The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-11-19
WHOLE No. 116O.

she reJolned, tersely and coldly, upon
his last speech. No one could make
this predicament itself anything but
unwelcome. 1t is not question of
personal taste or distaste.n
He laughed little, shortly
':Ah! you are begging the question,
| Miss Redwood"
She flushed haughtily.
Il never do that. If you must know
will know-the truth. [ have no re-
/ Spect for your views of life-no. And
judge a man by his life" announced
this uncompromising young medical
| student.
You are severe!'
Il don't think L am unjustly so."
| Her large eyes flashed upon him in the
| deepening darkness with indignant
! fearlessness. 81 simply have no re-
! spect for men who live in luxurious
Incidence on this toiling, writhing
| earth, where countless millions work
and suffer! Still less for men who cul-
tivate the reputation of Don Juans and
| Lovelaces.n
A silence fell between them. Ham-
mond could no longer distinguish
clearly the features of her face. The
rain had cooled the air, and with the
advent of night a certain chilliness had
crept into the bare, high-perched tower
| room. Now and again a soughing
gust of wind circled the massive stone
walls about them and died away in a
murmur of trees. At the foot of the
tower Yirginia's mastiff barked shortly
and insistently.
Poor Dony' murmured the girl,
softly.
She had seemingly almost forgotten
the man across the room. But she
started little, imperceptibly, when
| he spoke again. His face was quite
shrouded from her now, and she could
but just discern the outlines of his
figure; but she was conscious of a tone
in his voice that had never been there
before.
However scant your own respect
may be for man whom you think of
as glorying in the final two epithets
you have used, can prove to you that
such man is capable of greater re-
spect for good woman, on his side.
than you seem willing to credit. had
not intended saying anything to you
now. But before we were liberated
from this mouse-trap tomorrow it was
my determination to offer you my
name and hand-to ask you to be my
wife,
"And I would have refused both gift
and request" answered the girl, slowly
and distinctly. Il refuse now. l am
not so afraid of what the world may
say. My life lines are to lie so far
from the scandalous gossips of so-called
society that can afford to be very in
different to any unjust blight that may
be cast upon my name by reason of
this miserable accident. As a man of
honor you might offer to marry me-
such are the artificial codes ofthe thing
we call social life. But l, as a woman
OF honor, can marry no man in what
ever unfortunate position l may have
been placed who does not love me and
whom l do not love in return" Her
voice trembled.
"And who tells you that l do not
love you?n asked Hammond, in COM
pressed accents. She felt him draw
step nearer in the darkness. That l
should speak now is what I never
thought, never desired. But since one
word has been uttered the entire truth
may as well follow. l love you. I
have loved you exclusively, devotedly,
passionately-since the first day / saw
you. You have avoided me, heaped
contempt upon me. 1 have but loved
you the more. You are the one love of
my life. [ have wanted no other
woman for my wife. I want you.
You may treat me as you will now.
The day will come when you will
when you must-Iove me. l tell you
that-here-this moment. And there
will come time when you will re-
member my words. | am man who
is not afraid of the truth. When that
door crashed to, and l realised the posi-
ton in which you were unavoidably
placed, l said to myself that this might
be my opportunity-that you might
now be shown what was in my heart,
and might consent to marry me. Was
this wrong? VIII you judge me as
harshly for this as for all my other sup
positions misdemeanors? Love such
as mine for you makes its own law.
Do you not realise that? l may have
tasted too many of the bitter-sweet
fruits of life but | have never been
base man nor dissipated one. And
now | want to be a better one than l
have been; to lead a more useful, a
worthier existence. 1t is you who
have inspired this wish. And if you will
in time love me, you can make of me
what you will"
She had heard him through to the
final word, but now her voice broke
upon the last passionate vibration of
his with vibration as passionate.
"And YOU call yourself an honorable
man and take such an occasion as this
to drive me to bay? You say such
l.
constrained to listen to anything you
NAV choose to utter? Is this time to
force a love YOU have Justly OWNED
would be distasteful on a girl so de-
fenceless against intrusion as [ am at
this instant? But you have already
declared that you thought this
strangely happy opportunity! At least
YOU are candid in unmasking your soul
and your views, Mr.. Hammond! Let
me be equally candid and assure you
that even had l some feeling of
possible liking for you-which is never
the case-this scene, the unmanly and
ungentlemanly advantage you have
taken of my position, would be more
than sufficient to kill outright not only
such feeling, but the last lingering
spark of respect l might have enter
IaIuGu 1OI gu III bLlC DtlI gam
She paused, and she now for the first
time perceived that she was trembling
in every limb. Hammond had made
no sound--had not stirred in his place.
Only after what seemed an inter-
minable pause she heard him move to-
wards the window. When he spoke
his voice had changed as much as
though it were the voice of another
man.
You are entirely right. beg your
pardon. l acquiesce entirely in the
opinion you have formed of me. !
have labored under a great delusion.
But it is still possible, perhaps, to save
you in another way from the conse.
| quences of this unfortunate accident. y"
The scattered clouds had broken q
little and projected against the pale
square of night-light in the window.
Virginia could see the vague outlines
of his head and shoulders. Suddenly
he seemed to swing himself upward.
A sharp pang of underlined terror
clutched her.
"What are you going to doP"
''SWin@ myself on the top branches