Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-07-07
MERICAN PUSH.
Copyright 1891, by the Authors Alliance.
By EDGAR FAwoErr.

eyes," he went on, 81 have thought
of asking you to dwell there with me
as my wife"
At once she turned and met his gaze
with great directness.
"You-have had this thought. mon
sieur?''
sit is my wish-my request-my en-
treaty"
"Your wifeP'' she repeated; and he
saw that she was deeply perturbed.
my queen" he continued. 81 want
you to share my throne and crown with
me, such as they are. 1 have never
asked any woman to do this until now.
have never asked any woman, for the
simplest of reasons. Need I tell you
that reason?" He reached his hand for
ward and took her hand, lifting it to
his lips. 1t had grown cold-piteously
cold, and the kisses that he gave 1t were
somehow bestowed with the compass
sionate tenderness which implied that
he sought to reawaken its natural
warmth.
"Your queen-your queen" she said,
and withdrew her hand, not rudely, and
yet with frmness- The color came back
to her cheeks. AS he watched her face
it seemed like tea-rose in some delight
full process of revivifcation, faint yet
distinct.
THAT is what said" he answered,
land that is what mean"
He watched her struggle with her ag-
itation. 1t seemed to him cruel that he
should do this, and yet it gave him a
curious pleasure just as If she were
some oddly beautiful bird that revealed
some touch of iridescent splendor be-
meath it's wings every time they were
huttered.
But at length Kathleen, so to speak,
fluttered her wings once more. "Mon-
sieur," she said, with a kind of pathetic
tranquility, there is-your mother"
my mother will be no obstacle. /
can and will prevent her from being
one"
She hesitated a moment. "Then there
are-there are-(how shall 1 put it)
your traditions"
i've trampled on a good many of
them, as it is. Come now, mademoi-
selle," he pursued, with gruffness that
would have frightened her if it had not
ended in q smile. You're going to
throw me over-you're going to reject
me-to (what is the right phrase?) send
me about my businessl"
mo, mol" she exclaimed. Imme-
diately then she rose and stretched out
her right hand. IT will be your wife"
she said, land thank you for the great
honor you do me-"
He also rose at this and wrapped her
with his embrace. But something in
1ino hA,, 14Alr he
not for his life have told just what)
made him put her away at arms length,
intently scan her features and then re-
coil several steps, touching her no
longer.
"Your heart isn't IN it," he ex-
claimed. You're giving yourself to
me only because of your mother!'
Her eyes dilated frightenedly. "Oh,
no; don't think thatl" she cried.
but l do think i'll mustI Why
not, when read it, when see it? Your
heart is elsewhere, and you're willing
to let me possess if will-the void
that marks where it once beat. Am 1 not
right2 Answer me, Kathleen; am l
not right?"
She burst into a passion of tears.
eyes! yes! I dare not lie to you. II
JOu "CAO NV oO BOON ohA AhO
might lie, but you tear the truth from
me! You saw my pain, my undying
memory; you taxed me with them;
you insisted that they haunted me, and
IL confessed that you were not wrong.
But am willing to be your wife-will-
| ing. Oh, hear me, monsieur! / am not
| absurd to phrase it like that. Only II
| Is best to be truthful. You, who are
-. i
will pardon. If had never known him
it would have been SO Different l could
have loved you then with all my soul
l can imagine some good woman loving
you that way. Perhaps it will come to
me in time. You spoke of my mother.
| No, it Is not she-not wholly she. OF
course she wants such a marriage; what
mother would not? myself am proud
to be your wife; only there is that other
love which will not die! Am not
wiser to let'you know this? You can't
blame me. see now in your eyes that
you do not blame me. I've never asked
you If he has spoken of me; I've never
wanted to know. It's quite over be.
tween us. There, that is all. l &C
to you without guilty conscience
You know me just as ] am. I've tried
/ to crush 1t but 1t would not be crushed
Suppose had never said a word about
it and let you take me with a falsehooc
in my soul. Many a woman would
have done that. Almost every othel
woman in the world would have done
it, But I'm not Wanting my virtues
I'm simply making clean breast o;
things-don't you see? You do see; yor
mustl There-I dare say I'll be a wor
thy wife to you, monsieur, and I'm GER
tain that I'll be very faithful and de
voted one. AS for a queen land sh'
laughed wildly through her tears),
may fail at that. 1t is such an un
dreamed-of part for me to playl Blu
I'll try. I'll try hard, strengthened By
your helpP'
The tears were glistening on he
cheeks as she put forth both hands t.
him. He took them, kissing them both
and then, still holding them, he said:
| URath1aau Won ara n very nob1e IN,