The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-23

''None, perhaps-though pity might"
Il want no pity, least of ali from you.
What l have done, have done for you, and
for you only
The Wanderers face showed only cold
disgust. he said nothing.
You do not seem surprised said
Unorna. You know that love you2n
Il know it"
A silence followed during which Unorna
returned TO her former attitude, turning her
eyes away and resting her chin upon her
hand. The Wanderer began to grow impa-
tient.
81 must repeat that, in my opinion, you
have not much time to spare; he said. IF
you are not IN place of safety in half an
hour, / cannot answer for the conse-
guenceS.''
No time? There is all eternity. What
is eternity, or time, or life TO NE! | will
wait for him here. Why did YOU tell him
what did if you wished me to live?"
"Why-since there are 10 be questions
why did you exercise your cruelty upon an
innocent man who loves youN'
"Why! There are reasons enough -
Unorna's voice trembled slightly. You
do not know what happened. How should
you? You were asleep. You may as well
know, since / may DE beyond telling you in
an hour from now. You may as well
know how love You, and to what depths l
nave sOllt tuNIl ~ W y our lONt.
II would rather not receive your conf
dence, " the Wanderer answered haughtily
81 came here TO save your life, not to hear
your confessions"
And when you have heard. you viii no
longer wish to save me. If you choose to
leave me here, will wait for Israel Kafka
alone He may kill NE if he pleases. 1 do
not care But If you stay you shall hear
what | have to say"
She glanced at his face. He folded his
arms and stood still. Whatever she had
DONE lie would not leave her alone at the
mercy of the desperate man whom he eX-
pected every moment to enter the room. If
she would not save herself, he might never
theleSS disarm EiaflSa and prevent the deed.
AS his long sleeping energy revived in him
the thought Of struggle was not disagree
able
- loved you from the moment when ]
first saw YOU said Unorna, trying 10 speak
calmly. But you loved another woman.
Do you remember her2 Her name was
Beatrice, and she was very dark, as | am
fair. You had lost her and you had sought
thinking that she had gone in before you.
Do you remember that morning! 1t was
month ago TO-DAY. You told me the story
You have dreamed it, )" said the Wan
derer in cold surprise. II never loved any
woman vet"
UnOrna laughed bitterly.
How perfect 1t all was at first she ex-
claimed. "How smooth it seemed. How
easy. You slept before me out there by the
river that very afternoon. And in your
sleep I bid you forget. And you forgot
wholly, your love, the woman, her very
name, even as Israel Kafkd forgot to-day
what he had suffered in the person OF the
martyr You told him the story and he be-
ieveS you, because he knows me and knows
what ] can do. You can believe me or not,
as You will. | did it
You are dreaming" the Wanderer re-
peated, wondering whether she were not
out Of her mind
i did it. said to myself that if 1 could
destroy your Old love, root il out from your
heart ana from your memory and make you
as one who had never loved at all, then you
would love me as you had loved her, with
your whole free soul | said that | was
beautiful-it is true, is it not? And young,
am, and love as no women ever loved.
And | said that il was enough and that soon
you would love ME, toe. A month has
passed away since then. You are of ice-of
sloue-l do not know Of what you are. This
morning YOU hurt me. / thought it was the
last hurt, and that l should die then-in-
stead Of tonight. Do you rememberl you
thought | was i'll, and you went away.
When YOU were gone | fought with myself.
My dreams-yes, / had dreamed of all that
can make earth heaven, and you had walked
me. You said that you would be brother
10 me-you talked of friendship. The sting
of it, It is no wonder that l grew faint
with pain. Had you struck me in the face,
l would have kissed your hand.
But your friendship! Rather be dead
than, loving, be held friend And l
had dreamed of oeing dear to you for my
own sake, of being dearest, and first, and
alone beloved, since that other was gone
and had burned her memory. That pride
| had still, until that moment. | fanCied
that it was in my power. If | would stOop
so low, to make you sleep again, as you had
slept before, and TO make you at my bid
ding feel as | felt l fought with myself. |
would not go down to that depth. And
then l said that even that were better than
your friendship, even false sem blance of
love inspired by my will, preserved by my
suggestion. And SO | felt You came back
TO Inc and l led you TO that lonely place,
and made you sleep, and then l told you
what was in my heart and poured out the
fire of my soul into your ears a look came
into your face-I shall not forget it. My
folly was upon me, and / though it was for
me ! know the truth now. Sleeping the
old memory revived in you of her whom
waking you will never remember again.
But the look was there and bid you
awake. My soul rose in my eyes. l
hung upon your lips. The loving
word l longed for seemed already TO
tremble in the air. Then came the truth.
You awoke and your face was stone,
calm, smiling, Indifferent unleving. And
all this Israel Kafka had seen, hiding like
thief almost beside u.s. He saw it all, he
heard it all, my words of love, my agony
of waiting, my utter humiliation, my
burning shame. Was l cruel to him? He
had made me suffer and he suffered in his
turn. All this you did not know. You
know it now. There is nothing to tell.
VIII you wait here until he comesl Will
you look on and be glad to see me die?
VIII you remember in the years to come
with satisfaction that you saw the witch
killed for her many misdeeds, and for the
chief of them all-for loving you?'
The Wanderer had listened to her words,
but the tale they told was beyond the power
with folded arms debating what he should
do to save her. One thing alone was clear.
She loved him to distraction. Possibly he
thought, her story was but an invention to
excuse her cruelty and to win his comnisera-
ton. 1t failed to do either at first, but yet
he would never leave her to her fate
''You shall not die if can help it." he
said simply.
And if you save me, do you think that
will leave you2'' she asked with sudden agi-
tation, turning and half rising from her seat
Think what you will be doing, if you save
me Think WE'LL You say that Israel Kafka
is desperate. l am worse than desperate
worse than mad, with my love"
She sank back again and hid her face for
a moment He. on his part, began to see
the terrible reality and strength of her pas
sion and silently wondered what the end