San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-25

woman DeTore MIN. lie came forward a
step, took the cold, unresisting hands, and
bending before her pressed them to his lips,
while her bewildered eyes looked down upon
him
Your pity is heavenly, )" he said, brokenly,
"but give me more, give me morel want
your Lowell"
She gave little start and cry, and, draw
ing away her hands from him, sank back ON
her chair Her thoughts went flying back to
the paSt-to the stretches of Surrey common,
to the vuneham woods, and all she had ever
seen or imagined of his feelings toward her.
She had never, never suspected him of loving
her She had sent him her friendly messages
from Venice in the simplest good faith; she
had Joined in his sisters praises of him with
out moments self consciousness. His APP
prova of her play in "Elvira" had given her
the same frank pleasure that masters good
word gives to pupil-and all the time he
had loved her-loved her! How strange!
how incredible!
Kendall followed, bent over her, listened,
but no word came. She was, indeed, too be-
wildered and overwhelmed to speak. The
old bitter fear and certainty began to assert
itself against the overmastering impulse
which had led him on.
IL have startled you-shocked you," he
cried. Il ought not to have spoken-and at
such time. 1t was your pity Overcame me
your sweet womanly kindness. | have
loved you, | think, ever since that first even
ing after the White Lady At least, when
l look back upon my feeling, see that it was
love from the beginning. After that day at
Nuneham | knew it was love- but | would
not acknowledge it; fought against it. 1t
seemed to me that you would never forget
that had been harsh, that | had behaved
rather like an enemy than friend. But you
did forget-yOu showed me how noble wo-
man could be- and every day after we parted
in July loved you more thought of you
all the summer when was buried in the
country-my days and nights were full of
you. Then when your great success came
it was base Of me-but all the time while
was sending my congratulations to you
through my sister at Venice, was really
feeling that there was no more hope for me,
and that some cruel force was carrying you
away from me. Then came 'Elvra'-and
seemed to give you up forever"
Her hands dropped from her face, and her
great hazel eyes were fixed upon him with
that intent look he remembered long ago
when she had asked him for the truth"
about herself and her position. But there
was no pain in it now; nothing but wonder
and a sweet moved questioning.
why" The word was just breathed
through her parted lips.
Kendall heard it with a start-the little
sound loosed his speech and made him elo-
quent
why? Because l thought you must in
evitably be absorbed swallowed up by the
great new future before you; because my
own life looked 50 gray and dull beside yours.
l felt it impossible You should stoop from
your height to love me, to yield your bright
self to me, to give me heart for heart So
went away that | might not trouble YOU.
And then"-hiS voice sunk lower still-"came
the summons to Paris, and Marie on her
deathbed tried to make me hope. And just
now your pity drew the heart out of my lips.
Let me hear you forgive me-"
Every word had reached its mark. She
had realized ut last something of the depth,
the tenacity, the rich, illimitable promise of
the passion which she had reused. The ten
derneSS of Marie seemed to encompass them,
and a sacred, pathetic sense of her death and
loss drew them together. Her respect, her
reverence, her interest had been yielded long
ago; did this troubled yearning within mean
something more, something infinitely greater'
She raised herself suddenly, and, as he
knelt beside her, he felt her warm breath on