The morning call., 1894-10-14

temptationS,in his light hearted lrresponsl-
BILE way. A kiss was such little thing, he
/ ALWAYS reflected. when, AS sometimes nap
pened, his conscience pric6ed him. Wha'
! did it amount to after al? just the toucn
| of his Inns ON other lipsI Nothing more.
"Patrlcia." he said, taking her hand in
| his.
He had taken her hand and called her by
| her name in the afternoon, ana she nad
| not retuked him, so he took her hand and
called her by her name again at night.
That is a mans way.
Patricia looked up at him.
YES" she said.
Dick drew his breath bard, and for a
moment he could not speak. Her eyes.
with that new light glowing in. their
depths, were enough to set mans very
soul on fire. He had to fight for self-con-
troll
81 have a confession to make to you"
he went on, rather unsteadily. when
you hear it perhaps you will say l. ought
10 have made il before. And yet don't
know why you should. 1t is a secret that
is only known to two people In the world
you, but | think it would because-be-
cause we have been such good
friends. I am married. That is it.
married five years ago. L was only
boy then, with neither money
nor prospects; and God knows had no
life to mine. But-but, we don't always
do what is right-and S he has never re-
preached me, never once. u ntll now L
have had no chance of m aking home for
her. She has stayed with her mother. and L
have lived from hand to mouth, painting
pot-boilers and trusting to luck; making
the most OF the present and leaving the
future to take care of itself. But now all
that is changed. l can make home for
her now. and give her all the things that
she has waited for so long and so patiently
and am going TO do it, am going 10
do it. She's good little thing the best
and t-uest little woman in the world. And
she mas never reproached me once" de
paused for moment End passed his hand
over MS eyes. There's child, toe" he
added in lower tone.
he looked at Patricia with quick and
somewhat uneasy glance, but she stood
quite still and silent. She did not even
Withdraw her hand.
GU see now how much owe to you,"
ne went on hurriedly. ''Not only name
TO atone to my wife for all these years of
waltlng, the power to make a home for
her and the child. l can never hope to
pay off such a debt"
smiled.
There is no debt" she said; est is paid
already II | have added to your happi-
ness that is enough for me- / was not
used to helping people; no one ever asked
me for help until you came, but l have
helped yOu-and | am satisfied
Dick started as her voice fell on his ear.
It was so changed that he hardly knew it.
The new tenderness that had thrilled in the
soft tones was gore, leaving it dull and
cold and lfeless as it had been when first
he met her. He looked at her curiously,
and saw that her face was changing, too.
The light that still fingered upon it was
but the ghost of what had been-the faint
reflection of that marvellous glow of
warmth and passion that had flashed upon
him with such bewildering beauty only a
short time ago. A shadow dimmed the
lovely radiance of her eyes, her mouth was
set in rigid, infexibie lines, the marble
GOODNESS and hardness of the old days were
creeping over her again.
He drew long. deep breath. for In that
moment the truth was revealed to him,
and the vague, uneasy doubts that had
filed his mind gave place to certain
knowledge. He knew now, that he, like
Pygmalion of old, had kissed his Galatea
in life and awakened a woman's heart
within her marble breast. Knew, too,
that almost In the same hour as that in
which he had given her life he had taken
the precious gift away.
The soul was dead. and soul knows no
second birth on this side of eternity
London Truth