San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-11-03

| a rush is burning III cup OF OIL upOf
the table, casting feeble glimmer round
the empty room. He closes the dool
when Moll has entered, sets q chair be
fore the hearth and rakes the embers to
gether to give her warmth
Forgive me, oh, forgive mel" cries
Moll, casting herself at his feet as he
turns and clasping his knees to hen
stricken heart.
Forgive your says he bitterly.
Forgive you for dragging me down tc
the level of rogues and thieves, for max.
ing me party to this vile conspiracy OF
plunderl A conspiracy that, if it bring
me not beneath the lash Of justice, must
blast my name and fame forever. You
know not what you ask. As well might
you bid me take you back to finish the
night in drunken riot with those others
of your gang"
"Oh, no, not now-not nowP cries
Moll in agony. "Do but say that one
day long hence you will forgive me.
Give me that hope, for cannot live
without it. )"
"That hopes my fearp' says he. 81
have known men who, by mere contact
with deprayity, have so dulled their
sense of shame that they could make
light of sins that once appalled, them.
Who knows but that one day may for
give you, chat easily upon this villainy,
maybe regret went no further in it?"
80 God, forbid that shall be of my
doingr' cries Mol, springing to her
feet Broken as / am, I'll not accept
forgiveness ON such terms. Think you
I'm like those plague stricken wretches
who, of wanton wickedness, ran from
their beds to infect the clean with their
foul i'll? Not II"
81 spoke in heat" says Mr.. Goodwin
quickly. 81 repent even now what 1
said. -
"Am 1 so STEPPED in infamy," con-
tinues she, THAT l am past all cure?
Think, adds she piteously, II am not
Is yet. was but child year ago,
with no more Judgment of right and
wrong than savage creature. Until 1
loved you think scarcely knew the
meaning of conscience. The knowledge
came when 1 yearned to keep no secret
from you. do remember the first strug-
gle to do right. Twas on the little
bridge, and there l balanced awhile
'twixt cheating you and robbing myself.
And then, for fear you would not mar
ry me, dared not own the truth. Oh,
had 1 thought you'd only keep me for
your mistress I'd lave told you was
not your cousin. Little as this is, there's
surely hope int. Is it more impossible
that you, a strong man, should lift me
than that 1, weak girl-no more than
that-should drag you DOWN."
81 did not weigh my words.
Eyes, they were true," says she.
" IT'S bred i'll my body-part of my ma
ture, this spirit of evil-and twill exist
as long as /. For, even now, do feel
that I would do this wickedness again,
and worse, to win you once more"
"My poor wife," says he, touched
with pity, and holding forth his arms
she goes to them and lays her cheek
against his breast, and there stands cry
ing very silently with mingled thoughts
now of the room she had prepared
with such delight against his return, of
her little table in the corner, with the
chimney image atop, and other trifies with
which she had dreamed to give him
pleasure-all lost No more would she
sit by his side there watching, with
wonder and pride, the growth of beauty
meath his dexterous hand, and then she
feels that tits compassion, not love, that |
hath opened his arms to her; that she |
hath killed his respect for her, and with |
it his love. And so, sitting the sobs that |
rise in her throat, she weeps ON till |
her tears, trickling from her cheek, fall |
upon his hand.
The icy barrier of resentment is melt |
ed by the first warm tear-this silent |
testimony of her smothered grief-and |
bursting from the bonds of reason he |
yields to the passionate impulse of his |
heart, and clasping this poor sorrowing
wife to his breast he seeks to kiss away |
5he tears from her cheek and soothe her ,
with gentle words. She responds to his
passion, kiss for kiss, as she clasps her |
hands about his head, but still her tears
low ON, for with her reader wit she
Derceives that this is but the transport
If passion ON his side and not the I'M
'axed outcome of enduring love, proving
again the truth of his unmeditated proph-
ICY, for how can he stand who yields so
quickly to the first assault, and if he
,annot stand her can he raise her?
Surely and more surely, little by little,
hey must sink together to some lower
lepth, and one day, thinks she, repeating
lis words, eve may chat easily upon this
yillainy and regret we went no further
n it,.
Mr.. Goodwin leads her to the adjoin-
ng chamber, which had been his, and
ays:
Lie down, love. Tomorrow we shall
zee things clearer and think more rea-
onably."
Il. =. |