Evening star., 1895-01-12
THE NEW HEROINE.
A Vivid Scene From the Drama of To-
morrow.
From Pdncll.

From Panch
Edwin-And do you really love me?
sAngelina-Wifh all my heart and soul;
and yet
Edwin-Yet what? Angelina, why do you
look so strangely at me? There is some
thing on your mind. something you have
not the courage to tell me.
Angelina-Edwin. I can hide nothing from
you. Even though it should wreck both
our lives, you have the right to know the
truth.
Edwin-My own darling, what is in your
heart?
Angelina-Can you bear to hear it? Don't
look at me, or shall not have the courage
to say what must be said. Edwin, 1 have
never lived a disreputable life.
Edwin (burying his face in his hands,
Great Heaven! and 1 believed in you so
utterly. (Ther rising, with desperate
effort to control his emotion) Goodbye.
Angelina Ealing on her knees. and cling
ing to hm)-Ah, no, you shall not go.
Think Of 1t. Edwin, Of the temptations to
virtue that surrounded me, Of the examples
of simple girlhood that poisoned my youth.
II have lived life of spotless innocence.
remember, at least. that l knew no better.
What else could 1 do? Brought up from
earliest infancy by a mother of unblemish-
ed reputation?
Edwin with a gesture of horror)-Your
mother, too? Angelina, our marriage is i'm
possible.
Angelina-How hard you men are! Is
your sex alone to have the monopoly Of in
nocence? Must there always be one law
for women and another for dramatic au-
thors? Oh. 1T is cruel! cruel! But you will
not leave me- Remember, am still young;
1t is never too late to err. And is it be-
cause am a woman that am to be denied
the chance of retrieving the innocence of
a rnisspent youth by the indiscretions Of a
ripper womanhood? Besides, are there not
cases, cases known to us both, where a
wife has lived down the terrible reproach
of blameless girlhood? Why, even Mr.
Jones' latest heroine, and there Is nothing
later than that, could not absolutely prove
she had gone wrong, and yet her husband
took her back! But you are so proud, so
relentless. You have no pity in your heart
Edwn-Beleve me. it Is not pride. For
myself, 1 would gladly brave the censure
of the world and if in after years men
should say In scorn he married her though
there was nothing against her, 1 should
still be happy, knowing 1 had your love.
But my father. that dear old man in his
quiet country vicarage. Think of it? 1t is
too horrible!
Angelina with bowed head)-You are
right; had forgotten your father.
Edwin-How could 1 ever look into that
sweet, wrinkled face, and meet those rev.
erend eyes, knowing that I was asking
him to receive a daughter one who had
virtue?
Angelna-I see it all now. Goodbye.
Edwin-Good-
Angelina (as he is going)-Edwin, come
back
Edwin-Ah. don't torture me, I can bear
no more!
Angelna-But what If were to tell you
that this confession. so humiliating to us
both. was but ruse to test the strength
of your devotion?
Edwin-Ah. don't raise false hope with
in me, only to plunge me again in the
abyss of despair!
AngeIina-But this is no false hone.
Edwin (eageriy)-W hat do you mean?
Angelina (burying her head on his shoul-
der)-I mean that l have been no better
than l should be.
Edwin embracing her)-My own true
love. nothing can part us now.
Curtain)