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

She could not do this thing A chasm
black as the grave, hopeless as death,
yawned at her feet; barrier as high as
heaven erected itself before her.
81 cannot come" she walled in an
guish. Have you no mercy, no pity
for me? There is barrier between us
that dare not level; chasm that can
not cross"
"There ia no barrier" responded
Thorne vehemently, "and l will &C
knowledge none. / am free man; you
are free woman, and there is no law,
human or divine, to keep US asunder,
save the law of your own will. If there
be chasm-which do not see; which
l swear does not exist will cross it. If
| you cannot come to me, | can come to
| you, and l will. You are mine and !
will hold you-here in my arms, on my
breast, in my heart. Have you and hold
you, so help me God!"
| With a quick stride he crossed the
small space between them and stood
close, but still not touching her.
"Have you no pity?" she moaned.
"None," he answered hoarsely. "Have
you any for me-for us both? love you
how well, God knows, l was not aware
until tonight-and you love me hope
and believe. There is nothing between
us save an idle scruple, which even the
censorious world does not share. l ask
| you to commit no sin; to share no dis
grace. ask you to be my wife before
the face of day; before the eyes of men;
in the sight of heaven!'
| Could she be his wife in the sight of
heaven? 1t was all so strange to her, she
could not understand. Words, carelessly
heard and scarcely needed, came back to
her and rung their changes in her brain
with ceaseless iteration. 1t was like a
knen.
"Nesbit," she said YEARLY, using his
name unconsciously, "listen and under
stand me. In the eyes of the law and
of men you are free; but | cannot see it
so. In my eyes you are still bound"
Il am not bound" denied Thorne
fiercely, bringing his hand down heavily
on the mantel; whoever tells you that
1 all lies, anu lliC II 10 iOU illIli.
I've told you all-and yet not all. Ethel
Ross, the woman who was my wife
whom you say is my wife stills about
to marry again. To join her ife-as
free and separate from mine as though
we had never met-to the life of another
man. Isn't that enough? Can't you see
how completely every tie between us is
severed"
Pocahontas shook her head. II can
not understand you and you will not
understand me-" she said mournfully;
"her sin will not lessen our sin, nor her
unholy marriage make ours pure and
righteous"
Thorne stamped his foot. "Do you
wish to madden me?" he exclaimed;
Ihere is no sin, tell you, nor would
our marriage be unholy. You are tor
turing us both for nothing on Gods
earth but scruple. I've argued, rea-
soned and pleaded with you, and you re-
fuse to weigh the argument, to listen to
the reason, to yield to the persuasion.
You are hard and opinionated and OBJ
stinate. You set up your individual
Judgment against the verdict of the
world and deem it infallible. You are
hard to yourself and cruelty hard to me,
for, as there is God in heaven, be-
lieve you love me, even as Ilove you.
Oh, my lovel my lover His voice melt
ed, his arms closed around her. "Why
do you try me beyond my strength? Why
are you so cruel to us both? See; | hold
you 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 a 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
hard.
"Go!" she said; her face was as ashes,
but her voice firm; sit 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 the bulwarks l have been taught
to consider righteous to crafty your
love. do not understand; love seemed
to me so different, so noble and unselfish.
Leave me; am tired; want to think it
out alone"