Griggs courier., 1895-09-13

and-she must not see you herel''
he alternated between coolnesa and
intense excitement The strain upon
his nerves was most severe. What IL
Helen should come? The woman was
trembling with excitement, but desr
perately resolute.
II shall not 60" she said.
"You shall" he shouted; lyon shall
gol You shall not stay here and ruin
me just because Of . schoolboy prom
Use. l was a boy then, I am . man
now! Now gov'
Tho woman gave no sign Of yielding.
She stood firmly and looked the young
man squarely in the face.
will you not go?" he begged.
Don't you understand what it means
to me If you stay here another minute?
The woman I am to marry is coming
here, and she must not see you-oh,
can't you understand that, and won't
you go? Go-please 60, and come back
to-morrow-any time, but leave me
now-for Gods sake"
Neither had heard . gentle footstep
in the hallway, and for q moment
neither saw the tall. fine woman who
stood in the doorway looking at them
with wondering eyes
Then, at the same moment, tho eyes
Of both fell upon her. They under
stood. For the great space Of a quar-
ter OF minute there was silence.
ominous and profound. broken at last
by verdery's impetuous, appealing cry:
"Helen!''
He moved toward her, but she drew
herself up resolutely.
II did not mean to hear" she said,
in firm tones, ''but could not help it,
and-I understand. I will not intrude,
IL will send the carriage back for
you-Mr. Verdery."
Helen, You cannot mean that-that
you" he began.
Heard? Yes, heard enough; moro
than enough. There's nothing more
to say" She started to 60.
"Helen! Helen!" he cried; "just .
moment! Listen to me! This is all
mistake, terrible-you will not 20
away like that? Wait-I will go with
you"
"You will not" she said, deter
minedly. II do not need you. That is
enough"
But, Helen," he begged, "what-
what does this mean?"
1T means," she said, "that heard
what you said TOTO this lady. I Iun.
derstaud. There's no explanation;
nothing that can change what heard.
It means that you are less to me than
she is to YOU"
You cannot mean i, Helen," he
said, in great alarm. think OF wkat
you are saying! Think of what it
means to me! Helen! Helen! let mo
explain. was q boy then, nothing
but foolish boy. am SO different
now; I'm man now, and all my heart,
my soul, my life are yours-yours,
Helen! Do you hear me? The past 10
dead!"
"You cannot explain to me-" she
said, turning to go. "You have al
ready said too much. I will not in
trude further"
II will go with you" he declared.
II will explain. You shall not leave
me like this"
"You cannot Co." she said, land you
will not insist when I tell you that
do not wish you with me-
He saw that she meant it.
Then I will come Tomorrow" he
said. II can make you understand it.
will come tomorrow and explain
everything"
twill not see you tomorrow" she
said. "You need not come"
"Then I will come Sunday-I will
wait until you have thought over it
and are ready to listen to me. I'm sure
you will change your mind then.
will come Sunday"
1T will be unnecessary trouble" she
told him, quietly and decisively; II
will not see you."
mot see me?" he said. think how
long it is three days-and things will
appear SO different then. When may
leone? Just name the day-1 will do
as you say"
"There will never be any day when
you may come"
Helen"
But she had gone. The room was
reeling round and round. verdery,
like drunken man. dropped into his
chair. His head fell upon his hands.
He sat there, dumb. trying vainly to
realize what had happened and failing
to 1T.
His thoughts raced madly through
his mind, keeping pace with tho mad
leaping of the blood in his almost
bursting veins and nothing save tho
powerful and overwhelming sense Of
calamity remained with him. Tho
collapse had come in . moment
At length he arose. It was dark in
the room and he, was alone. He no.
ticed batch Of letters at his feet and
picked them up The lights on the
street shone through the window
feebly. It was not late, for the stree.
was still thron9ed with people. Gould
it be that it was just an hour agos
Where had the woman gone? He drew
down the cover of his desk and was
turning to go when q familiar step
sounded outside.
"Why, Mr.. Howard, what are you
doing here? What's up? The carriage
came around an hour ago and your