San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-21

Then the ready excuse flashed upon
qer-the pretext which the heart will
always find when it must have its way.
Was it not possible, after all, that he
was beginning to love her even now?
Might not that outburst of friendship
which had surprised her and wounded
her 80 deeply be the herald of a
stronger passionp She looked up
quickly and met his vacant stare.
''Do you love mep" she asked, al
most before she knew what she was
going to say.
NO" The answer came in the
far-off voice that told of his uncon-
seriousness; a mere toneless monosylla-
BILE breathed upon the murky air.
But it stabbed her like the thrust of a
Jagged knife. A long silence followed,
and Unorna leaned against the great
slab Of carved sandstone.
"You must love me-" she said;
"you must love me, because / love
you so. Will you not love me, dearP
I have waited so long for you"
The Wanderer did not move. His
face was as calm as sculptured stone.
'Do you despise me for loving
youp" she asked again, with sudden
flush.
mo. l do not despise YOU" Some
thing in her tone had pierced through
his stupor, and had found an answer.
She started at the sound of his voice.
1t was as though he had been awake
and had known the weight Of what she
had been saying, and her anger rose
at the cold reply.
"No-you do not despise me, and
you never shalt" she exclaimed. pas
sionately. You shall love me, as
love you'll will it with all my will!
We are created to be all, one to the
other and you shall not break through
| the destiny of love. Love me, as l
love you-love me with all you heart
| love me with all your mind, love me
with all your soul, love me as man
never loved woman since the world
began l will it, command tit
shall be as 1 say-you dare not dis
obey me-you cannot if you would,
Enter into my soul and read what
love is, in his own great writing.
! Read how he steals suddenly into the
sacred place and make It his, and
tears down the old gods and sets up
his dear image in their stead-read
how he signs, and speaks, and weeps,
and loves-and forgives not, but will
be revenged at the last! See how /
love you-see how sweet it is-how
very lovely a thing it is to love as
! woman can. There-have you felt it
nowp Have you seen into the depths
of my soul and into the hiding places
! of my heart? Let it be so in your own,
|, then, and let it be so forever. You
understand now. You know what it
all is-how wild, how passionate, how
gentle and how great! Take to your
self this love of mine-is it not all
yoursP Take it, and plant it with
strong roots and seeds of undying life
in your own sleeping breast, and let it
grow and grow till it is even greater
than it was in me, till it takes us both
into itself together, fast bound in its
immortal bonds, to be two in one, in
life and beyond life, for ever and ever
and ever to the end of ends. !"
She ceased, and she saw that his
face was no longer expressionless and
cold
At last she spoke,
Then, love, since you are mine,
and am yours, wake from the dream
to life itself-wake, not knowing that
you have slept, knowing only that
you love me now and always-wake,
love, wakem
What is itp' he asked in his kind
and passionate voice. What were you
going 10 ask me, UnornaP'
1t was gone. The terribly earnest
appeal had been in vain. Not trace
OF that short vision of love remained
impressed upon his brain.
With a smothered cry of agony
Unorna leaned against the great slab
OF stone behind her and covered her
eyes. The darkness of night de-
scended upon her, and with it the fire
of a burning shame.
Then a loud and cruel laugh rang
through the chilly air, such laugh
as the devils in hell bestow upon the
shame OF proud soul that knows its
own infinite bitterness. Unorn8
started and uncovered her eyes; her
suffering changed in single instant
TO ungovernable and destroying
anger. She made step forward, and
shen stopped short breathing hard.
The Wanderer, too had turned, more
quickly than she. Between two tall
gravestones, not dozen PAGES away,
stood q man with haggard face and
eyes on fire, his keen, worn features
contorted by smile, in which I'M