The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-08-13

tC0ntlHueu from TifsL rage
have spoken Of Il yourself. WANTED ts
talk with 700 about il. 50 sh0sSed yos
that you might speak at last"
Royal looked bexidered.
You knew u the affair before uy
letter reached your he hazarded-
Yes I've known the story for months
past, DR.. Royal-ever since week or
two after rou went away last December.
When ! saw you that last morning you
seemed 50 unlike John that / oouE
scarcely realize how you could have
changed so much. l said nothing b
Nina at FIRST and pot the thought aside,
bat 1t kept returning. When spoke b
her about it first she made fun Of me,
laughed at the idea of your being
changed, more than the years would &C.
count for, and thought I couldn't see
that she was evading and slipping away
from the subject. When my eyes gst
stronger | got out the package Of photo
graphs of himself my cousin had snt
me from time to time, and only the frst
Of which had ever seen. None of them
was In the least like you. and no stretch
of imagination would make them So.
You seemed totally different mai.
Then l remembered blunders that yeu
had made, and which did not notice at
the time-blunders JohnV couldn't hare
made. It troubled me, for it was all
incomprehessibae'
She paused a moment, and Royal IN
dim way realized that 1t had been hard
on her His conscience smote him.
Zone day." Phyllis went on, Nina
left letter of yours ON the table when
she had finished reading it aloud. She
did not usually leave them around. I
slipped the handage up and looked at
the handwriting. II was not bit like
Johns He wrote delicate, students
hand, almost like a woman's, and you
uB stub and write with large letters
and heavy stroke. couldn't endure
it any longer then and made Nina tell
me-" 4-a
"Was that the reason you would not
let me come In the spring. Royal ques-
toned, hight breaking in on him.
Eyes. wanted to get used to 1t all,
and to learn to separate you from John
in my mind. And I wanted to be my
very self when we should meet again,
besides-not helpless and dependent any
more, but a woman who could take her
life into her own hands If need were.
Do you understands
Royal bent his head. His brain was
In whirI, but it held fast to one joyful
fact; she had known the whole story
when she had written that note. His
heart leaped, but he held himself in
check.
when learned that John was dead
it seemed at first as though half my lie
had been broken off and buried with
him, " the soft voice proceeded. "And !
dared not weep FOR him, even when my
heart was aching. That was hard, fox
there was never time in my life with
out the thought Of John. 1t seems
strange that be should have continued
to care for INC 90 much through all those
years-that he should have shortened
his life through trying to provide foz
me. 1t makes me feel so guilty, so self
ish, that after my sight began to fail
should have been more taken up with
my own hopes and fears than with
thoughts of him-that I never should
have loved him as he deserved to be
loved The voice was wistful Hnd very
tender, but the sweet gray eyes were
fearless
Royal rose and came to her, unable
any longer to master his emotions. Bend
ing down he took her hands and raisei
her to her feet:
you knew it oil when you wrote fh".
.o - In that you were not. am '
were mine2 And you asked me- to com,
to you! Ptry2 do you know what yos
are doing? Do you know that you or,
giving me hope Of more than forgive
nessy' --
Her sweet eyes met his in all simple
ity, and her hands were not withdrawn
= from his clasp. She was without tn
catlike impulse which leads women t.
play with men in moments Of stron,
emotion. And in her unworldliness
her lack of self consciousness, it SCENE,
to her that 30 far from having aught t
forgive, no woman had been so loved, q
honored.
you have done SO much-suffered 9
3 much-for me, both you aud John. /
hardly seems credible that men shoIl,
30 sacrifice themselves to the helpless
b. ness of q woman. BuT'-with q prou,
: uplifting Of her head-''you must not he
!, me hamper your hfe-must not fee
0 obliged to bold to the marriage. Min
told me what you said am 80 grute
t ful to you that to have you feel yoursel
: bound in any way She faltere
: and broke down. for his eyes were O
:. Der eyes. and she could not fail to rea
their meaning.
= With quick, almost passionate gest
] ure Royals arms closed round her an
Y drew her to his breast.
Ny own-my own, at lasty he mul
j, INJURED, banding his face and seeking be
f bps with his hips DO you think I VT
r let you goa-thAt can let you g,
g Never, until death shall part Us, IN
howell my wife"
s And fos space there was silence.
r
After a while, when they had tagke
the affair over from beginning to en<
n and canvassed It exhaustive2y, Phyrli,
a twisting and turning around her fnge
4 diamond ring Dew 30 the place, SAID
:, how voice:
That marriage with you was legal,
4 know. and would stand in ooort, and a
!, Chat: but. Dr.. Royal. you were not
q my thoughts during the ceremony. n
afterward, as yourself. thought
John. Perhaps it Is . womans lanc
- but wish She hasitated.
- You wish whatT Royal QUESTION:
~ possessing himself Of Der hand. a,
,e merging rapidly into that state of mal
!. IN which anything short Of half b
is Kingdom appears 10 man too paftry
:. offer the woman Of his love.
Is 10 marry you. and think of you viii
I'm doing IT." She smiled, and then q
blood mounted to her forehead: q
turned from him petnl9ntly: why d
you mako me cay it2 You should ha'
r. asked me yomsalf."
"EOEQfvo me my day3ixsv 7 c2.r~,