San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-22

| you no Snlle Tor Inc, SWeeInearC-nO
| word of welcome for the man whose
heaven is your love? You knew would
come. You knew loved you, Princess"
| "Yes"-the word was breathed rather
than uttered, but he heard it and made
half movement forward, the light in
his eyes glowing more passionately. Still.
| he held himself in check; he would give
her time.
"You knew l loved you, Princess" he
repeated. "Yes, you must have known.
Love like mine could not be concealed;
| it must burn its way through all obsta-
Giles from my heart to yours, melting
and fusing them into one. Don't try to
speak yet, love, there is no need to an
swer unless you wish. L can wait-for
l am near you"
Pocahontas rallied her forces resolute-
ly, called up her pride, her womanhood,
her sense of the wrong he had done her.
If she should give way an instant-if she
should yield hairs breadth she would
be lost. The look in his eyes, the ten
derness of his voice, appeared to sap the
foundations of her resolution and to turn
her heart TO wax WITHIN her.
"Why have you Gomez she walled,
her tone one of passionate reproach.
"Had you not done harm enough? Why
have you GOMEZ"
| Thorne started slightly, but command
| ed himself. 1t was the former marriage,
| the divorce; she felt it keenly-every
| woman must; some cursed meddler had
| told her.
| "My darling" he answered with pa
| tient tenderness, ''you know why have
| come-why it was impossible for me to
keep away. / love you, Princess, as a
| man loves but once in his life. Will you
come to me? Will you be my wife?"
| The girl shook her head and moved
her hand with gesture of denial; words
she had none.
| 81 know of what you are thinking,
Princess. know the idea that has taken
| possession of your mind. You have
heard of my former marriage and you
know that the woman who was my wife
still lives. Is it not so?" She bent her
head in mute assent. Thorne gazed at
her pale, resolute face with his brows
knit heavily, and then continued:
| Listen to me, Princess. That woman
Ethel Ross-is my wife no longer, even
in name; she ceased to be my wife in
fact two years ago. Our lives have drift
| ed utterly asunder. 1t was her will, and
| | acquiesced in it, for she had never
loved me, and when my idiotic in
| fatuation for her heartless, diabolical
beauty passed-had ceased to love her.
! At last even my presence became trou-
| BILE to her, which she was at no pains to
conceal The breach between us widened
with the years, until nothing remained
| to us but the CALLING strain of useless
| fetter. Now that is broken and we are
| free"-there was an exultant ring in his
voice, as though his freedom were pre-
| cious to him.
"Were you bound or free that night
at Shirley" questioned the girl slowly
and steadily.
| A flush crept warmly over Thorne's
dark face and lost itself in the waves of
| his hair. He realized that he would
meet with more opposition here than he
had anticipated. No matter. The prize
was worth fighting for-worth winning
at any cost His determination increased
with the force opposed to it, and so did
his desire.
SIN heart and thought was free, but
in fact was bound" he acknowledged.
"The words | spoke on the steps that
night escaped me unawares. was tor
tured by jealousy and tempted by love.
Il ,,l,H h than fhnr
Nothing can excuse or palliate the weak
ness which allowed me to. l should
have waited until l could come to you
untrammeled-as now. l attempt no
justification of my madness, Princess.
l have no excuse but my love, and can
only sue for pardon. You will forgive
me, Notwithstanding the old word
tenderly-"for the sake of my great love.
It's my only plea" His voice took
pleading tone as he advanced the plea
! hardest of all for woman to steel her
heart against.
Pocahontas gazed at him in bewilder-
ment, her mind graphing with an idea
that appalled, her, her face blanching
with apprehension and her form COVER
ing as from an expected blow.
"Must l understand, Mr.. Thorne, that
love for me suggested the thought of di-
vorcing your wife?" she questioned
hoarsely. "That came between you
and caused this horrible thing? 1t is
MOTT cannot be true. God above!
Have fallen so low! Am l guilty of
this terrible SIM"
Thorne's quick brain recognized in
stantly the danger of allowing this idea