Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-05-20

Won safely; your heart beats on mine:
your dear face is on my breast. Stay
with me, my darling. my own, my wife,"
and soft, clinging, passionate kisses
pressed down on hair and cheek and
lips; kisses that burned like flame, that
thrilled like strong wine.
For moment Pocahontas lay quietly
in his arms, lulled into quiescence. Then
she wrenched herself free and moved
away from him. 1t had been said of her
that she could be hard upon occasion:
the occasion had arisen, and she was
harl.
"Cio" she said; her face was as ashes,
but her voice firm; lit is you who are
cruel; you who are blind and obstinate
You will neither see nor understand why
this thing may not be. l have showed
you my thought, and you will not bend;
implored you TO have pity, and you are
merciless And yet you talk Of love!
You love me. and would sacrifice me to
your love; love me, and would break
down tho bulwarks / have been taught
10 consider righteous to crafty your
love. do not understand; love seemed
10 me 50 different, so noble and unselfish.
Leave me; am tired; want to think it
out alone"
Thorne stood silent, his head bent in
Thought. YES" he said presently, ''it
will be better 80. You are overweight
and your mind is worn with excitement;
you need rest. Tomorrow, next week,
tho week after, this matter will wear a
different aspect. | can wait, and will
come again. 1t will be different then"
1T will never be different" The
voice was low, the gray eyes had q
hopeless look.
Thorne repeated his assertion in the
gentle. persistent tone of one who Is
patient with the unreasonableness Of a
frightened child. His determination to
win success never faltered, rather it
hardened with opposition into adaInant,
but he was beginning to realize his blum
der. He had overwhelmed her, had
brought about an upheaval of her world
so violent that, in her bewilderment,
her dread Of chaos, she instinctively laid
hold on the old supports and chung to
them with desperation. She must have
time To- think, to familiarize herself with
the strange emotions. to adapt herself to
the changed conditions. Only one other
thing would he say. He held in reserve
card which he knew ere now had
proved all powerful with conscientious
women. To gain his end he would stop
AZ nothing. He took both her hands in
his and played his card deliberately.
Think over it WELL" he said; weigh
every argument, test every scruple. My
life Is in your hands. 1 am not a re-
ligious man, nor good man, but you
can make me both. Give me the heaven
that crave. the heaven of your love,
and will be by it ennobled into faith
in that other heaven, Of which it will be
tho foretaste. But refuse; deny the soul
that crios out TO you; thrust aside the
hands that seek to clasp you, as the
truest. MODEST, hottest thing they have
ever touched, and-on your head be it..
have placed the responsibility in your
hands and there it rests"
With lingering look into her eyes
ehN % AtA Nchl pitSoui6 VI ItE uduuS, uo
turned and slowly left the room.
Back TO the mind Of the girl, standing
motionless where he had left her, came,
unwished and unbidden, the memory of
n summer night out yonder beside the
flowing river. She seemed to see again
the swaying of the branches in the moon
light. and 10 hear the lulling wash of the
water against the shore; to. hear also a
quiet, manly voice fighting down its
pain. lest the knowledge Of it should
wound her, saying. simply and bravely:
Don't be unhappy about me, dear. I'll
worry through the pain in time or grow
accustomed to it. It's tough just ut first,
but I'll pull through somehow. 1t shall
not spoil my life either, although it must
mar 1t; man must be a pitiful fellow
who let's himself go to the bad because
the woman he loves won't have him.
God means every man to hold up his own
weight In this world. I'd as soon knock
q woman down as throw the blame of q
wasted life upon her."
Plain words, poorly arranged and sim
ply spoken. for the man who uttered
them was not clever, but brave, manly
words, for all that. The girl turned
from the unwelcome memory with .
sharp. impatient sigh that was almost .
groan. 1t panied her.
To BE- Continusd.