Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-05

reaches the sacred easement. She loves to
wear the blossoms in her hair and in her
bOsom-he has seen them there twenty
times.
An idiotic. sentimental desire steals over.
Carol to possess himself Of one OF these
roses, they cleaned so white and soft In
the moonlight. climbing up to lay their cool
faces against her WindOW-silL 1t is such
an innocent theft-he could snatch it un-
seen, for the house is quite dark and STILL
and she is asleep up there, God bless herl
She would never know it if he sprang over
the garden wall. So
Half ashamed OF his folly half eager
Page strides across the deWy lawn jumps
the belt of dOwer-bedss and crosses the
white gravel path, and in second is stand
ing under her window.
It is wide open, but there is no light in
there. and Harki was that her voice?
His heart gives a wild, hot thrOb and
stands STILL as a sharp. plteous wall OF pain
rings out from the dark rOOms and he
catches the words, keen and distinct:
Il tell you it would kill me! Oh, mother,
do you want to break my hearth"
Page Carol ought to turn away and 60
but for the life of him he cannot stir There
is the low. indistinct murmur of an older
voice. and then his blood thrills again at
that passionate sweet one, hall chOked
with tears:
I can't do it. Let me have my own way.
I will be happy just little while longer.
Oh. mother, mother. I do love him sol"
That broke the spell. and Page Carol,
burning with shame, on ire with feeling
that he could not define. turned sharply
life.
The rose lay on the grass in the moon
hght-he thought no more Of roses that
night.
For all the rest of the dark hours he had
to hear four words Tung over and over
nothing but four words, in every key Of
! passion. melting into a caress, or Wailing
/ into a cry, only that maddening confession
/ that carried with it. God only knew What
4 meaning for him. 4 love him SOL No more
/ rest Tor Page Carol until he had heard
/ those words again, with one sweet dIf-
/ ference.
/ For awhile he never even remembered
/ what else had caught his ear, but it came
| back to him with dim trouble when the
! fever in his veins had cooled d little.
What did it mean? He had no right to
| wonder or to think OF it at all, that broken
| fragment of some secret never meant for
| his ears, Its very recollection seemed to
! dishOnOr him, and yet he could not drive
| it away. The burden Of q great sorrow lay
/ upon her image nova blow hanging over
/ her that would break her heart if it fell, and
/ he could not take it upon his own, or step
/ between her and the unknown danger.
| 1t maddened the man-it haunted him as
! her sweet face did, and he had no rest from
/ that face day or night.
! Page Carol had drifted far away from
/ the conventional woman; hour by hour he
was floating further and further from the
] traditions of his education and birth into
/ an ocean of doubt and wonder, and every
/ thing but distrust-that ugly shadow never
/ darkened Alice Berkeley image mystery"
! though she might be to the carping little
! world wherein he met her.
/ And he had begun to think that it did
/ not matter much, after all, what conven-
| t1Onal barriers she might have raised or
| broken down, so long as her own pure self
| was there-the lOveliest woman on earth to
/ him, and the hottest, be she aristOcrat or
| TOtUTjeTe.
He haunted the out of-the-w way places
! along the beach that he knew she fire.
! quented, and smoked uncOunted cigars in
| the wood near Holiness Place" and at
| last, one lazy, hot afternoon, down by the
! sea, he came upon her. quite alone. when.
/ for the first time, she showed no desire to
| escape him.
She sat on the sands. with her face turned
/ seward, and he lOunged beside her and
they talked for a few minutes as common
! place people dO-yery fast and easily. Then
| the words tagged little, and then they fell
into long pauses, and ut last into silence
/ that grew harder and yet more hard to
! break; when each one was afraid to look
| into the others eyes; and SO they both
/ looked out to sea-
1t was Carol who spoke first.
| You have not been i'll, have you? You
| have not walked here for so many days!"
! No" she answered, simply.
I've been here every day watching for
! you. They said you were not we'll when
/ called at The Oaks. You look now as If you
| had been suffering" he said. hurriedIy. de-
| yOuring her face with yearnings unre-
| strained eyes.
He saw the color rush into it with vivid
| crimson.
do I? How absurd! Yes, believe
/ had a headache, or was er-fatigued that
! day when you called. had forgotten it.
Isn't the sea perfect this afternoon Mr.
! Carol? never saw it so blue.
"DOn't!" cries Page, half fercely, scarcely
| knowing what he says. I'm not looking
at the sea- 1 came here-yOu know why
| camel Just to say three wOrds-thaU I
love you'll"
MIR Carroll" she cries. swiftly rising,
! and he starts up. too, and stands before
/ her, bareheaded, in the sunlight.
| What can 1 say more that thatY he
/ asks, in deep, shaken voice. Other men
/ might rant and rave over i'll can't. love
| you! MywhOle life and strength have gone
| into my love for you; and il No, will
| not lose you, my darling!"
Hush! Oh, Mr.. Carol, for PHYS sake
| don't speak to me sol"
Il will not, if you don't wish it" he says,
! crushing down his passion and calming his
| voice with struggle that she cannot but
/ see; I'll wait until you answer me- Alice.
/ Only answer me quickly"
And he folds his arms over his breast and
/ waits, pale and eager, for the words that
| inger long on Alice's lips.
The minutes pass, and only the wash of
Why don't you speak to me?' he cries,
passiOnately. Alice, for Gods sake,
answer mel Win you be my ,wife?'
Your wife?" she bursts into wild laugh.
| you don't know what or Whom, you are
/ asking. There can be only one answer to
/ such a question as that. You are hooking
| yourself and me, too, Mr.. Carol"
She takes a quick step forward as she
| speaks, and as she hurrries on Carol
! strides beside her, his cOIOrless face growing
/ white with strong passion.
4 am asking the one WOman-the only
| woman on earth that I ever lOved-to give
me all that care for on earthi I never
loved until saw you, Alice, and shall new
er have any wife but yOu-neverl"
Il never can marry you! Oh Mr.. Carol
you are torturing me! You are mad to talk
Of-Of loving me-a woman Of whom you
know nothing-whose whole life is mys-
terry to you'll You. a man who has made a
god of his own pedigree and position. to
IL. O. ,-T-
/ ago you cannot guess att Let me pass on,
Mr.. Carol I've answered you. lis use
| Iess-utterly uselessl"
You don't love me?"
he hsav-