Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-11-29

whole life protest against the inr
justice Of others.
She looked az him again, and hor-
rible power seemed to drag and bind
her to him, she turned her eyes away
angrily and made a little involuntary
sound of trouble.
"Oh, If l only could treat him as
do Others. she muttered under her
breath, "but l can't, can't!'
She was frightened at herself-at
the power which drove her to the man
inexorably ,--she looked at the door and
stirred in her seat, half rising, but she
sat down again and began to move
her ring with the old movement, only
quicker and with tenser fingers.
Then cold feeling OF tinality came
ON her, she knew she must say some
thing and she knew she was going to
say the wrong thing; an inexplicable
smile iNckered across her face and
touched her mouth, she grew quite
calm and ceased TO move her ring.
You have done NE a very high
honor she said; thank YOU"
He came nearer and looked down
on her. Il have tried to be perfectly
horest,' he said, "and you have no
idea what an awful grind it has been,
1t would be quite impossible for me
to give you any idea of how | honor
YOU, and as for love- he stopped,
breathing hard, Il have heart full
for you, dear, don't think | know
myself how much | love you"
The girl looked at him curiously,. the
simple intensity of his manner struck
her, then her eyes fell and she sighed.
Love is such mere name TO me. I"
she said sit seems such collapsable
hubby thing and put to such feeble
uses. You want me to be your wife
then, and you offer me a whole heart
fun of love, whatever that may mean.
| must be honest too, and tell you
that shouldn't know how to dispose
of whole heart full of love. | know
nothing at all practically about the
matter, and theoretically it has never
interested me. My situation Is hard to
explain" she exclaimed, with a petu-
liant sweeping movement of her hand,
cept your offer, don't know why,
really believe 1t is not /, Gwen War
ing that wants this, 1T is something
outside me that wants il for me.
never felt so imncrsonal in all my
life"
He WINGED, her honesty, to say the
least Of 1t, was Il tritie bald.
Perhaps l am more concerned In 1t
than | think she went ON with a
queer intense serenity, dissecting her.
self audibly, Il like new sensations,
am curious. most things are so fiat
and boring"
Strange started forward and was
about to speak, she raised her hand
imperiously.
''Stop!" she cried, II must finish,
want you quite clearly to understand
that If take you mt your word and
become youi wife Wife she repeated,
"how astonishing the word sounds in
connection with me!'
She laughed in an untranslatable
way and went on:
Remember and understand that
am doing it as an experiment"
He flushed, it was his own precise
thought. but 1t seemed less hideous
when thought than when spoken.
IAN experiment" she repeated, but
whether it Is fair to try experiments
in lives is another matter. Il wish"
she cast Il half-wistful, half-provokcd
look at him. Il wish you were sufii-
GENTLY clear and reasonable yourself
to help me to answer the question
am so ignorant in these matters"
sudden crimson rushed to her
cheeks, she was furious. What right
had she to blush like dairy maid
and mislead the man?
Il am not blnshing properly, as girls
ought to blush" she explained, II am
merely angry, ! feel caught in trap.
Why can't | tell you to be gone and
leave me at peace" she demanded,
looking ut him with curious swift re-
pulsion, Il have never found any diff
ticulty before, why don't you help
meY'
In spite Of his love. Strange shook
with laughter.
1t was no laughing matter for Gwen,
she kept her eyes fixed on him, angry
and full of pain.
You stand there and laugh-laugh!
| wish to mercy ! could. Don't you
know am going to accept youI, who
don't know what love means-I, who
am, believe, sexless, don't you know
you're mad and don't you think it's
rather degrading to give all you offer
me for nothing? After all, 1t is not
absolutely necessary to my salvation
that | should make experiments on
YOU"
She felt a sudden tiredness come
on her and nestled back in her cush-
ions.
II am ready to take you with open
eyes, Gwen; you are very earnest,
dear; you will lose some of that when
you have suffered little," he added,
with ring of sadness In his voice,
as he looked tenderly down on her.
She raised her mead quickly. "Suf-