Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-02-24

different matter from talking to a
man.
Patricia caught the false note at once
and shook her head.
mo" she answered, there Gre many
things that you don't owe TO me. Your
talent, for instance-that is heaven
sent gift. II you had never seen me you
would still have been famous some
day."
Il should not" Dick returned, with
conviction. you inspired me. What
Is talent without Inspirations" Then
he moved little nearer. Don't rea-
son with me" he pleaded; Il don't want
TO be reasoned with. l like TO think
owe everything to you. Let ne think
it. Patricia"
flushed family. Considered from an
artistic point Of view that soft, slow
blush was the most perfect thing in the
world, and Dicks eyes were all a0laze
as he looked down at her.
Il owe you" he went on, "a debt that
can never pay off in this life; the bal
ance will have TO be carried over TO the
next, I'm afraid" He unused for a mo-
ment, then put his hand over hers as it
lay idly on the table. ut is not only a
name and fame aud fortune," he added.
There is something else that / owe 10
you-something more precious than
either"
The light still fingered upon her face
when Dick came back. He saw il as she
turned TO meet him, and this new, mar
veIous beauty OF hers, This glowing,
pulsating womanhood, instinct with
passionate life, came upon him with an
actual physical shock. He stopped
short, gazing at her spellbound.a
"By Jove" he muttered under his
breath. "By Jove" Then he went
forward. How different You look to-
night" he said. What is it?'
His eyes wandered over her as he
spoke, seeking some reason for ths
change, but he could find none. Her
gown was one that he knew well; she
had not altered the arrangement Of her
hair; everything about her was much
as usual. No, the change owed nothing
TO outward influence; it came from
within her.
Even as Dick grasped this fact, an
idea struck him suddenly. Could 1t be
his kiss-the touch Of his lips upon hers
that had wrought this startling trans
formation? For moment the thought
made him cover guilty; then ne dis
missed it as quickly as it had come. No,
il could not be that-that was not
enough.s
Patricia" he said, putting her hand
in his.
Patricia was lost in dreamlke
silence, looking down at the hand that
held her own. What strong hand IL
was, and what subtitle sympathy seemed
TO be conveyed by It's close clasp.
The sense of physical contact with
him thrilled her strangely.
MAY l." ne asked, 10 hurried tone,
''come in this evening and tell you what
it lisp"
Her eyes were still fIedl the
clasped hands, hers in his.
Yes" she answered.
Then she withdrew her hand slowly,
and as she did so Dick stopped down
and kissed her.
The next morning he was gone.
Patricia stood where he had left her
silent and motionIess. Her pulses we're
throbbing wildly, and the blood was
coursing through her veins in torrent
of liquid fire; still, outwardIy she was
unchanged. Then all at once light
broke over her face-a light that suf-
fered and irradiated it with a rosy glow,
a new strange beauty. She was trans
figured Her lips parted, her cheeks
flushed, her eyes softened with passion
and tenderness unspeakable. In that
one moment she had passed from the
marble sembIance of a woman TO a wo-
man indeed with a woman's heart beat
ing Ia her breast and the dawn of a
woman's love stirring her being 10 its
utmost depths. IL was the souls
awakening.
He had taken her hand and called
her by her name in the afternoon, and
she had not rebuked him, so he took her
hand and called her by her name again
at night. That is mans way.
Patricia looked up at him.
Yes" she said.
DICK drew his breath hard, and for
moment he could not speak. Her eyes.
with that new light glowing in their
depths, were enough to set a mans very
soul on fire. He had to fight for self
control.
81 have a confession TO make to you, "
he went on, rather unsteadily. when
you hsar it perhaps you will say l ought
10 have made il before. And yet | don't
know why you should. 1t is secret
that is only known to two people in the
world besides myself. Possibly 1t won't
interest YOU, but | think IL will because
because we have been such good
friends. | am married. That il is. |
married five years ago. | was only a
bow then, with neither money nor pros
meets. and God knows | had no right TO
persuade any woman to join her life 10
mine. But-but, we don't always do
what is right-snd she has never re-
preached me, never once. Until BoW
have had no chance OF making a home
for ner. she has stayed with her moth
er. and nave lived from hand 10 mouth,
painting pot boilers and trusting TO
luck, making the most OF the present
and leaving the future 70 take care OF
itself. But now all that is changed. /
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 i'll am going to do IL. Sne
il a good little thing, the best and trnest
little woman in the world. And soc
has never reprOached me once. w He
paused for moment and passed his
hand over his eyes. There's child
too" he added in a lower tone
He looked at Patricia with quick
and somewhat uneasy glance, but she
stood quite sstlI and silent. She did
not even withdraw her hand
"You see how much / owe to you,
be went on hurredly. Not only name,
and fame, aud fortune but also the pow
err 10 atone to my wife for al these
wears OF waiting: the power TO make a
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