Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-02-16

ioic ht knew IL came the wedding. the
crowded ch.rch, the conventional recep-
tion, aud an was over. He aud Kathe
rine were man Vnd wife,
1t was their second week OF marriage
Howard had been painting steadily that
morning, and now, fitting back his chair,
ne surveyed his work, weary but wholly
satisfied.
II want TO know when this is to end. y
II was Katherine who spoke; but that
voice, broken and passionate, could il
have come from Katherine's lips2
katherine What do you meant"
She had risen aud had come over to
him.
The suppressed passion of years, swol-
len into mighty flood, had broke down
the barriers between her and humanity.
Nature had made this woman on the
heroic scale. For years Katherine had
fought against Nature, stihed impulse,
summed friendship, distrusted every one.
Now Nature had won the right OF way
the floods had risen; the barriers were
shattered forever.
''Manton, look at your picture; it is
finished. You say it is great; but have
you thought why it is CREATE You have
painted more than you know. You have
gone higher than you dreamed There
is n soul in that picture. You asked me
to marry you after few weeks ac-
quaintance. You were abrupt, business
like; you came to the point instantly.
was good lay figure, ySu thought--ah
do not interrupt me; in eociety there arc
many kind friends to report little speeches
such as that. You told me plainly that you
despise love. You think it an ideal to be
destroyed, and you are q realist, lover
of truth. l tell you you are not realist !;
no realist could have painted that pic
turc. You do not know your powers.
You are incrusted with vanity. A curious
vanity it is TO want to be less than you
really are! Your picture at the Academy
pleased me because, tho coarse, it had
something besides its brutal realism. 1
agreed to sit for you, and during those
sittings, studied you better than you
studied me. Then you asked me to
marry you. Manton, you never have
asked me why married you. Let me
tell you; listen to me; look at me!
married you because loved you. Stop!
She laid her hand on her husbands
shoulder. Il must go on. Do not
move. Do not interrupt me, Manton.
have been as cold as ice all my life.
have not known what was in me. / have
distrusted every one. was born into a
society that worshiped money. ! had
admirers because | had money; all my
life have loathed money. Do you know,
Manton, that nobody has ever loved
me 2"
She shivered. The break in her voice
was more pathetic than sob from an
other woman. Once having barred her
soul, Katherine would not spare it tor
ture.
II have longed for some one, some
creature, to love me; and then have re-
PEELED them ALL You did not pretend to
love me; you admired the face Others
thought hideous. Do not think deceive
myself. know you admire it because
you prefer hideousness to beauty; but
was weak enough to be gratitied that you
saw something in my ugliness. Now
look again at your picture. There is
more in me than ugliness; the picture
testities TO it. So much for myself;
Manton. what of you9
"You have lived on the surface OF
your nature as an ignorant man lives on
the earth's crust, knowing nothing of the
fires, the forces, the wonderful secrets
that lie hidden beneath him. You have
made garden of your life. You have
arranged your likes, your dislikes, your
pleasures, as you pleased. You have dug
into your nature only deep enough for
your trivial daily wants. Had you dug
deeper you would have struck gold. Oh
my husband, l believe it; for / love
your
The blood rushed to Towards face
he breathed quickly, unevenly. lie did
not stir or speak.
Katherine faltered, and then faced him
with simple dignity.
"Manton, l can be of use to you, If
you can love me. too have been weak
enough to trust in my own strength. ]
thought that | could force you to love
me. To-day think differently. YOU
must understand me when | say i can
not live like this; must leave you. ]
will 90 back to my fathers house. l
have shown you my heart, and see
have touched yours. Do not pity me-
have enough strength left to spurn your
pity; but il ever you can love me ano
need me, if ever your soul strains, yearns,
Graves for me as mine does for you, ther
recognize that feeling as love. You have
been selfish in your life; you may have
been loved, but you never have felt love.
/ have been selfish also, in my way, but
no one has ever loved me; no one has
ever told me how to love. God put il
into my soul; Nature taught me what he
meant"
Her soul was in her eyes, in her face,
in her voice, US she spoke. Her words,
like molten lava, had fallen drop by drop
burning, destroying, the superhciality OF
her husbands nature. In bearing hei
heart she had barred his, and out of the
shame of his wasted years he saw arise
the promise of nobler future. But
Katherine? He must have Katherine.
He could not lose her. He had just
found her. Now he understood the in
tcrest she had excited in him from the
beginning. Now he knew why her
glance could thrill him, why he could
not bear to have her go. A mist swan
before his eyes. Indistinctly he could
see Katherine move toward the door
He sprang to his feet. He caught and
held her.
katherine" he said katherine, !
love your Annie Flint, in lndepend-
ent.