Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903, November 04, 1897, Image 2

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    I
J HE D>R< II nk REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, NOV’EM bER 4, 1897.
GOLDEN THRONE.
dift. m il fr-ni one’s self,—a flower, the air. The audience were as II I am forced to choose 1 m ust
a hum an soul - w h a t power . tiU a „ death, as if eager to hold choose you. I would save bo.h if I
[ a ROMANCE BY SAMUEL F. PUTNAM.] a
. in it, what a stir of all the lac- the vanishing delight.
c o n h l- I ..t I
t
a
of su p rem e p leasu re. Do we nut l ultiesl
Love is the
m ai/ieian's
t i
8 ,,
,
could, but I cannot. In dire ex-
1 ‘
»v io
n
iiirtgn u h s I here came a sudden
and ter-
often s a c r if ic e a p erso n al c o n v e n ­
watul that show s th e secret rich e s rib)e Cry , <>Fir e |» a l,d from t |,e
my h eart cries out for y ou.”
ience for th e sake of the lower
anim als, a noise, a dog, or a worm I ° f
" " ’st ''“ , rtn 'P ot
It
Al- stage swept a colum n o f smoke.
“ J know you cannot save us both.
----- « .,'L
_ , is a necessity
,. , in this
■ a d d in s lam p that compels the Qu jck as lightning, C harlie had 1 he,i take him in your arm s, and
even?
There
leave m e.”
Do you ask mu why? I cannot tell. finest m inistries. How weak one seized B lanche, an d was already
“ I revolt against th is. It ii my
I sim ply know th at Mich is hum an i. when he is selfish, how strong halfway to the door,
W ill was so intent upon the plav d u ty to save the one I love.”
nature. it is s* llislt, I g ra m ; it is when he Is loving! Love is indeed
“ It is your d u ty to obey the one
also unselfish, in this ease, Lorena creative. It ,s continually pm - aild r a pt by the passionate music
a n d I c a n n o t cnoos«- our own hap­ th ic n g . e n la rg in g , sw eeping Into th a t voiced the deep pain of his own you love.”
“ Not in such a ease. I will obey
piness; we should not he happy in new form s an d h eu u ’ v a n d power heart th a t he scarcely noticed the
so doing, in the largest sense. W’e It a ssim ila te s a ll, a n d it ach iev es tum ult. A fterw ard he saw the m v own conscience.”
a ll.”
“ It cannot be. I plead with you.
chose not to be happy, because, in
bursting
flame.
The
surging
so choosing we find the greatest:
*'* t * ° I,H
sePara,e<h
crowd was before him , pushing and I cannot leave him. If you will
___ ...
not take him , leave us bo th .”
jo y. W h y could we no,? Because,
in th e one to loye possessed, th e o th e r heaving in blind terror.
Yet each life
“ 1 he flames are alm ost on us.
the terrible pain of it all, there is an to love u f• possess» d
He said; “I m ight as well wait.
I here is no tim e to dispute. I
unspeakable pleasure; that which is w’as crowned; for love is a crow n­ Perhaps I m ay l»e of service.”
highest in us is thus, am i thus only, ing, whether it sits hv our side and
I h at really seemed the only wise shall seize you, in spite of your re­
satisfied. Lorena is her own judge; weaves a royal robe, or w hether we course. The crowd was sim ply sistance.”
“ No.” she cried. “ A ttem pt to
she recogniz»s the sacredness of sim ply behold its m arvelous bet utv furious. There was an end of re­
on
the
inaccessible
heights.
her plighted faith; th at is all in all
strain t. it was m ad endeavor in seiz»* me, and I will plunge into the
CHAPTER XXXVI.
to her. H er love is too pure to suf­
every direction, like the wild plunge flames! Can you not respect my
fer the slightest stain. H er wish
It was a brilliant and fashion­ of anim als or waves in a hurricane. feelings?”
“ \V hy shou id you not feel for m e
io me is law. W e do no, decide able audience listening to one of People were literally tossed upon
for others, and we do not blame the world’s renowned sing» is. All one another, and dashed forward as well as for h im ?”
“ He is my husband. I should
ihose who seek to break an unen­ were intent, as the birdlike notes and hack in the frightful struggle.
durable bond. W’e choose rath er to filled the air. M arvelously sweet The flames leaped forth more not leave him .”
“ But you com m and me to leave
suffer til <n th at another should suf­ they were, like diam ond sparkles fiercely. They caught the curtains,
fer. W’e recognize, also, # that we be- in the lofty
of song,—an
ex and were soon beyond control. It you.”
v height
o
r-»j ---- —
“ Because I m ust. Go, if you
long to h u m an ity , and m ust act for uberant fountain of melody, that was evident th a t the building
its highest welfare, and not for our rose higher and higher, and then would he destroyed, and the only will; but I still believe th a t you
own. I could not he happy in hurst in exquisite strain s like chance of life was in the open air are too noble to leave a fellow-
Lorena’s love, if the life <»f R a y - . flakes of fire. W ondrous music. 1 hey who rem ained m ust assured­ creatu re to perish.”
“ I will help him, but first let me
inond were th e re b y c ru sh e d . If he voice of passion, of tragedy, and of ly perish.
were ignoble, if he were so u n fit­ hope,— how the heart flows upon
W ill saw th a t he was hem m ed help you. I will plunge back info
ted to her as to m ake life a p e rp e tu a l its mellow tide, ami what r» veal- in; and th at lie m ust tak e his the building, and save him at all
burden, then she would have a ing pictures it creates!
chances to escape when th e first h azard s.”
“ You m ust save him first. Then,
right to be free; tint he is a dear I The people
were en tra n e <1; and fury was over. He was perfectly
and honorable man, and loves her ¡loud plaudits filled the auditorium , cool, and calm ly aw aited the op­ if you can save me com e.”
“ Oh, th is is horrible!” cried
dearly, to whom she has given a a n d the gleam ing flowers were po rtu n ity of escape. There were a
most sacred promise. The choice I borne to the
stage. Again and few who followed his exam ple,
W ill. “ W hy do you insist? W hy
we m ake is inevitable from what we «gain was the
singer recalled. Ii He did not th in k sim ply of him- do you compel me to see you per­
are, and th at ends it.
, was an hour of glorious trium ph. ; self. H e cast his eyes around in ish in the flames,— the wom an th at
“ I do not expect to see her again.
Once more, the song flowed rich search of those who m ight need the I love, rny very life, my soul?”
Am I m iserable, therefore, because and full, as if there were a heaven help of his strong arm .
“ Is it not better th a t I should
I thus surtendi r a great and b ea u ti-( D em ing to come fresh from its
In the m idst ol the surging crowd, perish in the flames than do the
htljo> ? Is life em pty? No; for, sparkling bosom.
he saw a woman bending over least th in g that m ight stain my
alter all. the greatest joy of living ‘‘W hat can lift the hum an
heart some one, who had apparently soul? Because we love each other,
is loving; and I can love, I can HO high as th is?” said Charlie. “ To fainted. He soon forced himself to let us be most noble, th a t we m ay
love. Oh, the wonder of it all! me, it is the very glory of hum an her side. W hen she turned, he be w orthy of this heavenly gift.
Daily to have her image in my ■ existence.”
Because we love, let us sacrifice.
cried,—
heart, daily to think how noble,
“ Yet all this wonder of music
Our love is so pure I would not
“ L orena!”
how pure, how sweet she is! I am comes from the pain and agony of
have the least selfi-hness in it; and
An J she said trem ulously,—
in agony, indeed, hut m iserable I life. W ithout tragedy, the deep-
it would be selfish, would it not,
“ W ill— Mr. B u rn h am !”
am not; for life is made great by esfc things cannot be touched.
...................
11>c
“ You
m ust escape.
Let me bear to save ourselves?”
th is love. I, is elevated, enlarged. She is singing the wild love-song you to a place of safety. Now is
“ If I could only save you, I
Io possess her and a thousand like of Lucia, where the breaking h eart ’be tim e.”
would w illingly perish m yself.”
b.et in my arm s would not equal breathes its awful woe. How ter-
“ It cannot be!”
she said. “ I
“ That is not enough; your love
th is infinite joy of loving. Even rible, yet how beautiful! L isten !” m ust save him .”
m ust be willing to sacrifice even
though I cannot touch her hand or
The tones of the singer seemed
She pointed to the body th a t lay me.
lip, because I have seen and loved freighted with the infinite suffering at her feet. It was Raym ond.
“ W hy, w hat com m ands it? ”
Iter, hereafter all my life is beauti- of the distracted lover. It breathed
“ Alas! we cannot save him ” said
“ H onor! Oh, w hat is love w ith­
bed. Though I carry an endless despair and u nutterable horror; yet W ill. “ It is all th a t we can do to out honor? H onor we m ust obey
pain, yet in th a t pain is an endless how perfect, how superb the save ourselves, and with our best in all things. H onor dem ands that
greatness.
harm ony! True it is th a t sorrow efforts we m ay perish.”
we save him , not ourselves. If I
“ How differently we are situated! is the m other of o u r greatest con-
“ I cannot leave him . It would perish, I gladly perish. Save him,
I am happy in my love. It seems solatioii; for only sorrow over- be too cruel. Besides, w hat can I I beg of you, save him .”
as if I could not lose it; for it is a whelm ing like an ocean could ere- do? I m ight as well rem ain. If I
The flam es hissed about them -
part of my being, and beyond this »te such magnificence of sound, attem p t to escape, I shall fail.”
The burning tongues alm ost touch­
sweet possession the universe is a sweeping and clashing, and then
“ Not if you tru st yourself to me. ed them . The smoke began to roll
blank. I only pity him who has bending and bursting with express- I can carry you forth. I can fight in thick and heavy clouds above
never had a throb of love, whose ive beauty. The voice of the sing- my way. Come!”
th eir heads.
vibrated
with »1!
all the intensity
can
life is entirely selfish. W hat does
'
“ I cannot.
If you have newer to
“ Lorena, I obey,” said W ill. “ It
' ^ 7
; d t p i h ^ f l X - ' i r ' U r e f l ^ 't 'h ihh: “ ve an o th er hesifles yourself, you
is alm ost beyond the power of m or­
,
,
to
k ra \e n io i, dark most ecstatic concord.
m ust save him , Raym ond, niv ta l h eart, but I will save him .
th an earth. The m om ent one he-
- I t is as if a flame were passing h u sb an d .”
Then I will return, and if I cannot
g in s to Z e . ' To V ’ e so m e th in g " 7 f T ’ n ” ’ I '
“ T h i” to tO° CrUeL
l'im save you, I will be buried with you
ng
Softly the last notes trembled on and let you perish?
I cannot do it.,
(To be C o n tin u ed .)