa wouldn t allow it he knows i ought to work l that s true enough he said but there s so little in what you re doing good four dollars a week i would be glad to give you fifty times that sum if i thought there was any way in which you could use it he idly the cloth with his fingers i couldn t she said i hardly know how to use this they ll suspect i ll have to tell mamma from the way she said it he judged there must be some bond of sympathy between her and her mother which would permit of a confidence such as this he was by no means a hard man and the thought touched him but he would not his purpose there s only one thing to be done as far as i can see he went on very gently you re not suited for the kind of work you re doing you re too refined i	43
object to it give it up and come with me down to new york i ll take good care of you i love you and want you as far as your family is concerned you won t have to worry about them any more you can take a nice home for them and furnish it in any style you please wouldn t you like that he paused and s thoughts quickly to her mother her dear mother all her life long mrs had been talking of this very thing a nice home if they could just have a larger house with good furniture and a yard filled with trees how happy she would be in such a home she would be free of the care of rent the discomfort of poor furniture the wretchedness of poverty she would be so happy she hesitated there while his keen eye followed her in spirit and he saw what a power he had set in motion it had been a happy inspiration the su of a decent home for the he waited a few minutes longer and then said well wouldn t you better let me do that it would be very nice she said but it can t be done now i couldn t leave home papa would want l z i c to know all about where i was going i wouldn t know what to say why couldn t you pretend that you are going down to new york with mrs he suggested there couldn t be any objection to that could there not if they didn t find out she said her eyes opening in amazement but if they should they won t he replied calmly they re not watching mrs s a plenty of take their maids on long why not simply tell them you re invited to go have to go and then go do you think i could she inquired certainly he what is there peculiar about that she thought it over and the plan did seem then she looked at this man and realized that relationship with him meant possible for her again the tragedy of giving birth to a child ah she could not go through that a second time at least under the same conditions she could not bring herself to tell him about but she must voice this objection i she said the first word of her sentence and then stopping yes he said i what i she paused again he loved her shy ways her sweet hesitating lips what is it he asked you re so delicious can t you tell me her hand was on the table he reached over and laid his strong brown one on top of it i couldn t have a baby she said finally and looked r he gazed at her and the charm of her frankness her innate decency under conditions so her simple unaffected of the facts of life lifted her to a plane in bis esteem which had not occupied until that moment you re a great girl he said you re wonderful but don t worry about that it can be you don t need to have a child unless you want to and i don t want you to he saw the question written in her wondering face it s so he said you believe me don t you you think i know don t you yes she faltered well i do but anyway i wouldn t let any trouble come to you i ll take you away besides i don t want any children there wouldn t be any satisfaction in that proposition for me at this time i d rather wait but there won t be don t worry yes she said faintly not for worlds could she have met his eyes look here he said after a time you care for me don t you you don t think i d sit here and plead with you if i didn t care for you i m crazy about you and that s the literal truth you re like wine to me i want you to come with me i want you to do it quickly i know how difficult this family business is but you can arrange it come with me down to new york we ll work out something later i ll meet your family we ll pretend a courtship anything you like only come now you don t mean right away do you she asked startled yes to morrow if possible monday sure you can arrange it why if mrs asked you you d go fast enough and no one would think anything about it isn t that so yes she admitted slowly well then why not now i s d l it s always so much harder to work out a falsehood she replied i know it but you can come won t you won t you wait a little while she pleaded it s so very sudden i m afraid not a day sweet that i can help can t you see j how i feel look in my eyes will you yes she replied sorrowfully and yet with a strange thrill of affection i will l chapter the business of for this sudden departure was really not so difficult as it first appeared proposed to tell her mother the whole truth and there was nothing to say to her father except that she was going with mrs at the latter s request he might question her but he really could not doubt before going home that afternoon she accompanied to a department store where she was fitted out with a trunk a suit case and a suit and hat was very proud of his prize when we get to new york i am going to get you some real things he told	43
her i am going to show you what you can be made to look like he had all the purchased articles packed in the trunk and sent to his hotel then he arranged to have come there and dress monday for the trip which began in the afternoon when she came home mrs who was in the kitchen received her with her usual affectionate greeting have you been working very hard she asked you look tired no she said i m not tired it isn t that i just don t feel good what s the trouble oh i have to tell you something mamma it s so hard she paused looking at her mother and then away why what is it asked her mother nervously so many things had happened in the past that she was always on the alert for some new calamity you haven t lost place have you d l no replied with an effort to maintain her mental but i m going to leave it no exclaimed her mother why i m going to new york her mother s eyes opened widely why when did you decide to do that she inquired to day you don t mean it yes i do mamma listen i ve got something i want to tell you you know how poor we are there isn t any way we can make things come out right i have found some one who wants to help us he says he loves me and he wants me to go to new york with him monday i ve decided to go oh exclaimed her mother surely not you wouldn t do anything like that after all that s happened think of your father i ve ht it all out went on firmly it s really for the best he s a good man i know he is he has lots of money he wants me to go with him and i d better go he will take a new house for us when we come back and help us to get along no one will ever have me as a wife you know that it might as well be this way he loves me and i love him why shouldn t i go does he know about asked her mother cautiously no said i thought i d better not tell him about her she t to be brought into it if i can help it i m afraid you re up trouble for yourself said her mother don t you think he is sure to find it out some time i thought maybe that she could be kept here suggested until she s old enough to go to school then maybe i could send her somewhere le might assented her mother but don t you i l z i c think it would be better to tell him now he won t think any the worse of you it isn t that it s her said passionately i don t want her to be brought into it her mother shook her head where did you meet him she inquired at mrs s how long ago oh it s been almost two months now and you never said anything about him protested mrs reproachfully i didn t know that he cared for me this way said why didn t you wait and let come out here first asked her mother it will make things so much easier you can t go and not have your father find out i thought i d say i was going with mrs papa can t object to my going with her no agreed her mother thoughtfully the two looked at each other in silence mrs with her imaginative nature endeavored to some picture of this new and wonderful personality that had come into s life he was wealthy he wanted to take he wanted to give them a good home what a story and he gave me this put in who with some instinctive faculty had been following her mother s mood she opened her dress at the neck and took out the two hundred and fifty dollars she placed the money in her mother s hands the latter stared at it wide eyed here was the relief for all her woes food clothes rent coal all done up in one small of green and yellow bills if there were plenty of money in the house need not worry about his burned bands george and and could be clothed in comfort and made happy d l could dress better there would be a future education for do you think he might ever want to marry you asked her mother finally i don t know replied he might i know he loves me well said her mother after a long pause if you re going to tell your father you d better do it right away he ll think it s strange as it is realized that she had won her mother had from sheer force of circumstances she was sorry but somehow it seemed to be for the best i ll help you out with it her mother had concluded with a little sigh the difficulty of telling this lie was very great for mrs but she went through the falsehood with a seeming s suspicions the children were also told and when after the general discussion repeated the falsehood to her father it seemed natural enough how long do you think you ll be gone he inquired about two or three weeks she replied that s a nice trip he said i came through new york in it was a small place then compared to what it is now secretly he was pleased that should have this fine chance her employer must like her when monday came bade her parents good by and left early going straight to the where awaited her so you	43
came he said gaily greeting her as she entered the ladies parlor yes she said simply you are my niece he went on i have engaged a room for you near mine i ll call for the key and you go dress when you re ready i ll have the trunk sent to the the train leaves at one o clock l she went to her room and dressed while he about read smoked and finally knocked at her door she replied by opening to him fully clad you look charming he said a smile she looked down for she was nervous and the whole process of planning lying herself to carry out her part had been hard on her she looked tired and worried not are you he asked seeing how things stood no o she replied come now sweet you mustn t feel this way it s coming out all right he took her in his arms and kissed her and they strolled down the hall he was astonished to see how well she looked in even these simple clothes the best she had ever had they reached the after a short carriage ride the had been arranged for before hand and had allowed just enough time to make the train when they settled themselves in a state room it was with a keen sense of satisfaction on his part life looked rosy was beside him he had succeeded in what he had started out to do so might it always be as the train rolled out of the and the long reaches of the fields succeeded studied them wistfully there were the forests and bare the wide brown fields wet with the rains of winter the low farm houses sitting amid flat stretches of their low roofs making them look as if they were the ground the train roared past little with cottages of white and yellow and their roofs blackened by frost and rain noted one in which seemed to recall the old neighborhood where they used to live at she put her handkerchief to her eyes and began silently to cry i hope you re not crying are you said d l looking up suddenly from the letter he had been reading come come he went on as he saw a faint tremor shaking her this won t do you have to do better than this you ll never get along if you act that way she made no reply and the depth of her silent grief filled him with strange sympathies don t cry he continued soothingly everything will be all right i told you that you needn t worry about anything made a great effort to recover herself and began to dry her eyes you don t want to give way like that he continued it doesn t do you any good i know how you feel about leaving home but tears won t help it any it isn t as if you were going away for good you know besides you ll be going back shortly you care for me don t you sweet i m something yes she said and managed to smile back at him returned to his correspondence and fell to thinking of it troubled her to realize that she was keeping this secret from one who was already very dear to her she knew that she ought to tell about the child but she shrank from the painful necessity perhaps later on she might find the courage to do it i ll have to tell him something she thought with a sudden of feeling as regarded the seriousness of this duty if i don t do it soon and i should go and live with him and he should find it out he would never forgive me he might turn me out and then where would i go i have no home now what would i do with she turned to contemplate him a wave of terror sweeping over her but she only saw that imposing and comfort loving soul quietly reading his letters his smoothly shaved red cheek and comfortable head and a l body anything but or like an s she was just withdrawing her gaze when he looked up well have you washed all your sins away he inquired merrily she smiled faintly at the allusion the touch of fact in it made it slightly i expect so she replied he turned to some other topic while she looked out of the window the that one impulse to tell him had proved dwelling in her mind i ll have to do it shortly she thought and consoled herself with the idea that she would surely find courage before long their arrival in new york the next day raised the important question in s mind as to where he should stop new york was a very large place and he was not in much danger of people who would know him but he thought it just as well not to take chances accordingly he had the drive them to one of the more exclusive apartment hotels where he engaged a of rooms and they settled themselves for a stay of two or three weeks this atmosphere into which was now plunged was so wonderful so that she could scarcely believe this was the same world that she had inhabited before was no lover of vulgar display the with which he surrounded himself were always simple and he knew at a glance what needed and bought for her with and care and a woman took a keen pleasure in the handsome gowns and pretty that he upon her could this be really the s daughter she asked herself as she gazed in her mirror at the figure of a girl clad in blue velvet with yellow french lace at her throat and upon d l her arms could these be her feet clad in soft shoes	43
out or perhaps both if only you two boys could agree he used to say another thing which disturbed was his father s attitude on the subject of marriage s marriage to be specific never ceased to insist on the fact that ought to get married and that he by was making a big mistake in putting it off all the other children save were safely married why not his favorite son it was doing him injury morally that he was sure of the world expects it of a man in your position his father had argued from time to time it makes for social and you ought to pick out a good woman and raise a family where will you be when you get to my time of life if you haven t any children any home well if the right woman came along said i suppose i d marry her but she hasn t come along what do you want me to do take anybody no not anybody of course but there are lots of good women you can surely find some one if you try there s that pace girl what about her you used to like her i wouldn t drift on this way it can t come to any good his son would only smile there father let it go now i ll come around some time no doubt i ve got to be thirsty when i m led to water the old gentleman gave over time and again but it was a sore point with him he wanted his son to settle down and be a real man of affairs the fact such a situation as this might against any permanent arrangement with was obvious even to at this time he thought out his course of action carefully of course he would not give up whatever the possible but he must be cautious he must take no unnecessary risks could he bring her to what a scandal if it were ever found out could he her in a nice home somewhere near the city the family would probably eventually suspect something could he take her along on his numerous business journeys this first one to new york had been successful would it always be so he turned the question over in his mind l z i c the very difficulty gave it zest perhaps st louis or or would be best after all he went to these places frequently and particularly to he decided finally that it should be if he could arrange it he could always make excuses to run up there and it was only a night s ride yes was best the very size and activity of the city made concealment easy after two weeks stay at wrote that he was to soon and she answered that she thought it would be all right for to call and see her her father had been told about him she had felt it unwise to stay about the house and so had secured a position in a store at four dollars a week he smiled as he thought of her working and yet the decency and energy of it appealed to him she s all right he said she s the best i ve come across yet he ran up to the following saturday and calling at her place of business he made an appointment to see her that evening he was anxious that his introduction as her beau should be gotten over with as quickly as possible when he did call the j of the house and the manifest poverty of the family rather disgusted him but somehow seemed as sweet to him as ever came in the front room after he had been there a few minutes and shook hands with him as did also mrs but paid little attention to them the old german appeared to him to be merely commonplace the sort of man who was hired by hundreds in common in his father s factory after some conversation suggested to that they should go for a drive put on her hat and together they departed as a matter of fact they went to an apartment which he had hired for the of her clothes when she returned at eight in the evening the family considered it nothing amiss chapter xxv a month later was able to announce that intended to marry her his visits had of course paved the way for this and it seemed natural enough only seemed a little doubtful he did not know just how this might be perhaps it was all right l seemed a fine enough man in all conscience and really after why not if a united states could fall in love with why not a business man there was just one thing the child has she told him about he asked his wife no said mrs not yet not yet not yet always something do you think he wants her if he knows that s what comes of such conduct in the first place now she has to slip around like a thief the child cannot even have an honest name went back to his newspaper reading and brooding his life a complete failure to him and he was only waiting to get well enough to hunt up another job as he granted to get out of this mess of deception and a week or two later confided to her mother that had written her to join him in he was not feeling well and could not come to the two women explained to that was going away to be married to mc up at this and his suspicions were again aroused but he could do nothing but over the situation it would lead to no good end of that he was sure i o d l when the day came for s departure she had to	43
go without farewell to her father he was out looking for work until late in the afternoon and before he had returned she had been obliged to leave for the station i will write a note to when i get there she said she kissed her baby over and over will take a better house for us soon she went on he wants us to move the night train bore her to the old life had ended and i the new one had begun j the curious fact should be recorded here that although s generosity had relieved the stress upon the family the children and were actually none the r it was easy for mrs to deceive her husband as to the purchase of necessities and she had not as yet indulged in any of the fancies which an enlarged purse permitted fear her but after had been in for a few days she wrote to her mother saying that wanted them to take a new home this letter was shown to who had been merely her return to make a scene he frowned but somehow it seemed an evidence of regularity if he had not married her why should he want to help them perhaps was well married after all perhaps she really had been lifted to a high station in life and was now able to help the family almost concluded to forgive her everything once and for all the end of it was that a new house was decided upon and returned to to help her mother move together they searched the streets for a nice quiet neighborhood and finally found one a house of nine rooms with a yard which for thirty dollars was secured and furnished there were comfortable for the dining room and sitting room a handsome parlor set and bedroom sets complete for each room the kitchen was supplied with every i d l and there was even a bath room a luxury the had never enjoyed before altogether the house was attractive though plain and was happy to know that her could be comfortable in it when the time came for the actual moving mrs was fairly beside herself with joy for was not this the of her dreams all through the long years of her life she had been waiting and now it had come a new house new plenty of room things finer than she had ever even imagined think of it her eyes shone as she looked at the new beds and tables and and dear dear isn t this nice she exclaimed isn t it beautiful smiled and tried to pretend satisfaction without emotion but there were tears in her eyes she was so glad for her mother s sake she could have kissed s feet for his goodness to her family the day the furniture was moved in mrs and were on hand to clean and arrange things at the sight of the large rooms and pretty yard bare enough in winter but giving promise of a delightful in spring and the array of new furniture standing about in the whole family fell into a fever of delight such beauty such george rubbed his feet over the new carpets and bass examined the of the furniture swell was his comment mrs to and fro like a person in a she could not believe that these bright this beautiful parlor this handsome dining room were actually hers came last of all although he tried hard not to show it he too could scarcely refrain from comment the sight of an over the dining room table was the touch gas yet he said he looked grimly around under his shaggy by at the new carpets under his feet the long oak extension table covered with a white cloth and set with new dishes at the pictures on the walls the bright clean kitchen he shook his bead by it s fine he said it s very nice yes it s very nice we want to be careful now not to break anything it s so easy to scratch things up and then it s all over yes even was satisfied l chapter xxvi it would be useless to chronicle the events of the three years that followed events and experiences by which the family grew from an abject condition of want to a state of comparative self reliance based of course on the obvious prosperity of and the generosity through her of her distant husband was seen now and then a significant figure visiting and sometimes coming out to the house where he occupied with the two best rooms of the second floor there were hurried on her part in answer to telegraph to to st to new york one of his favorite was to engage quarters at the great hot springs mt and for a period of a week or two at a stretch enjoy the luxury of living with as his wife there were other times when he would pass through only for the privilege of seeing her for a day all the time he was aware that he was throwing on her the real burden of a rather situation but he did not see how he could remedy it at this time he was not as yet that he really wanted to they were getting along fairly well the attitude of the family toward this condition of affairs was peculiar at first in spite of the of it it seemed natural enough said she was married no one had seen her marriage but she said so and she seemed to carry herself with the air of one who holds that relationship still she never went to where his family lived and none l of his relatives ever came near her then too hia attitude in spite of the money which had first blinded them was peculiar	43
it is pathetic during that first year in street when no one was looking often carried about on his shoulders and pinched her soft red cheeks when she got old enough to walk he it was who with a fastened securely under her arms led her patiently around the room until she was able to take a few steps of her own accord when she actually reached the point where she could walk he was the one who her to the effort grimly but always lovingly by some strange leading of fate this on his family s honor this on conventional morality had its helpless baby fingers about the of his heart he loved this little outcast she was the one bright ray in a narrow gloomy life and early took upon himself the responsibility of her education in religious matters was it not he who had insisted that the infant should be say our father he used to demand of the infant when he had her alone with him ow was her like interpretation of his words who art in heaven ah in repeated the child why do you teach her so early pleaded mrs the little s struggles with and because i want she should learn the christian faith returned she ought to know her prayers if she don t begin now she never will know them mrs smiled many of her husband s religious were amusing to her at the same is i z i c time she liked to see this he was taking in the child s tt if he were not so bard bo narrow at times he made himself a torment to himself and to every one else on the earliest bright morning of returning ring he was wont to her for her first little journeys in the world come now he would say we will go for a little walk walk yes walk echoed would fasten on one of her little for in these days kept s wardrobe beautifully taking her by the hand would issue forth satisfied to drag first one foot and then the other in order to accommodate his gait to her steps one beautiful may day when was four years old they started on one of their walks everywhere nature was and the birds their arrival from the south the insects making the best of their brief span of life in the road upon the grass built in the of the cottages took a keen in pointing out the wonders of nature to and she was quick to respond every new sight and sound interested her exclaimed catching sight of a low flashing touch of red as a robin lighted upon a her hand was up and her eyes were wide open yes said as happy as if he himself had but newly discovered this creature robin bird robin say robin said yes robin he answered it is going to look for a worm now we will see if we cannot find its nest i think i saw a nest in one of these trees he peacefully on seeking to an z i c old abandoned nest that be had observed on a former walk here it is he said at last coming to a small and tree in which a winter beaten of a home was still clinging here come now see and he lifted the baby up at arm s length see said indicating the of dead with his free hand nest that is a bird s nest see repeated his pointing finger with one of her own ness yes said putting her down again that was a s nest they have all gone now they will not come any more still further they he the simple facts of hfe she wondering with the wide wonder of a child when they had gone a block or two he turned slowly about as if the end of the world had been reached we must be going back he said and she had come to her fifth year growing in sweetness intelligence and vivacity was fascinated by the questions she asked the she pronounced such a girl he would exclaim to his wife what is it she doesn t want to know where is god what does he do where does he keep his feet she asks me i laugh sometimes from rising in the morning to dress her to laying her down at night after she had said her prayers she came to be the chief solace and comfort of his days without would have found his life hard indeed to bear l chapter for three years now had been happy in the companionship of irregular as the connection might be in the eyes of the church and of society it had brought him peace and comfort and he was perfectly satisfied with the of the experiment his interest in the social affairs of was now practically and he had refused to consider any matrimonial proposition which had himself as the object he looked on his father s business as offering a real chance for himself if he could get control of it but he saw no way of doing so robert s interests were always in the way and if anything the two brothers were farther than ever in their ideas and aims had thought once or twice of entering some other line of business or of himself with another carriage company but he did not feel that he could do this had his salary fifteen thousand a year as secretary and of the company his brother was vice president and about five thousand from some outside he had not been so lucky or so shrewd in speculation as robert had been aside from the principal which yielded his five thousand he had nothing robert on the other hand was unquestionably worth between three and four hundred thousand dollars in addition	43
a very comfortable of rooms on a side street near the lake and he had it fitted up to suit his taste he figured that living in he could pose as a bachelor he would never need to invite his friends to his rooms there were his offices where he could always be found his clubs and the hotels to his way of thinking the arrangement was practically ideal of course s departure from brought the affairs of the family to a climax probably the home would be broken up but himself took the matter he was an old man and it did not matter much where he lived bass and george were already taking care of themselves and william were still in school but some provision could be made for boarding them with a neighbor the one real concern of and was it was s natural thought that must take the child with her what else should a mother do have you told him yet he asked her when the day of her contemplated departure had been set no but i m going to soon she assured him always soon he said he shook his head his throat swelled it s too bad he went on it s a great sin god will punish you i m afraid the child needs some one i m getting old otherwise i would keep her there is no one here all day now to look after her right as she should be again he shook his head i know said weakly i m going to fix it now i m going to have her live with me soon i won t neglect her you know that but the child s name he insisted she should have a name soon in another year she goes to c l people will want to know who she is it can t go on forever like this understood well enough that it couldn t she was crazy about her baby the heaviest cross she had to bear was the constant and the silence she was obliged to maintain about s very existence it did seem unfair to the child and yet did not see clearly how she could have acted otherwise had good clothes everything she needed she was at least comfortable hoped to give her a good education if only she had told the truth to in the first place now it was almost too late and yet she felt that she had acted for the best finally she decided some good woman or family in who lid take charge of for a consideration in a colony to the west of la avenue she came ss an old lady who seemed to all the virtues required cleanliness simplicity honesty she was a widow doing work by the day but she was glad to make an arrangement by which she should give her whole time to the latter was to go to when a suitable one should be found she was to have toys and kindly attention and mrs was to inform of any change in the child s health proposed to call every day and she thought that sometimes when was out of town might be brought to the apartment she had had her with her at and he had never found out anything the arrangements completed returned at the first opportunity to to take away who had been brooding over his approaching loss appeared most about her future she should grow up to be a fine girl he said you should give her a good education she is so smart he spoke of the of sending her to a school and church but was not so sure of that time and association with had led her to think that i z i c perhaps the public school was better than any private institution she had no particular objection to the church but she no longer depended upon its as a guide in the affairs of life why should she the next day it was necessary for to return to excited and eager was made ready for the journey had been wandering about restless as a lost spirit while the process of dressing was going on now that the hour had actually struck he was doing his best to control his feelings he could see that the five year old child had no conception of v hat it meant to him she was happy and self interested chattering about the ride and the train be a good little girl he said her up and kissing her see that you study your and say your prayers and you won t forget the what he tried to go on but his voice failed him whose heart ached for her father choked back her emotion there she said if i d thought you were going to act like that she stopped go said go it is best this way and he stood solemnly by as they went out of the door then he turned back to his favorite haunt the kitchen and stood there staring at the floor one by one they were leaving him mrs bass i he clasped his hands together after his old time fashion and shook his head again and again so it is so it is he repeated they all i leave me all my life goes to pieces l chapter during the three years in which and had been associated there had grown up between them a strong feeling of sympathy and under standing truly loved her in his own way it was a strong self satisfying determined kind of way based on a big natural but rising to a plane of genuine spiritual the yielding sweetness of her character both attracted and held him she was true and good and womanly to the very of her being he had learned to trust her	43
to depend upon her and the feeling had but deepened with the passing of the years on her part had sincerely deeply truly learned to love this man at first when he swept her o e i her feet her soul and used her necessity as a f chain wherewith to bind her to him she was a little doubtful a little afraid of him although she had always liked him now however by living with him by knowing him better by watching his moods she had come to love him he was so big so so handsome his point of view and opinions of anything and everything were so positive his pet motto to the let the fall where they may had clung in her brain as something immensely characteristic apparently he was not afraid of anything god man or devil he used to look at her holding her chin between the and fingers of his big brown hand and say you re sweet all right but you need courage and defiance you haven t enough of those and s d l her eyes would meet his in dumb appeal never mind he would add you have other things and then he would kiss her one of the most appealing things to was the simple way in which she tried to avoid exposure of her various social and she could not write very well and once he found a list of words he had used written out on a piece of paper with the opposite he smiled but he liked her better for it another time in the southern hotel in st louis he watched her pretending a loss of appetite because she thought that her lack of table manners was being observed by she could not always be sure of the right forks and knives and the strange looking dishes her how did one eat and why don t you eat something he asked you re hungry aren t you not very you must be listen i know what it is you mustn t feel that way your manners are all right i wouldn t bring you here if they weren t your instincts are all right don t be uneasy i d tell you quick enough when there was anything wrong his brown eyes held a friendly gleam she smiled gratefully i do feel a little nervous at times she admitted don t he repeated you re all right don t worry i ll show you and he did by degrees grew into an understanding of the and customs of comfortable existence all that the family had ever had were the bare necessities of life now she was surrounded with whatever she wanted trunks clothes toilet articles the whole varied of comfort and while she liked it all it did not upset her sense of proportion and her sense of the fitness of things there was no element of vanity in c l i her only a sense of joy in privilege and opportunity she was grateful to for all that he had done and was doing for her if only she could hold him always the details of getting established once adjusted settled down into the routine of home life busy about his was in and out he had a of rooms reserved for himself at the grand pacific which was then the exclusive hotel of and this was his residence his luncheon and evening were kept at the union club an early patron of the he had one in the apartment so that he could reach quickly and at any time he was home two or three nights a week sometimes oftener he insisted at first on having a girl of general but in the more sensible arrangement which she suggested later of letting some one come in to do the cleaning she liked to work around her own home her natural industry and love of order prompted this feeling liked his breakfast promptly at eight in the morning he wanted dinner served nicely at seven cut glass imported china all the little luxuries of life appealed to him he kept his trunks and wardrobe at the apartment during the few months everything went smoothly he was in the habit of taking to the now and then and if he chanced to run an acquaintance he always introduced her as miss when he her as his wife it was usually under an assumed name where there was no danger of detection he did not mind using his own signature thus far there had been no difficulty or of any kind trouble with this situation was that it was with the danger and consequent worry which the deception in regard to had as well as with s natural anxiety about her father and the d l home feared as hinted that she and william would go to with who was in a boarding house in and that would be left alone he was such a pathetic figure to her with his injured hands and his one ability that of being a that she was hurt to think of his being left alone would he come to her she knew that he would not feeling as he did at present would have him she was not sure of that if he came would have to be accounted for so she worried the situation in regard to was really complicated owing to the feeling that she was doing her daughter a great injustice was particularly sensitive in regard to her anxious to do a thousand things to make up for the one great duty that she could not perform she daily paid a visit to the home of mrs always taking with her toys or whatever came into her mind as being likely to interest and please the child she liked to sit with and tell her stories of	43
fairy and giant which kept the little girl wide eyed at last she went so far as to bring her to the apartment when was away visiting his parents and she soon found it possible during his several to do this regularly after that as time went on and she began to know his habits she became more bold although bold is scarcely the word to use in connection with she became much as a mouse might she would risk s presence on the assurance of even short two or three days she even got into the habit of keeping a few of s toys at the apartment so that she could have something to play with when she came during these several visits from her child could not but realize the lovely thing life would be were she only an honored wife and a happy mother was a most observant little girl she could by her z i c cent childish questions give a hundred turns to the dagger of self reproach which was already planted deeply in s heart can i come to live with you was one of her simplest and most frequently repeated questions would reply that mamma could not have her just yet but that very soon now just as soon as she possibly could should come to stay always don t you know just when would ask no dearest not just when very soon now you won t mind waiting a little while don t you uke mrs yes replied but then she ain t got any nice things now she s just got old things and stricken to the heart would take to the toy shop and load her down with a new of of course was not in the least suspicious his observation of things relating to the home were rather casual he went about his work and his pleasures believing to be the soul of sincerity and good natured service and it never occurred to him that there was anything in her actions once he did come home sick in the afternoon and found her absent an absence which endured from two o clock to five he was a little irritated and grumbled on her return but his annoyance was as nothing to her astonishment and fright when she foimd him there she at the thought of bis suspecting something and explained as best she could she had gone to see her she was slow about her she didn t dream he was there she was sorry too that her absence had lost her an opportunity to serve him it showed her what a mess she was likely to make of it all it happened that about three weeks after the above occurrence had occasion to return to for a week and during this time again brought d l to the flat for four days there was the happiest on between the mother and child nothing would have come of this little had it not been for an on s part the far reaching effects of which she could only afterward regret this was the leaving of a little toy lamb under the large leather in the front room where as wont to lie and smoke a little bell held by a thread of blue ribbon was fastened about its neck and this feebly whenever it was shaken with the unaccountable of children had deliberately dropped it behind the an action which did not notice at the time when she gathered up the various after s departure she overlooked it entirely and there it rested its innocent eyes still staring upon regions of when returned that same evening when he was lying on the quietly enjoying his cigar and his newspaper he chanced to drop the former fully lighted wishing to recover it before it should do any damage he leaned over and looked under the the cigar was not in sight so he rose and pulled the out a move which revealed to him the little lamb still standing where had dropped it he picked it up turning it over and over and wondering how it had come there a lamb it must belong to some neighbor s child in whom had taken an interest he thought he would have to go and her about this accordingly he held the toy before him and coming out into the dining room where was working at the he exclaimed in a mock solemn voice where did this come from who was totally unconscious of the existence of this evidence of her turned and was instantly possessed with the idea that he had suspected all and was about to visit his just wrath upon her instantly the blood in her cheeks and as quickly left them i z i c why why she it s a little toy i bought i see it is he returned her guilty tremor not escaping his observation but having at the same time no significance to him it s around a mighty lone he touched the httle bell at its throat while stood unable to speak it feebly and then he looked at her again his manner was so humorous that she could tell he suspected nothing however it was almost impossible for her to recover her self what s you he asked nothing she replied you look as though a lamb was a terrible shock to you i to take it out from there that was all she went on blindly it looks as though it has been played with enough he added more seriously and then seeing that the discussion was evidently painful to her he dropped it the lamb had not furnished him the amusement that he had expected went back into the front room stretched himself out and thought it over why was she nervous what was there about a toy to make her grow pale surely there was no	43
when she reached the gate she fairly sped up the little walk and into the house where was lying pale quiet and weak but considerably better several neighbors and a middle aged physician were in attendance all of whom looked at her curiously as she dropped beside the child s bed and spoke to her s mind had been made up she had and against her daughter but now she would make amends so far as possible was very dear to her but she would no longer attempt to deceive him in anything even if he left she felt an a pain at the thought she must still do the one right thing must not be an outcast any longer her mother must give her a home where was there must be sitting by the bedside in this humble cottage realized the of her deception the trouble and pain it had created in her home the months of suffering it had given her with the agony it had heaped upon her this night and to what end the truth had been discovered anyhow she sat there and meditated not knowing what next was to happen while down and then went soundly to sleep after recovering from the first heavy import of this discovery asked himself some perfectly natural questions who was the father of the child how old was it how did it chance to be in and who was taking care of it he could ask but he could not answer he knew absolutely nothing curiously now as he thought his first meeting with at mrs s came back to him what was it about her then that had attracted him what made him think after a few hours observation that be ao c l could her to do his will what was it moral or weakness or what there must have been art in the sorry a air the practised art of the cheat and in deceiving such a confiding nature as his she had done even more than practise deception she had been ungrateful now the of ingratitude was a very objection able thing to the last and most offensive trait of a nature and to be able to discover a trace of it in was very disturbing it is true that she had j not exhibited it in any other way before quite to the contrary but nevertheless he saw strong evidences of it now and it made him very bitter in his feeling toward her how could she be guilty of any such conduct toward him had he not picked her up out of nothing so to speak and her he moved from his chair in this silent room and began to pace slowly to and fro the of this subject to the full his power of decision she was guilty of a which he felt able to condemn the original concealment was evil the continued tion more lastly there was the thought that her love after all had been divided part for him part for the child a discovery no man in his position could contemplate with serenity he moved as he thought of it his hands in his pockets and walked to and fro across the floor that a man of s temperament should consider himself wronged by merely because she had concealed a child whose existence was due to conduct no more irregular than was involved later in the yielding of herself to him was an example of those inexplicable of judgment to which the human mind in its capacity of keeper of the honor of others seems per committed aside from his own per conduct for men seldom judge with that in the balance had faith in the ideal that a woman should z i j reveal herself completely to the one man with whom she j is in love and the fact that she had not done so was a grief to him he had asked her once about her past she begged him not to press her that was the time she should have spoken of any child now he shook his head his first impulse after he had thought the thing over was to walk out and leave her at the same time he was curious to hear the end of this business he did put on his hat and coat however and went out stopping at the first convenient saloon to get a drink he took a car and went down to the club strolling about the different rooms and with several people whom he encountered he was restless and irritated and finally after three hours of meditation he took a cab and returned to his apartment the sitting by her sleeping child was at last made to realize by its peaceful breathing that all danger was over there was nothing more that she could do for and now the claims of the home that she had deserted began to themselves the promise to and the need of being to her duties unto the very end might possibly be waiting for her it was just probable that he wished to hear the remainder of her story before breaking with her entirely although and frightened by the certainty as she deemed it of his her she nevertheless felt that it was no more than she deserved a just punish ment for all her when arrived at the flat it was after eleven and the hall light was already out she first tried the door and then inserted her key no one stirred however and opening the door she entered in the expectation of seeing sternly her he was not there however the burning gas had merely been an on his part she glanced quickly about but seeing only the empty room she came instantly to the other that he had her and so	43
stood there a meditative helpless figure gone she thought at this moment his footsteps sounded on the stairs he came in with his hat pulled low over his broad forehead close to his sandy eyebrows and with his overcoat up closely about his neck he took os the coat without looking at and hung it on the rack then he deliberately took off his hat and hung that up also when he was through he turned to where she was watching him with wide eyes i want to know about this thing now from beginning to end he began whose child is that wavered a moment as one who might be going to take a leap in the dark then opened her lips mechanically and confessed it s s echoed the familiar name of the dead but still famous ringing with shocking and unexpected force in his ears how did you come to know him we used to do his washing for him she rejoined simply my mother and i paused the of the statements issuing from her even his mood s child he thought to himself so that great representative of the interests of the common people was the of her a self confessed s daughter a fine tragedy of low life all this was how long ago was this he demanded his face the picture of a mood it s been nearly six years now she returned he calculated the time that had elapsed since he had known her and then continued how old is the child she s a little over five c l e moved a little the need for serious thought made his tone more but less bitter where have you been keeping her all this time she was at home until you went to last spring i went down and brought her then was she there the times i came to yes said but i didn t let her come out anywhere where you could see her i thought you said you told your people that you were married he exclaimed wondering how this relationship of the child to the family could have been adjusted i did she replied but i didn t want to tell you about her they thought all the time i intended to well why didn t you because i was afraid afraid of what i didn t know what was going to become of me when i went with you i didn t want to do her any harm if i could help it i was ashamed afterward when you said you didn t like children i was afraid afraid i d leave you yes he stopped the simplicity of her answers removing a part of the suspicion of artful which had originally weighed upon him after all there was not so of that in it as mere and row what a family she must have what queer non moral natures they must have to have any such a combination of affairs didn t you know that you d be found out in the long run he at last demanded surely you might have seen that you couldn t raise her that way why didn t you tell me in the first place i wouldn t have thought anything of it then i know she said i wanted to protect her where is she now he asked by explained she stood there the contradictory aspect of these questions and of his attitude even herself she did try to explain them after a time but all could gain was that she had along without any at all a condition that was so manifest that had he been in any other position than that he was he might have pitied her as it was the revelation concerning was hanging over him and he finally returned to that you say your mother used to do washing for him how did you come to get in with him who until now had borne his questions with pain at this he was now upon the period that was by far the most distressing memory of her life what he had just asked seemed to be a demand upon her to make everything clear i was so young she pleaded i was only eighteen i didn t know i used to go to the hotel where he was stopping and get his and at the end of the week i d take it to him again she paused and as he took a chair looking as if he expected to hear the whole story she continued we were so poor he used to give me money to give to my mother i didn t know she paused again totally unable to go on and he seeing that it would be impossible for her to explain without took up his questioning again by degrees the whole pitiful story had intended to marry her he had written to her but before he could come to her he died the confession was complete it was followed by a period of five minutes in which said nothing at all he put his arm on the mantel and stared at the wall while waited not knowing what would follow not wishing to make a single plea the clock audibly s face betrayed no sign of either thought d l or feeling he was now quite calm quite sober won what he should do was before him as the criminal at the bar he the righteous the moral the pure of heart was in the judgment seat now to sen to make up his mind what course of action he should pursue it was a disagreeable to be sure something that a man of his position and wealth really ought not to have anything to do with this child the of it put an almost face upon uie whole matter and yet he was not	43
quite prepared to speak he turned after a time the silvery of the french clock on the mantel striking three and causing him to become aware of pale uncertain still standing as she had stood all this while better go to bed he said at last and fell again to pondering this difficult problem but continued to stand there wide eyed expectant ready to hear at any moment his decision as to her fate she waited in vain however after a long time of musing he turned and went to the clothes rack near the door better go to bed he said indifferently i m going out she turned instinctively feeling that even in this crisis there was some little service that she might render but he did not see her he went out no further speech she looked after him and as his footsteps sounded on the stair she felt as if she were doomed and hearing her own death what had she done what would he do now she stood there a of despair and when the lower door moved her hand out of the agony of her suppressed she thought g me in the t of a late dawn she was still sitting ther pondering her state for too urgent for idle tears d l chapter xxx the sullen philosophic was not so upon his future course of action as he appeared to be stem as was his mood he did not see after ail exactly what grounds he had for complaint and yet the child s i existence complicated matters considerably he did not like to see the evidence of s previous walking about in the shape of a being but as a matter of fact he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest she would not have lied he that at the very outset he might have demanded the history of her past he had not done so well now was too late if fix i n mind was that it would be useless tp think ot h er it couldn t be done not by a man in his position tt best solution of the problem was to make reasonable provision for and then leave her he went to his hotel with his mind made up but he did not actually say to himself that he would do it at once it is an easy thing for a man to in a situation of this kind quite another to act our comforts and passions grow with usage and was not only a ff f an with him almost years of constant association had taught him so much about her and himself that he was not prepared to let go easily or quickly it was too much of a he could think of it bustling about the work of a great organization during the but when night came it was a different matter he could be lonely too l z i c v he discovered much to his surprise and it disturbed him one of the things that interested him in this situation was s early theory that the of him and her in this new relationship would injure child just how did she come by that feeling he wanted to know his place in the world was better than hers yet it dawned on him after a time that there might have been something in her point of view she did not know who he was or what he would do with her he might leave her shortly being uncertain she wished to protect her baby that wasn t so bad then again he was curious to know what the child was like the daughter of a man like might be somewhat of an infant he was a brilliant man and was a charming woman he thought of this and while it irritated him it aroused his curiosity he ought to go back and see the child he was really entitled to a view of it but he hesitated because of his own attitude in the beginning it seemed to him that he really ought to quit and here he was with himself the truth was that he couldn t these years of with had made him curiously dependent upon her who had ever been so close to him before his mother loved him but her attitude toward him had not so much to do with real love as with ambition his father well his father was a man hke himself ah of his sisters were distinctly wrapped up in their own affairs robert and he were with he had really been happy he had truly lived she was necessary to him the longer he stayed away from her the more he wanted her he finally decided to have a straight out talk with her to arrive at some sort of understanding she ought to get the child and take care of it she must understand that he might eventually want to quit she ought to be made to feel that a definite change had taken place though no immediate i z i c break might occur that same evening he went out to the apartment heard him enter and her heart began to flutter then she took her courage in both hands and went to meet him there s just one thing to be done about this as far as i can see began with characteristic get the child and bring her here where you can take care of her there s no use leaving her in the hands of strangers i will said i always wanted to very well then you d better do it at once he took an evening newspaper out of his pocket and strolled toward one of the front windows then he turned to her	43
you and i might as well understand each other he went on i can see how this thing came about it was a piece of foolishness on my part not to have asked you before and made you tell me it was silly for you to conceal it even if you didn t want the child s life mixed with mine you might have known that it couldn t be done that s neither here nor there though now the thing that i want to point out is that one can t live and hold a relationship such as ours without confidence you and i had that i thought i don t see my way clear to ever hold more than a relationship with you on this basis the thing is too tangled there s too much cause for scandal i know said now i don t propose to do anything hasty for my part i don t see why things can t go on about as they are certainly for the present but i want you to look the facts in the face sighed i know she said i know he went to the window and stared out there were some trees in the yard where the darkness was settling he wondered how this would really come out for he liked a home atmosphere should he leave the apartment and go to his club ai c l you d better get the dinner he suggested after a time turning toward her but he did not feel so distant as he looked it was a shame that life could not be more decently organized he strolled back to his and went about her duties she was thinking of of her attitude toward of his final decision never to marry her so that was how one dream had been wrecked by folly she spread the table lighted the pretty silver candles made his favorite put a small leg of lamb in the oven to roast and washed some leaves for a she had been a student of a cook book for some time and she had learned a good deal from her mother all tiie time she was wondering how the situation would work out he would leave her no doubt of that he would go away and marry some one else oh well she thought finally he is not going to leave right away that is something and i can bring here she sighed as she carried the things to the table if life would only give her and together but that hope was over l chapter there was peace and quiet for some time after this storm went the next day and brought i away with her the joy of the between mother and child made up for many other now i can do by her as i ought she thought and three or four times the day she foimd herself humming a little song came only occasionally at first he was trying to make himself believe that he ought to do something toward his life toward bringing about that separation which he had suggested he did not like the idea of a child being in this apartment particularly that particular child he fought his way through a period of calculated neglect and then began to return to the apartment more regularly in spite pf all its it was a place of quiet peace and very f notable personal comfort during the first days of s return it was for to matters so as to keep the playful nervous almost child from the staid emphatic commercial minded man gave a severe talking to the first night that he was coming telling her that he was a very man who didn t like children and that she mustn t go near him you mustn t talk she said you mi tn t ask questions let mamma ask you what you want and don t reach ever agreed solemnly but her childish mind hardly grasped the full significance of the warning ai d l came at seven who had taken great pains to array as as possible had gone into her bedroom to give her own toilet a last touch was in the kitchen as a matter of fact she had followed her mother to the door of the sitting room where now she could be plainly seen hung up his hat and coat then turning he caught his first glimpse the child looked very sweet he admitted that at a glance she was arrayed in a blue dotted white dress with a soft roll collar and and the costume was completed by white stockings and shoes her corn colored hung gaily about her face blue eyes rosy lips rosy cheeks completed the picture stared almost inclined to say something but restrained himself retreated when came out he commented on the fact that had arrived rather sweet looking child he said do you have much trouble in making her mind not much she returned went on to the room and a scrap of their conversation who are he asked sh that s your uncle didn t i tell you you mustn t talk are he your uncle no dear don t talk now run into the are he only my uncle yes now run along all right in spite of himself had to smile what might have followed if the child had been homely or all three can scarcely be had been less even in the beginning he might have obtained a disagreeable impression as jt was the natural beauty of the child combined with the mother s gentle in keep l z i ing her in the background served to give him that fleeting glimpse of innocence and youth which is always pleasant the thought struck him that had been the mother of a child all these years she had been separated from	43
it for months at a time she had never even hinted at its existence and yet her affection for was obviously great it s queer he said she s a peculiar woman one morning was sitting in the parlor reading his paper when he thought he heard something stir he turned and was surprised to see a large blue eye fixed upon him through the crack of a neighboring door the effect was most it was not like the ordinary eye which under such embarrassing circumstances would have been immediately withdrawn it kept its position with deliberate boldness he turned his paper solemnly and looked again there was the eye he turned it again still was the eye present he crossed his legs and looked again now the eye was gone this little episode unimportant in itself was yet in formed with the saving grace of comedy a thing to which was especially although not in the least inclined to his attitude of he found his mind in the degree by the mysterious appearance the comers of his mouth were animated by a desire to turn up he did not give way to the feeling and stuck by his paper but the incident remained very clearly in his mind the young had made her first really important impression upon him not long after this was sitting one morning at breakfast calmly eating his chop and his newspaper when he was aroused by another this time not quite so simple had given her breakfast and set her to amuse herself alone until should leave the house was seated at the table pouring out the coffee when suddenly appeared very business like in manner and marched through the room looked up and colored and arose what is it she inquired following her by this time however had reached the kitchen secured a little and returned a droll determination lighting her face i want my little she and marched past at which of spirit again this time allowing uie slightest suggestion of a smile to play across his mouth the final effect of this intercourse was gradually to break down the feeling of had for the child and to establish in its place a sort of recognition of her possibilities as a human being the of the next six months were of a kind to further the strain of opposition which still existed in s mind although not at all resigned to the somewhat atmosphere in which he was living he yet foimd himself so comfortable that he could not persuade himself to give it up it was too much like a bed of down was too the condition of liberty so far as all his old were concerned coupled with the privilege of quiet simplicity and affection in the home was too inviting he lingered on and began to feel that perhaps it would be just as well to let matters rest as they were during this period his friendly relations with the little strengthened he discovered that there was a real flavor of humor about s doings and so came to watch for its development she was forever doing something interesting and although watched over her with a care that was in itself a revelation to him nevertheless managed to every effort to suppress her and came straight home with her remarks once for example she was away at a small piece of meat upon her large plate with her big i knife when remarked to that it might be advisable to get her a little breakfast set she can hardly handle these knives yes said instantly i need a little knife my hand is just so very little she held it up who never could tell what was to follow reached over and put it down while with difficulty restrained a desire to laugh another morning not long after she was watching put the of sugar in s cup when she broke in with i want two in mine mamma no dearest replied you don t need any in yours you have milk to drink uncle has two she protested yes returned but you re only a little girl besides you mustn t say like that at the table it isn t nice uncle eats too much sugar was her immediate at which that fine smiled i don t know about that he put in for the first time to answer her directly that sounds like the fox and grapes to me smiled back at him and now that the ice was broken she on one thing led to another and at last felt as though in a way the little girl belonged to him he was willing even that she should share in such opportunities as his position and wealth might make possible provided of course that he stayed with and that they worked out some arrangement which would not put him hopelessly out of touch with the world which was back of him and which he had to keep constantly in l chapter the following spring the show rooms and were completed and removed his office to the new building heretofore he had been all his business affairs at the grand pacific and the club from now on he felt himself to be in as if that was to be his future home a large number of details were thrown upon him the control of a considerable force and the handling of various important transactions it took away from him the need of that duty going to s husband under the direction of robert the latter was doing his best to push his personal interests not only through the influence he was bringing to bear upon his sisters but through his of the factory several men whom was personally fond of were in danger of but did not hear of this and senior was inclined to give robert a free hand age	43
was telling on him he was glad to see some one with a strong policy come up and take charge did not seem to mind apparently he and were on better terms than ever before matters might have gone on smoothly enough were it not for the fact that s private life with was not a matter which could be permanently kept under cover at times he was seen driving with her by people who knew him in a social and commercial way he was for it out on the ground that he was a single man and at liberty to associate with anybody he pleased might be any young woman of good family in d l whom he was interested he did not propose to introduce her to anybody if he could help it and he always made it a point to be a fast in driving in order that others might not attempt to detain and talk to him at the as has been said she was simply miss the trouble was that many of his friends were also keen of life they had no quarrel to pick with s conduct only he had been seen in other cities in times past with this same woman she must be some one whom he was maintaining well what of it wealth and youthful spirits must have their fling came to robert who however kept bis own counsel if wanted to do this sort of thing well and good but there must come a time when there would be a show down this came about in one form about a year and a half after and had been living in the north side apartment it so happened that during a stretch of weather in the fall was seized with a mild form of grip when he felt the first symptoms he thought that his would be a matter of short duration and tried to overcome it by taking a hot bath and a liberal dose of but the was stronger than he counted on by morning he was flat on his back with a severe fever and a headache his long period of association with had made him policy would have dictated that he should himself to his hotel and endure his sickness alone as a matter of fact he was very glad to be in the house with her he had to call up the office to say that he was and would not be down for a day or so then he yielded himself comfortably to her patient of course was delighted to have with her sick or well she persuaded him to see a doctor and liave she brought him of hot and bathed his face and hands in cold water over and over later when he was recovering she made him cups of beef tea or it was during this illness that the first real occurred s sister who had been visiting friends in st paul and who had written him that she might stop off to see him on her way decided upon an earlier return than she had originally planned while was sick at his apartment she arrived in calling up the office and finding that he was not there and would not be down for several days she asked where he could be reached i think he is at his rooms in the grand pacific said an secretary he s not feeling well l e a little disturbed to the grand pacific and was told that mr had not been there for several days did not as a matter of fact occupy his rooms more than one or two days a week by this she his it so happened that at the club there was a boy who had called up the apartment a number of times for himself he had not been not to give its number as a matter of fact it had never been asked for by any one else when stated that she was s sister and was anxious to find him the boy replied i think he lives at place whose address is that you re giving inquired a passing clerk mr s well don t be giving out addresses don t you know that yet the boy but had hung up the and was gone about an hour later curious as to this third residence of her brother arrived at place ascending the steps it was a two apartment house she saw a z i the name of on the door leading to the second floor the bell she was opened to by who was surprised to see so attired a young this is mr s apartment i believe began as she looked in at the open door behind she was a little surprised to meet a young woman but her suspicions were as yet only vaguely aroused yes replied he s sick i believe i m his sister may i come in had she had time to collect her thoughts would have tried to make some excuse but with the audacity of her birth and station swept past before could say a word once inside looked about her she found herself in the which gave into the bedroom where was lying happened to be playing in one comer of the room and stood up to eye the new comer the open bedroom showed quite plainly lying in bed a window to the left of his eyes closed oh there you are old fellow exclaimed what s you she hurried on who at the sound of her voice had opened his eyes realized in an instant how things were he pulled himself up on one elbow but words failed him why he finally forced himself to say where did you come from st paul i came back sooner than i thought she answered a sense of something wrong her i had a hard	43
time finding you too who s your she was about to say pretty housekeeper but turned to find gathering up certain articles in the adjoining room and looking dreadfully cleared his throat hopelessly i z i c his sister swept the place with an observing eye it took in the home atmosphere which was both pleasing and suggestive there was a dress of s lying across a chair in a familiar way which caused miss to draw herself up she looked at her brother who had a rather curious expression in his eyes he seemed slightly but cool and defiant you shouldn t have come out here said finally before could give vent to the rising question in her mind why shouldn t i she exclaimed at the brazen confession you re my brother aren t you why should you have any place that i couldn t come well i like that and from you to me listen went on drawing himself up further on one elbow you know as much about life as i do there is no need of our getting into an argument i didn t know you were coming or i would have made other arrangements other arrangements indeed she sneered i should think as much the idea she was greatly irritated to think that she had fallen into this trap it was really disgraceful of i wouldn t be so haughty about it he declared his color rising i m not to you for my conduct i m saying i would have made other arrangements which is a very different thing from begging your pardon if you don t want to be civil you needn t why she exclaimed her cheeks flaming i thought better of you honestly i did i should think you would be ashamed of yourself living here in open she paused without using the word and our friends scattered all over the city it s terrible i thought you had more sense of decency and consideration decency nothing he i tell you i m not c l to you if you don t like this you know what you can do oh she exclaimed this from my own brother and for the sake of that creature whose child is that she demanded savagely and yet curiously never mind it s not mine if it were it wouldn t any difference i wish you wouldn t busy yourself about my who had been moving about the dining room beyond the sitting room heard the cutting to herself she with pain don t flatter yourself i won t any more retorted i should think though that you of all men would be above anything like this and that with a woman so obviously beneath you why i thought she was she was again going to add your housekeeper but she was interrupted by who was angry to the point of never mind what you thought she was he growled she s better than some who do the so called superior thinking i know what you think it s neither here nor there i tell you i m doing this and don t care what you think i have to take the blame don t bother about me well i won t i assure you she flung back it s quite plain that your means nothing to you but if you had any sense of decency you would never let your sister be into coming into a place like this i m disgusted that s all and so will the others be when they hear of it she turned on her heel and walked scornfully out a withering look being reserved for who had unfortunately stepped near the door of the dining room had disappeared came in a little while later and closed the door she knew of nothing to say his thick hair pushed back from his vigorous ace leaned back on his pillow what a devilish l z i c trick of fortune he thought now she would go home and tell it to the family his father would know and his mother robert all would hear he would have no explanation to make she had seen he stared at the wall r meanwhile moving about her duties also j found food for reflection so this was her real position in another woman s eyes now she could see what the world thought this family was as aloof from her as if it lived on another planet to his sisters and brothers his father and mother she was a bad woman a creature far beneath him far beneath him mentally and y morally a creature of the streets and she had hoped somehow to herself in the eyes of the world it cut her as nothing before had ever done the thought tore a great gaping wound ih her she was really low and vile in her s eyes in the world s eyes so in s eyes how could it be other l wise she went about and still but the ache of defeat and disgrace was under it all oh if she could see some way to make herself right the world to live to be decent how could that be brought about it ought to be she that but how l chapter outraged in her pride lost no time in returning to where she told the story of her discovery with many details according to her she was met at the door by a silly looking white faced woman who did not even to invite her in when she announced her name but stood there looking just as guilty as a person possibly could also had acted having the matter to her face when she had demanded to know whose the child was he had refused to tell her it isn t mine was all he	43
would say oh dear oh dear exclaimed mrs who was the first to hear the story my son my how could he have done it and such a creature i exclaimed emphatically as though the words needed to be to give them any shadow of i went there solely because i thought i could help him continued l i thought when they said he was that he might be seriously ill how should i have known poor exclaimed her mother to think he would come to anything like that mrs turned the difficult problem over in her mind and having no previous experiences whereby to measure it for old who came out from the factory and sat through the discussion with a countenance so was living openly with d l a woman of whom they had never beard he would probably be as defiant and indifferent as his was strong the of parental authority was impossible was a authority in himself and if any for a change of conduct were to be made they would have to be very executed returned to the sore and disgusted but determined that something ought to be done he held a consultation with robert who confessed that he had heard disturbing from time to time but had not wanted to say anything mrs suggested that robert might go to and have a talk with he ought to see that this thing if continued is going to do him damage said mr he cannot hope to it off successfully nobody can he ought to marry her or he ought to quit i want you to tell him that for me all well and good said robert but who s going to convince him i m sure i don t want the job i hope to said old eventually but you d better go up and try anyhow it can t do any harm he might come to his senses i don t believe it replied robert he s a strong man you see how much good talk does down here still i ll go if it will relieve your feelings any mother wants it yes yes said his father better go accordingly robert went without allowing himself to anticipate any particular measure of success in this venture he rode pleasantly into confident in the reflection that he had all the powers of morality and justice on his side upon robert s arrival the third morning after s interview he called up the but was d l not there he then to the and made an appointment was still but he preferred to come down to the office and he did he met robert in his cheerful way and together they talked business for a time then followed a silence well i suppose you know what brought me up here began robert i think i could make a guess at it replied they were all very much worried over the fact that you were sick mother particularly you re not in any danger of having a are you i think not said there was some sort of a peculiar she ran into up here you re not married are you no the young woman saw is just robert waved his hand nodded i don t want to be inquisitive i didn t come up for that i m simply here because the family felt that i ought to come mother was so very much distressed that i t do less than see you for her sake he paused and touched by the and respect of his attitude felt that mere courtesy at least made some explanation due i don t know that anything i can say will help matters much he replied thoughtfully there s really nothing to be said i have the woman and the family has its objections the chief difficulty about the thing seems to be the bad luck in being found out he stopped and robert turned over the substance of this worldly reasoning in his mind was very calm about it he seemed as usual to be most sane you re not contemplating marrying her are you robert hesitatingly l z i c i hadn t come to that answered coolly they looked at each other quietly for a moment and then robert turned his glance to the distant scene of the city it s useless to ask whether you are seriously in love with her i suppose ventured robert i don t know whether i d be able to discuss that divine with you or not returned with a touch of grim humor i have never experienced the sensation myself all i know is that the lady is very pleasing to me well it s all a question of your own well being and the family s went on robert after another pause morality does nt seem to figure in it anyway at least you and i can t discuss that together your feelings on that score naturally relate to you alone but the matter of your own personal welfare seems to me to be substantial enough ground to base a plea on the family s feelings and pride are also fairly important father s the kind of a man who sets more store by the honor of his family than most men you know that as well as i do of course i know how father feels about it returned the whole business is as clear to me as it is to any of you though off hand i don t see just what s to be done about it these matters aren t always of a day s growth and they can t be settled in a day the girl s here to a certain extent i m responsible that she is here while i m not willing to go into details there s always more in these affairs than appears on the court	43
of course i don t know what your relations with her have been returned robert and i m not curious to know but it does look like a bit of injustice all around don t you think unless you intend to marry her this last was put forth as a i might be willing to agree to that too was s reply if anything were to be gained by it the d l point is the woman is here and the family is in possession of the fact now if there is anything to be done i have to do it there isn t anybody else who can act for me in this matter into a silence and robert rose and paced the floor coming back after a time to say you say you haven t any idea of marrying her or rather you haven t come to it i wouldn t it seems to me you would be making i he mistake of your life from every point of view i don t want to but a man of your position has so much to lose you can t afford to do it aside from family considerations you have too much at stake you d be simply throwing your life away he paused with his right hand held out before him as was customary when he was deeply in earnest and felt the and simplicity of this appeal robert was not him now he was making an appeal to him and this was somewhat different the appeal passed without comment however and then robert began on a new tack this time old s fondness for and the hope he had always entertained that he would marry some well to do girl catholic if agreeable to him but at least worthy of his station and mrs felt the same way surely must re that i know just how all of them feel about it interrupted at last but i don t see that anything s to be done right now you mean that you don t think it would be policy for you to give her up just at present i mean that she s been good to n that i m morally under obligations to do the best i by her what that may be i can t tell to live with her inquired robert coolly certainly not to turn her out bag and baggage if she has been accustomed to live with me replied d l le and t i can robert sat down again as if he his recent appeal futile can t family reasons persuade you to make some arrangements with her and let her go not without due consideration of the matter no you don t think you could hold out some hope that the thing will end quickly something that would give me a reasonable excuse for softening down the pain of it to the family i would be perfectly willing to do anything which would take away the edge of this thing for the family but the truth s the truth and i can t see any room for between you and me as i ve said before these are involved with things which make it impossible to discuss them unfair to me unfair to the woman no one can see how they are to be handled except the people that are in them and even they can t always see i d be a damned dog to stand up here and give you my word to do anything except the best i can stopped and now robert rose and paced the floor again only to come back after a time and say you don t think there s anything to be done just at present not at present very well then i expect i might as well be going i don t know that there s anything else we can talk about won t you stay and take lunch with me i think i might manage to get down to the hotel if you ll stay no thank you answered robert i believe can make that one o clock train for i ll try anyhow they stood before each other now pale and rather robert clear wax like well knit and shrewd and one could see the difference time had already made robert was the clean decisive man the man of doubts robert was the spirit of business energy and integrity embodied the spirit of commercial c l y l at i f an together they made a striking picture which was none the less powerful for the thoughts that were now running through their minds well said the older brother after a time i don t suppose there is anything more i can say i had hoped to make you feel just as we do about this thing but of course you are your own best judge of this if you don t see it now nothing i could say would make you it strikes me as a very bad move on your part though listened he said nothing but his face expressed an unchanged purpose robert turned for his hat and they walked to the office door together i ll put the best face i can on it said robert and walked out l chapter in this world of ours the of animal life to be limited to a plane or circle as if that were an inherent necessity to the creatures of a planet which is compelled to swing about the sun a fish for instance may not pass out of the circle of the seas without a bird may not enter the domain of the fishes without paying for it dearly from the of the flowers to the monsters of the and the deep we see clearly the nature of their movements the emphatic manner in which life	43
has limited them to a sphere and we are content to note the ludicrous and invariably fatal results which attend any effort on their to depart from their in the case of man however the operation of this theory of has not as yet been so clearly observed the laws governing our social life are not so clearly understood as to permit of a clear still the opinions and judgments of society serve as boundaries w hich are the less being when men or women is pa out from the sphere in which they are accustomed to move it is not as if the bird had itself into the water or the wild animal into the haunts of man is not the immediate result people may do no more than their eyebrows in astonishment laugh lift up their hands in protest and yet so well defined is the sphere of social activity that he who from it is doomed bom and bred in this en l the individual is practically for any other state he is like a bird to a certain of atmosphere and which cannot live comfortably at either higher or lower level sat down in his easy chair by the window after his brother had gone and gazed out over the flourishing city yonder was spread out before him life with its phases of energy hope prosperity and e and here he was suddenly struck by a wind of misfortune and blown aside for the time being his prospects and purposes dissipated as cheerily in the paths h e had would not es relations with be necessarily affected by this sudden tide of opposition was not his own home now a thing of the past so far as his old relationship was concerned all the atmosphere of affection would be gone out of it now j that hearty look of approval which used to dwell in father s eye would it be there any longer robert j his relations with the everything that was a part of his old life had been affected by this sudden intrusion of it s unfortunate was all that he thought to himself and turned from what he considered senseless brooding to the consideration of what if anything was to be done i m thinking i d take a run up to mt tomorrow or thursday anyhow if i feel strong enough he said to after he had returned i m not feeling as well as i might a few days will do me good he wanted to get off by himself and think packed his bag for him at the given time and he departed but he was in a sullen meditative mood during the week that followed he had ample time to think it all over the result of his being that there was no need of making a decisive move at present a few weeks more one way or the other could not make z i c any practical difference neither robert nor any other member of the family was at all likely to seek another conference with him his business relations would necessarily go on as usual since they were coupled with the welfare of the certainly no attempt to him would be attempted but the consciousness that he was at hopeless with his family weighed upon him bad business he meditated bad business but he did not change for the period of a whole year this unsatisfactory state of affairs continued did not go home for six months then an important business conference demanding his presence he appeared and carried it off quite as though nothing important had happened his mother kissed him affectionately if a little sadly bis father gave him his customary greeting a hearty robert though without any verbal understanding agreed to the one real issue but the feeling of was there and it persisted hereafter his visits to were as few and far between as he could possibly make them l chapter in the meantime had been going through a moral crisis of her own for the first time in her life aside from the family attitude which had afflicted her greatly die realized w r t t h r u she was that she had yielded on two j of circumstances which might have been fought out differently if only she had courage if she did not always have this if she could only make up her mind to do the i right thing would never marry her why should he she loved him but she could leave him and it would be better for him probably her father would live with her if she went back to he would honor her for at last taking a decent stand yet the thought of leaving was a terrible one to her he had been so good as for her father she was not sure whether he would receive her or not after the tragic visit of she began to think of saving a little money laying it aside as best she could from her allowance was generous and she had been able to send home regularly fifteen dollars a week to maintain the family as much as they had lived on before without any help from the outside she spent twenty dollars to maintain the table for required the best of everything fruits and what not the rent was fifty five dollars with clothes and a varying sum gave her fifty dollars a week but somehow it had all gone she thought how she might but this seemed wrong better go without taking anything if she were going was the thought that came to her it was the only decent thing to do she thought over this week after week after the advent of trying to nerve herself to the point where she speak or act was generous and kind but she felt	43
at times that he himself might wish i t he was thoughtful abstracted t g with it seemed to her that he h ad a li if she could only say to him that she was not satisfied with the way she was living and then leave but he himself had p indicated after his discovery of that her feelings on that score could not matter so very much to him since he thought the presence of the child would definitely interfere with his ever marrying her it was her presence he wanted on another t and he was so she could not argue with him very well she decided if she went it would be best to write a letter and tell him why then maybe when he knew how she felt he would forgive her and think nothing more about it the of the family was not improving since had left bad married after several years of teaching in the public schools of she had met a young and they were united after a short engagement had been always a little ashamed of her family and now when this new life dawned she was anxious to keep the connection as slight as possible she barely the members of the family of the approaching marriage not at all and to the actual ceremony she invited only bass and george and william resented the slight ventured upon no comment he had had too many but was angry she hoped that life would give her an opportunity to pay her sister off william of course did not mind particularly he was interested in the possibilities of becoming an engineer a career which one of his school teachers had pointed out to him as being attractive and promising heard of s marriage after it was all over a note from giving her the main details she was glad from one point of view but realized that her brothers and sisters were drifting away from her a little while after s marriage and william went to reside with george a break which was brought about by the attitude of himself ever since his wife s death and the departure of the other children he had been subject to moods of profound gloom from which he was not easily aroused life it seemed was drawing to a close for him although be was only sixty five years of age the earthly he had once cherished were gone forever he saw and george out in the world practically him nothing at all to a home which should never have taken a dollar from and william were restless they objected to leaving school and going to work apparently preferring to live on money which had long since concluded was not being come by honestly he was now pretty well satisfied as to the true relations of and at first he had believed them to be married but the way had neglected for long periods the with which she ran at his and call her fear of telling him about somehow it all pointed to the same thing she had not been married at home had never had sight of her marriage since she was away she might have been married but he did not believe it the real trouble was that had grown in and and it was becoming im possible for young people to live with him and william felt it they resented the way in which he took charge of the after left he ac i z i them of spending too much on clothes and amusements he insisted that a smaller house should be taken and he regularly a part of the money which sent for what purpose they could hardly guess as a matter of fact was saving as much as possible in order to repay eventually he thought it was sinful to go on in this way and this was his one method outside of his to redeem himself if his other children had acted rightly by him he felt that he would not now be left in his old age the of charity from one who despite her other good qualities was certainly not leading a righteous hfe so they it ended one winter month when george agreed to receive his complaining brother and sister on condition that they should get something to do was for a moment but invited them to take the furniture and go their way his generosity them for the moment they even invited him to come and live with them but this he would not do he would ask the of the mill he watched for the privilege of sleeping in some out of the way garret he was always liked and trusted and this would save him a little money so in a ht of he did this and there was seen the spectacle of an old man watching through a dreary season of nights in a lonely neighborhood while the city pursued its gaiety elsewhere he had a small comer in the of a away from the tear and grind of the factory proper here slept by day in the afternoon he would take a little walk strolling toward the business or out along the banks of the or the lake as a rule his hands were below his back his brow bent in meditation he would even talk to himself a little an occasional by or so it is being of his dreary mood at dusk he would return taking his d l stand at the lonely gate which was his post of duty his meals he secured at a s such as he felt he must have the nature of the old german s reflections at this time were of a peculiarly subtle and character what was this thing life what did it all come to after the struggle and	43
the worry and the where does it all go to people die you hear nothing more from them his wife now she had gone where had her spirit taken its flight yet he continued to hold some strongly convictions he believed there was a hell and that people who would go there how about mrs how about he believed that both had he believed that the just would be rewarded in heaven m just mrs had not had a bad heart was the soul of generosity take his son was a good boy but he was cold and certainly indifferent to his father take she was ambitious but obviously somehow the children outside of seemed bass walked off when he got married and did nothing more for anybody insisted that she needed all she made to live on george had contributed for a little while but had finally refused to help out and william had been content to live on s money so long as he would allow it and yet they knew it was not right his very existence was it not a on the selfishness of his children and he was getting so old he shook his head mystery of mysteries life was truly strange and dark and uncertain he did not want to go and live with any of his children actually they were not worthy of him none but and she was not good so he grieved this condition of affairs was not made known to for some time she had been sending her letters to but on her leaving had been i z i c writing directly to after s departure wrote to saying that there was no need of sending any more money and william were going to live with george he himself bad a good place in a factory and would live there a little while he returned her a moderate sum that he had saved one hundred and fifteen dollars with the word that he would not need it did not understand but as the others did not write she was not e but what it might be all right her father was so determined but by degrees however a sense of what it really must mean overtook her a sense of something wrong and she worried hesitating between leaving and going to see about her father whether she left him or not would he come with her not here certainly if she were married yes possibly if she were alone probably yet if she did not get some work which paid well they would have a difficult time it was the same old problem what could she do nevertheless she decided to act if she could get five or six dollars a week they c live this hundred and fifteen dollars which had saved would tide them over the worst difficulties perhaps l chapter the trouble with s plan was that it did not definitely take into consideration s attitude i he did care for her in an way but he about by the ideas of the conventional world in which he had been reared to say that he loved her well enough to take her for better or worse to her position and to face the world bravely with the fact that he had chosen a wife who suited him was perhaps going a little too far but he did really care for her and he was not in a mood at this particular time to contemplate parting with her for good was getting along to that time of life when his ideas of womanhood were fixed and not subject to change thus far on his own plane and within the circle of his own associates he had met no one who appealed to him as did she was gentle intelligent gracious j a to his every need and he had taught the little customs of polite society until she was as agree able a companion as he cared to have he was com l he was satisfied why seek further but s restlessness increased day by day she tried writing out her views and started a half dozen letters before she finally one which seemed partially at least to express her feelings it was a long letter for her and it ran as follows dear when you get this i won t be here and i want you not to think harshly of me until you have read it all i am taking and leaving and i think c l it is really better that i should i ought to do it you know when you met me we were very poor and my condition was such that i didn t think any good man would ever want me when you came along and told me you loved me i was hardly able to think just what i ought to do you made me love you in spite of myself you know i told you that i t to do anything wrong any more and that i wasn t good but somehow when you were near mc i couldn t think just right and i didn t see just how i was to get away from you papa was sick at home that time and there was hardly anything in the house to eat we were all doing so poorly my brother george didn t have good shoes and mamma was so worried i have often thought if mamma had not been compelled to worry so much she might be alive to day i thought if you liked me and i really liked you i love you maybe it wouldn t make so much difference about me you know you told me right away you would like to help my family and t felt that maybe that would be the right thing	43
her there was no doubt of that he did not want to marry her could not very well she j knew that her letter said as much you have this thing wrong he went on slowly i don t know what comes over you at times but you don t view the situation right i ve told you before that i can t marry you not now anyhow there are too many big involved in this which you don t know anything about i love you you know that but my family has to be taken into consideration and the business you can t see the difficulties raised on these scores but i can now i don t want you to leave me i care too about you i can t prevent you of course you can go if you want to but i don t think you ought to want to you don t really do you sit down a minute who bad been counting on getting away without being seen was now thoroughly to have him begin a quiet argument a plea as it were it hurt her he pleading with her and she loved him so c l i she went over to him and he took her hand now listen he said there s really nothing to be gained by your leaving me at present where did you say you were going to she replied well how did you expect to get along i thought i d take papa if he d come with me he s alone now and get something to do maybe well what can you do different from what you ever have done you wouldn t expect to be a lady s maid again would you or clerk in a store i thought i might get some place as a housekeeper she suggested she had been counting up her possibilities and this was the most promising idea that bad occurred to her no no he grumbled shaking his head there s nothing to that there s nothing in this whole move of except a notion why you won t be any better off morally than you are right now you can t undo the past it doesn t make any difference anyhow i can t marry you now i might in the future but i anything about that and i ir you re not going to leave me though with my consent and if you were going i wouldn t have you dropping back into any such thing as you re contemplating i ll make some provision for you you don t really want to leave me do you against s strong personality and vigorous protest s own conclusions and went to pieces just the pressure of his hand was enough to upset her now she began to cry don t cry he said this thing may work out better th you think let it rest for a while take off your things you re not going to leave me any more are you no o ol she sobbed he took her in his lap let things rest as they d l are he went on it s a curious world things can t be adjusted in a minute they may work out i m putting up with some things myself that i ordinarily wouldn t stand for he finally saw her restored to comparative calmness smiling sadly through her tears now you put those things away he said pointing to the trunks besides i want you to promise i me one thing what s that asked no more concealment of anything do you hear not more thinking things out for yourself and acting without my knowing anything about it if you have anything on your mind i want you to come out with it i m not going to eat you talk to me about whatever is troubling you i ll help you solve it or if i can t at least there won t be any concealment between us j i know she said earnestly looking him straight in the eyes i promise i ll never conceal anything any more truly i won t i ve been afraid but i won t be now you can trust me that sounds like what you ought to be he replied i know you will and he let her go a few days later and in consequence of this agreement the future of came up for discussion had been worrying about him for several days now it occurred to her that this was something to talk over with accordingly she explained one night at dinner what had happened in i know he is very unhappy there all alone she said and i hate to think of it i was going to get him if i went back to now i don t know what to do about it why don t you send him some money he inquired he won t take any more money from me she explained he thinks i m not good not acting right he doesn t believe i m married d l he has pretty good reason hasn t he said calmly i hate to think of him sleeping in a victory he s so old and lonely what s the matter with the rest of the in won t they do anything for him where s your brother bass i think maybe they don t want him he s so cross she said simply i hardly know what to suggest in that case smiled the old gentleman t to be so i know she said but he s old now and be has had so much trouble for a while with his fork i u tell you what i ve been thinking he said finally there s no use living this way any longer if we re going to	43
stick it out i ve been thinking that we might take a house out in park it s something of a run from the office but i m not much for this apartment life you and would be better off for a yard in that case you might bring your father on to live with us he couldn t do any harm about indeed he might help keep things straight oh that would just suit papa if he d come she replied he loves to fix things and he d cut the grass and look after the furnace but he won t come unless he s sure i m married i don t know how that could be arranged unless you could show the old gentleman a marriage he seems to want something that can t be produced very well a steady job he d have running the furnace of a country house he added did not notice the of the jest she was too busy thinking what a she had made of her life would not come now even if they had a lovely home to share with him and yet he ought to be with again she would make him happy d l she remained lost in a sad abstraction until following the drift of her thoughts said i don t see how it can be arranged marriage aren t easily it s bad business a criminal to one i believe i wouldn t want to be mixed up in that sort of thing oh i don t want you to do anything like that i m just sorry papa is so stubborn when he gets a notion you can t change him suppose we wait until we get settled after moving he suggested then you can go to and to him personally you might be able to persuade him j he liked her attitude toward her father it was so decent that he rather wished he could help her carry out her scheme while not very interesting was not objectionable to and if the old man wanted to do the odd around a big place why not i l chapter the plan for a residence in park was not long in taking shape after several weeks had passed and things had down again invited to go with him to south park to look for a house on the first trip they found something which seemed to suit admirably an old time home of eleven large rooms set in a lawn fully two hundred feet square and shaded by trees which had been planted when the city was young it was peaceful was fascinated by the sense of space and country although depressed by the reflection that she was not entering her new home under the right she had vaguely hoped that in planning to go away she was bringing about a condition under which might have come after her and married her now all that was over she had promised to stay and she would have to make the best of it she suggested that they would never know what to do with so much room but he waved that aside we will very likely have people in now and then he said we can furnish it up anyhow and see how it looks he had the agent make out a five year lease with an for renewal and set at once the forces to work to put the establishment in order the house was painted and decorated the lawn put in order and everything done to give the place a trim and satisfactory appearance there was a large comfortable library and sitting room a big dining room a handsome reception hall a parlor a large kitchen serving room and in fact all the ground floor of a comfortable c l home on the second floor were and the maid s room it was all very comfortable and harmonious and took an immense pride and pleasure in getting things in order immediately after moving in with s permission wrote to her father asking him to come to her she did not say that she was married but left it to be inferred she on the beauty of the neighborhood the size of the yard and the manifold of the establishment it is so very nice she added you would like it papa is here and goes to school every day won t you come and stay with us it s so much better than living in a factory and i would hke to have you so read this letter with a solemn was it really true would they be taking a larger house if they were not permanently united after all these years and all this lying could he have been mistaken well it was high time but should he go he had alone this long time should he go to and with her appeal did touch him but somehow he decided against it that would be too generous an acknowledgment of the fact that there had been fault on his side as well as on hers was disappointed at s refusal she talked it over with l ter and decided that she would go on to and see him accordingly she made the trip up the factory a great furniture concern in one of the poorest sections of the city and inquired at the office for her father the clerk directed her to a distant and was informed that a lady wished to see him he crawled out of his cot and came down curious as to who it could be when saw him in his dusty clothes his hair gray his eye brows shaggy coming out of the dark door a keen sense of the pathetic moved her again poor papa she thought he came toward her his by eye softened a little by his o l i	43
smile and a manner wholly natural see succeeded in making a most favorable impression she explained to her guests that she had been living on the north side until recently that her husband mr had long wanted to have a home in park that her father and daughter were living here and that l z i c was the child s she said she hoped to repay all these nice attentions and to be a good neighbor heard about these calls in the evening for be did not care to meet these people came to enjoy it in a mild way she liked making new friends and she was hoping that something definite could be worked out here which would make look upon her as a good wife and an ideal companion perhaps some day he might really want to many her first impressions are not always permanent as was soon to discover the neighborhood had accepted her perhaps a little too hastily and now began to fly about a mrs calling on mrs one of s near neighbors intimated that she knew who was oh yes indeed you know my dear she went on his reputation is just a little she raised her eyebrows and her hand at the same time you don t say commented her friend curiously he looks like such a staid person oh no doubt in a way he is went on mrs his family is of the very best there was some young woman he went with so my husband tells me i don t know whether this is the one or not but she was introduced as a miss or some such name as that when they were living together as husband and wife on the north side mrs with her tongue at this astonishing news you don t tell me come to think of it it must be the same woman her father s name is exclaimed mrs yes that s the name it seems to me that there was some earlier scandal in connection with her at least there was a child whether he married her afterward or not i don t know anyhow i understand his family will not have anything to do with her how very interesting exclaimed mrs and to think he should have married her afterward if he really did i m sure you can t tell with whom you re coming in contact these days can you it s so true life does get badly mixed at times she appears to be a charming woman delightful exclaimed mrs quite i was really taken with her well it may be went on her guest that this isn t the same woman after all i may be mistaken oh i hardly think so she told me they had been living on the north side then i m sure it s the same person how curious that you should speak of her it is indeed went on mrs who was as to what her attitude toward should be in the future other came from other sources there were people who had seen and out driving on the north side who had been introduced to her as miss who knew what the family thought of course her present position the handsome house the wealth of the beauty of all these things helped to soften the situation she was apparently too too much the good wife and mother too really nice to be angry with but she had a past and that had to be taken into consideration an opening bolt of the coming storm fell upon one day when returning from school suddenly asked mamma who was my papa his name was dear replied her mother struck at once by the thought that there might have been some criticism that some one must have been saying something why do you ask where was i continued the last inquiry and interested in clearing up her own identity in pet why said i didn t have any papa and that you weren t ever married when you had me she said i wasn t a really truly girl at all just a nobody she made me so mad i her s face grew rigid she sat staring straight before her mrs had called and had thought her gracious and in her of assistance and now her little daughter had said this to where did the child hear it you mustn t pay any attention to her said at last she doesn t know your papa was mr and you were bom in you mustn t fight other little girls of course they say nasty things when they fight sometimes things they don t really mean just let her alone and don t go near her any more then she won t say anything to you it was a lame explanation but it satisfied for the time being i ll slap her if she tries to slap me she persisted you mustn t go near her pet do you hear then she can t try to slap you returned her mother just go about your studies and don t mind her she can t quarrel with you if you don t let her went away leaving brooding over her words the neighbors were talking her history was becoming common gossip how had they found out it is one thing to nurse a single thrust another to have the wound opened from time to time by additional one day having gone to call on mrs field who was her immediate neighbor met a mrs baker who was there taking tea mrs baker knew of the of s history on the north side and of the attitude of the family she was a thin vigorous intellectual woman somewhat on the order of mrs and very careful of her social connections she had always considered mrs field a	43
to catch a blaze only old newspapers were better and he had of these another evidence of his lord and master s wretched disposition it was a sad world to work in almost every ng was against him still he fought as as he could against waste and extravagance his own were rigid he would wear the same suit of ut down from one of s expensive of years before every sunday for a couple of years les ter s shoes by a little stretch of the imagination could be i made to seem to fit and these he wore his old ties also the black ones they were fine if he could have cut down s shirts he would have done so he i did make over the with the friendly aid of the cook s needle s of course were just right f expense for s clothing the remaining stock of s discarded clothing shoes shirts suits ties and what not he would store away for weeks and months and then in a sad and gloomy frame of mind he would call in a tailor or an man or a and dispose of the lot at the best price he could he learned that all second hand clothes men were that there was no use in putting the least faith in the of any rag dealer or old shoe man they all lied they all claimed to be very poor when as a matter of fact they were actually rolling in wealth had these stories he had followed them up he had seen what they were doing with the things he sold them he declared they offer me ten cents for a pair of shoes and then i see them hanging out in s z i front of their places marked two dollars such robbery my god they could afford to give me a dollar smiled it was only to her that he complained for he could expect no sympathy from so car as his own store of money was concerned he gave the most of it to his beloved church where he was con to be a model of propriety honesty in fact the of all the virtues and so for all the ill winds that were beginning to blow was now leading the dream years of her existence in spite of the doubts which assailed at times as to the wisdom of his career was invariably kind and considerate and he seemed to enjoy his home life everything all right she would ask when he came in of an evening sure he would answer and pinch her chin or cheek she would follow him in while always alert would take his coat and hat in winter time they would sit in the before the big grate fire in the spring summer or fall preferred to walk out on the porch one comer of which commanded a sweeping view of the lawn and the distant street and light his before dinner cigar would sit on the side of his chair and stroke his head your hair is not getting the least bit thin aren t you glad she would say or oh see how your brow is wrinkled now you mustn t do that you didn t change your tie this morning why didn t you i laid one out for you oh i forgot he would answer or he would cause the wrinkles to disappear or that he would soon be getting bald if he wasn t so now in the drawing room or library before and she was not less loving though a little more she loved odd like pigs in the spider s hole baby and the like shared in these simple amusements he would work by c l the hour if necessary to make a puzzle come right was clever at these mechanical problems sometimes she would have to show him the right method and then she would be immensely pleased with herself at other times she would stand behind him watching her chin on his shoulder her arms about his neck he seemed not to mind indeed he was in the wealth of she bestowed her cleverness her gentleness her tact created an atmosphere which was immensely pleasing above all her youth and beauty appealed to him it made him feel young and if there was one thing objected to it was the thought l of drying up into an old age i want to keep young or die young was one of his pet remarks and came to she was glad that she was so much younger now for his sake another pleasant feature of the home life was s steadily increasing affection for the child would sit at the big table in the library in the evening her books v would and would read his interminable list of german papers it grieved the old man that should not be allowed to go to a german school but would listen to nothing of the sort we ll not have any thick headed german training in this he said to when she suggested that had complained the public schools are good enough for any child you tell him to let her alone there were really some delightful hours among the four liked to take the little seven year old school girl between his knees and her he liked to the so called facts of life to its and watch how the child s mind took them what s water he would ask and being informed that it was what we drink he would stare and say that s so but what is it don t they teach you any better than that well it is what we drink isn t it persisted the fact that we drink it doesn t explain what it is he would retort you ask your teacher what water is	43
and then he would leave her with this problem troubling her young soul food china her dress anything was apt to be brought back to its and he would leave her to struggle with these dark suggestions of something else back of the superficial appearance of things until she was actually in awe of him she had a way of showing him how nice she looked before she started to school in the morning a habit that arose because of his constant criticism of her appearance he wanted her to look smart he insisted on a big bow of blue ribbon for her hair he demanded that her shoes be changed from low quarter to high boots with the changing character of the seasons and that her clothing be carried out on a color scheme suited to her complexion and disposition that child s light and gay by disposition don t put anything on her he once remarked had come to realize that he must be consulted in this and would say run to your papa and show him how yon look would come and turn briskly around before him saying see yes you re all right go on and on she would go he grew so proud of her that on sundays and some week days when they drove he would always have her in between them he insisted that send her to dancing school and was beside himself with rage and grief such he complained to such devil s de now she goes to dance i what for to make a no good out of her a creature to be ashamed of oh no papa replied it isn t as bad as that this is an awful nice school says she has to go that man a fine lot he knows about what is good for a child a card player a now hush papa i won t have you talk like that would reply warmly he s a good man and you know it yes yes a good man in some things maybe not in this no he went away groaning when was near he said nothing and could wind him around her finger oh you she would say pulling at his arm or rubbing his cheek there was no more fight in when did this he lost control of himself something up and choked his throat yes i know how you do he would exclaim his ear stop now he would say that is enough it was noticeable however that she did not have to stop unless she herself willed it adored the child and she could do anything with him he was always her devoted l gk chapter during this period the dissatisfaction of the family with s irregular habit of life grew steadily stronger that it could not help but become an open scandal in the course of time was sufficiently obvious to them were already going about people seemed to understand in a wise way though nothing was ever said directly senior could scarcely imagine what possessed his son to fly in the face of in this manner if the woman had been some one of distinction some of the stage or of the world of art or letters his action would have been if not but with this creature of very ordinary as bad described her this faced nobody he not possibly understand it was his son his favorite son it was too bad that he had not settled down in the ordinary way look at the women in who knew him and liked him take pace for instance why in the name of common sense had he not married her she was good looking sympathetic the old man grieved bitterly and then by degrees he began to it seemed a shame that should treat him so it wasn t natural or or decent over it until he felt that some change ought to be enforced but just what it should be he could not say was his own and he would resent any criticism of his actions apparently nothing could be done d l certain changes helped along an approaching married not many months after her very disturbing visit to and then the home property was fairly empty except for visiting did not attend the wedding though he was invited for another thing mrs died making a of the family necessary came home on this occasion grieved to think he had lately seen so little of his mother that he had caused her so much pain but he had no explanation to make his father thought at the time of talking to him but put it off because of his obvious gloom he went back to and there were more months of silence after mrs s death and s marriage the father went to live with robert for his three afforded him his greatest pleasure in his old age the business except for the final which would come after his death was in robert s hands the latter was agreeable to his sisters and their husbands and to his father in view of the control he hoped to obtain he was not a in any sense of the word but a shrewd cold business man far than his brother gave him credit for he was already richer than any two of the other children put together but he chose to keep his counsel and to pretend modesty of fortune he realized the danger of envy and preferred a form of existence putting all the emphasis on but very ready and very hard cash while was drifting robert was working working all the time robert s scheme for his brother from in the control of the business was really not very essential for his father after long brooding over the details of the situation had come to the definite conclusion that any large share of	43
asked attempting to smile but with a twist to the comers of his mouth he was trying to be nice and to go through a difficult situation gracefully we fellows usually make a fuss about that sort of thing you ought to let your friends know well said feeling the edge of the social blade that was being driven into him i thought i d do it in a new way i m not much for excitement in that direction anyhow it is a matter of taste isn t it said a little you re living in the city of course in park that s a pleasant territory how are things otherwise and he changed the subject before waving him a farewell missed at once the inquiries which a man like would have made if he had really believed that he was married under ordinary circumstances his friend would have wanted to know a great deal about the new mrs there would have been all those little familiar touches common to people living on the same social plane would have asked to bring his wife over to see them would have definitely promised to call nothing of the sort happened and noticed the significant it was the same with the the henry and a score of other people whom he knew equally well apparently they all thought that he had married and settled down they were interested to know where he was living and they were rather dis l l posed to joke him about being so very on the subject but they were not willing to discuss the supposed mrs he was beginning to see that this move of his was going to tell against him one of the worst it was the because in a way it was the most he received from an old acquaintance will at the union club was dining there one evening and met him in the main reading room as he was crossing from the cloak room to the cigar stand the latter was a typical society figure tall lean a little cynical and to night a little the worse for liquor hi he called out what s this talk about a of yours out in park say you re going some how are you going to explain all this to your wife when you get married i don t have to explain it replied why should you be so interested in my affairs you re not living in a stone house are you say ha ha that s pretty good now isn t it you didn t marry that little beauty you used to travel around with on the north side did you eh now ha ha well i swear you married you didn t now did you cut it out said roughly you re talking wild pardon said the other but i beg your pardon remember i m just a little warm eight straight in the other room there pardon i ll talk to you some time when i m all right see eh ha ha i m a little loose that s right well so long ha ha could not get over that ha ha it cut him even though it came from a drunken man s mouth that little beauty you used to travel with on the north side you didn t marry her did you he d l g e quoted s george but this was getting a little rough i he had never en anything like this before he it set him thinking certainly he was paying dearly for trying to do the kind thing by l chapter but worse was to follow the american public likes gossip about well known people and the were wealthy and prominent the report was that one of its principal had married a servant he an heir to millions could it be possible what a morsel for the newspapers very soon the began to appear a small society paper called the south side referred to him as the son of a famous and wealthy carriage of and briefly what it knew of the story of mrs it went on not so much is known except that she once worked in a well known society family as a maid and was before that a working girl in after such a picturesque love affair in high society who shall say that romance is dead saw this item he did not take the paper but some kind soul took good care to see that a copy was marked and to him it irritated him greatly for he suspected at once that it was a scheme to him but he did not know exactly what to do about it he preferred of course that such comments should cease but he also thought that if he made any effort to have them stopped he might make matters worse so he did nothing naturally the paragraph in the attracted the attention of other newspapers it sounded like a good story and one sunday editor more than the others conceived the notion of having this romance written up a full page sunday story with a scare head such as sacrifices mil d l for his servant girl love pictures of the house at park the at the on avenue certainly such a display would make a sensation the company was not an in any daily or sunday paper the newspaper owed him nothing if had been he might have put a stop to the whole business by putting an advertisement in the paper or appealing to the he did not know however and so was without power to prevent the publication the editor made a thorough job of the business local newspaper men in and were instructed to report by wire whether anything of s history was known in their city the family in was asked whether had ever worked there a history of	43
the was obtained from s residence on the north side for several years prior to her supposed marriage was discovered and so the whole story was nicely together it was not the idea of the newspaper editor to be cruel or critical but rather complimentary all the bitter things such as the probable of the suspected of and in together as man and wife the real grounds of the well known objections of his family to the match were ignored the idea was to frame up a and story in which should appear as an ardent self sacrificing lover and as a poor and lovely girl lifted to great financial and social heights by the devotion of her lover an exceptional newspaper artist was engaged to make scenes the various steps of the romance and the whole thing was handled in the most approved yellow journal style there was a picture of obtained from his for a consideration had been snapped by a staff artist while she was out walking s l z i c and so apparently out of a clear sky the story appeared highly complimentary over with phrases but with all the dark sad facts up in the did not see it at first came across the page accidentally and tore it out he was stunned and beyond words to think the damned newspaper would do that to a private citizen who was quietly his own business he thought he went out of the house the better to conceal his deep inward mortification he avoided the more parts of the town particularly the down town section and rode far out on cottage grove avenue to the open he wondered as the car along what his friends were thinking and and henry and the others this was a indeed the best he could do was to put a brave face on it and say nothing or else wave it off with an indifferent motion of the hand one thing was sure he would prevent further comment he returned to the house calmer his restored but he was eager for monday to come in order that he might get in touch with his lawyer mr but when he did see mr it was soon agreed between the two men that it would be foolish to take any legal action it was the part of wisdom to let the matter drop but i won t stand for anything more concluded i ll attend to that said the lawyer got up it s amazing this damned country of he exclaimed a man with a little money hasn t any more privacy than a public monument a man with a little money said mr is just like a cat with a bell around its neck every rat knows exactly where it is and what it is doing that s an apt assented bitterly knew nothing of this newspaper story for several days felt that he could not talk it over d l and never read the wicked sunday newspapers finally one of s neighborhood friends less than the others called her attention to the fact of its appearance by announcing that she had seen it did not understand at first a story about me she exclaimed you and mr yes replied her guest your love romance colored swiftly why i hadn t seen it she said are you sure it was about us why of course laughed mrs how could i be mistaken i have the paper over at the house i ll send over with it when i get back you look very sweet in your picture i wish you would she said weakly she was wondering where they had secured her picture what the article said above all she was dismayed to think of its effect upon had he seen the article why had he not spoken to her about it the neighbor s daughter brought over the paper and s heart stood still as she glanced at the title page there it all was and direct how dreadfully conspicuous the this fell in love with this lady s maid which ran between a picture of on the left and on the right there was an additional which explained how son of the famous carriage family of had sacrificed great social and distinction to marry his heart s desire below were scattered a number of other pictures addressing in the mansion of mrs standing with her before an imposing and conventional looking parson driving with her in a handsome victoria standing beside the window of an imposing mansion the fact that it was a mansion being indicated by most looking and out on a very v i z i c modest man s cottage pictured in the distance felt as though she must die for very shame she did not so much mind what it meant to her but how must he feel and his family now they would have another club with which to strike him and her she tried to keep about it to exert control but again the tears would rise only this time they were tears of opposition to defeat she did not want to be this way she wanted to be let alone she was to do right now why couldn t the world help her instead of seeking to push her down l chapter the fact that had seen this page was made perfectly clear to that evening for he brought it home himself having concluded after mature deliberation that he ought to he had told her once that there was to be no concealment between them and this thing coming so to disturb their peace was nevertheless a case in point he had decided to tell her not to think anything of it that it did not make much difference though to him it made all the difference in the world the effect	43
of this chill history could never be undone the wise and they included all his social world and many who were not of it could see just how he had been living the article which accompanied the pictures told how he had followed from to how she had been and distant and that he had to court her a long time to win her consent this was to explain their living together on the north side realized that this was an attempt to the true story and it made him angry still he preferred to have it that way rather than in some more brutal vein he took the paper out of his pocket when he arrived at the house spreading it on the library table who was close by watched him for she knew what was coming here s something that will interest you he said pointing to the array of text and pictures i ve already seen it she said wearily mrs showed it to me this afternoon i was wondering whether you had l rather high flown description of my attitude isn t it i didn t know i was such an ardent i m awfully sorry said reading behind the dry face of humor the serious import of this f affair to him she had long since learned that did not express his real feeling his big ills in words he was inclined to jest and make light of the inevitable the inexorable this light comment merely meant s this matter cannot be helped so we will make the best of it oh don t feel badly about it he went on it isn t anything which can be adjusted now they probably meant well enough we just happen to be in the i understand said coming over to him i m sorry though anyway dinner was announced a moment later and the incident was closed but could not dismiss the thought that matters were getting in a bad way his father had pointed it out to him rather plainly at the last interview and now this newspaper had the climax he might as well abandon his to intimacy with his old world it would have none of him or at least the more part of it would not there were a few a few gay married men some women single and married who saw through it all and liked him just the same but they did not make society he was an outcast and nothing could save him but to reform his ways in other words he must give up once and for all but he did not want to do this the thought was painful to him objectionable in every way was growing in mental she was beginning to see things quite as clearly as he did she was not a cheap ambitious climbing creature she was a big woman and a good one it would be a shame to throw her down and besides she was good he was forty six c l and she was twenty nine and she looked twenty four or five it is an exceptional thing to find beauty youth intelligence your own point of view softened and in another he had made his bed as his father had said he had better lie on it it was only a little while after this disagreeable newspaper incident that had word that his father was quite ill and failing it might be necessary for him to go to at any moment pressure of work was holding him pretty close when the news came that his father was dead of course was greatly shocked and grieved and he returned to in a and sorrowful mood his father had been a great character to him a fine and interesting old gentleman entirely aside from his relationship to him as his son he remembered him now him upon his knee as a child telling him stories of his early life in ireland and of his subsequent commercial struggle when he was a little older the of his business career and his commercial wisdom on him as he grew to manhood old had been honest it was to him that owed his instincts for plain speech and direct statement of fact never lie was s constant statement never try to make a thing look different from what it is to you it s the breath of life truth it s the basis of real worth while commercial success it will make a notable character of any one who will stick to it believed this he admired his father intensely for his rigid on truth and now that he was really gone he felt sorry he wished he might have been spared to be reconciled to him he half fancied that old would have liked if he had known her he did not imagine that he would ever have had the opportunity to things out although he still felt that would have liked her when he reached it was a windy snow the were coming down thick and fast the traffic of the city had a muffled sound when he stepped down from the train he was met by who was glad to see him in spite of all their past differences of all the girls she was the most put his arms about her and kissed her it seems like old times to see you he said your coming to meet me this way how s the family i suppose they re all here well poor father his time had to come still he lived to see everything that he wanted to see i guess he was pretty well satisfied with the of his efforts yes replied and since mother died he was very lonely they rode up to the house in kindly good feeling of old times and places all the members of the	43

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