tue that was
not in the old and bless and guard my motherless little Marjorie, O God,
and save her from the fate that overwhelmed her mother for her father's
fault. I am leaving her asleep here in Thy charge, O God. When she wakes
in the morning let Thy angels comfort her and dry her tears. Let me not
hear her crying for me, or I shall kill myself. I cannot bear
everything. I have endured more than my strength can endure. Help me, O
Lord, and forgive me for my sin--if sin it is. Amen.

III. A MAN'S VOICE

God, if You are in heaven, hear me and help me. I have not prayed for
many years. My voice is strange to You. My prayer may offend You, but it
rushes from my heart.

I am about to do what the world calls hideous crime--to steal another
man's wife and carry her to another country where we may have peace. I
loved Edith before her husband loved her. I love her better than John
ever loved her. I can't stand it. I can't stand it any longer to see her
deserted in her beauty, and despised and weeping in loneliness, wasting
her love on a dog who squandered his heart on a vile woman. I can't go
on watching her die in a living hell. I have sold all my goods and
gotten all I could save into my safe so that we may sever all ties with
this heartless love. If what we are about to do offends Thee, then let
me suffer for her. She has suffered enough, enough, enough!

And keep her husband from following us, lest I kill him. Keep her from
mourning too much for her child--his child. Give her a little happiness,
O God. Take bitter toll from my heart afterward, but give us a little
happiness now. Grant us escape to-night and safety and a little
happiness for her. And then I shall believe in Thee again and live
honorably in Thy sight. Amen.

IV. A WOMAN'S VOICE

Dear God in heaven, what shall I do? He has abandoned me, John has
turned against me at last. Has denounced me as wicked, and hateful, has
accused me of wrecking his life and breaking his wife's heart--as if she
had a heart, as if I had not saved him from despair, as if I had not
sacrificed my name, my hopes, on earth and in heaven to make him happy.

O God, why hast Thou persecuted me so fiercely always? What made You
hate me so? Why didn't You give me a decent home as a child? Why did You
throw me into the snares of those vile men? Why did You make me
beautiful and weak and trusting? Why didn't You make me ugly and
suspicious and hateful so that I could be good?

And