The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-29
FOR HER.
A LOVE STORY BY MARY ANGELA
DICKENS GRANDDAUGHTER OF
THE NOVELIST
CHAPTER II.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

and as he did so, suddenly somethin
seemed to catch his eye; he turnet
white TO the lips, and half rose to hi
feet with hoarse inarticulate excla
nation. He was looking at the un
covered picture of his dead wife.
"What is the matter7' asked Mis-
Grahame. She did not follow the di
rection of his eyes. She had seated
herself so that her own face was in q
shadow, and her watchful eyes wer,
resting on his working, quivering fea
lures, with something curiously patient
and u1tiring in their steady look.
"What-why-l have never seer
that picture before.
"It stands there always she ans
wered very low, with strange thrill
in her deep voice. "There is a curtain
before it as rule
"He pused a moment, still staring al
the picture, and then said
May may | -ooYer it--now7"
"Whyi"
because -becausc-' He seemed
literally to tear bis eyes away from it
with fierce effort of will, and turned
to Miss Grahame "It's this confounded
weather suppose, it always affects
me. It's so horrible somehow, it's so
50 awfully unnatural. Pm-rm not
myself
Cover it yourself then"
For a moment he hesitated Then
he rose, and walking across the room
stoou for moment looking down irto
the gentle pictured face. As he look
ed strage horror crept into his eyes,
to be dominated quite suddenly by a
wild, fierce expression of reckless reso.
luton. He pulled the curtain roughly
over the picture and s'rode back to
Miss Grahame's side. As she saw his
face she stirred little, and a quite
new expression sprung into life in her
still and watchful eyes, an expression
of sickening, incredulous hope. She
had never before seen that look on
Cation Leigh's face.
"You know why l have come here
to-night!' he said, and his voice was
as his face-strong and determined.
81 did not ask you.'
"No, you did not ask me. 1t is
weeks since you have asked mel Ask
ed me--great heavens Katherine,
there are limits to every mans endur-
ance and mine has given out" He
waited a moment, as If determined rot
to lose hold on himself and Miss Gra-
hame sat motonless. Her face was
quite white now, but perfectly unmov-
ed. Only her eyes glittered with a
burning light and they never left his
face.
81 thought, when l spoke to you
two months ago, that had suffered all
man could suffer. If you had told
me then that you could never love me
l should haYe killed mysef-ves-I
should have killed myself and never
have known what q hell on earth
mans life may become" He caught
his breath sharply and went on, seem
ing TO lose his self-control little with
the force of his own words. "But
now-now, will not die, / will not
give you up. You have been mine,
you gave me your love you let me
taste happiness. BY heaven, I will not
let it go!'
He made step or two towards her,
stood right over her, not touching her,
but looking down at her with fierce,
restrained intensity of passion awful to
see. Still she dbl not move. Only
her strong, firm hands were wrung to-
gether until her rings cut into the white
fingers and her breath was heavy and
labored
"Wha. right have you, l say what
right have you to raise man 10 heav-
en- and plunge him to hell, to torture him
as you have tortured me during these aw-
full weeksi You led me on-can you
deny it--until my very soul was yours,
and now, now for three days you will
not even see me. katherine, Kath-
crime, what does it meant" As he
spoke the last words she slowly lifted
her head and looked at him a moment
without speaking; then she said in a
low, clear voice: at means--that do
not love you
As if the words had turned him into
stone he stood before her, specckless,
motionless, almost breathle,s. At last
he repeated in a hollow, mechanical
voice, "You do not love me-"
Still there was no touch of pity 10
the hard white face that watched him
with such terrible intentness.
81 do not love you and | will never
be your wife," she said.
Then, with terrible cry, he seemed
to realize the meaning of her word
and he flung himself down on h knees
in frenzy of wild despair.
"Katherine," he cried. "my love, my
love, what are you saying to me; what
do you meant" You are my life--my
love cannot let you go now. Kath-
crime, Katherine, Katherine, speak to
me, tell me that it is not true"
No answer, no movement on her
part, only her whole personality SEEM
ed to be quivering and vibrating, with
a brcathless, almost uncomfortable agony
of suspense, an intense burning eager.
ness, so repressed, SO rigidly held
down into utter quiesence of every
limb and feature that it would have
made her almos. terrible to see had
not the man before her been blinded
by his passion and pain.
Her silence seemed to madden him
and he sprang to his feet with a des-
perate cry. by heavenl" he led.
"By heaven, you are too late! Not be
my wifef You cannot help yourself.
You are mine, mine, mine forever, for
| have given my soul for you. listen
TO me, and he seized her hands in his
in grip of iron, while the rapid
words seemed to burst from him in a
reckless frenzy of mad despair. 'List
EN- to me, say. My love for you is
not what you think it is--a new thing,
the growth of months. l loved You
from the first moment saw you.
loved you then as l love you now
loved you then as love you now
above all things in heaven and earth.
l tried to crush my love but it grew
and grew stronger aud stronger, until
it destroyed everything, every thought,
Naal,na. A,.k 4