The herald., 1896-08-02
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s VICTORY BY DEFEAT :
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The afternoon sunlight, Sitting through
the thin draperies at the windows, flled
the room with q pleasant mellow half
eight.
Miss Charming had gone to the window
and was looking up the street through
chink in the blind. Presently she caught
sight of Harding's figure, and, going
hastily back to her place before the fire,
she took up her book, which had been
neglected for an hour, and began to read.
Her interest was sudden, but it was
none the less intense--so intense that tho
ringing of the doorbell did not disturb her,
or even the opening of the door by the
quiet maid.
Harding came into the room quickly,
without being announced He came over
to where the girl was sitting, and she let
him stand there for moment, looking
down at her; then all of sudden she drop
ned the book and held out her hand to
him, smiling.
$50 you have oome Paulr' she said,
looking up at him.
"Did you think would not Gomez" he
asked
III do not know, but was afraid. When
Iwrote the note, I was afraid"
"But still you wrote it. Your fear did
mot deter you. You would have written
It had you been sure that 1 would not
COME
The girl withdrew her hand quickly,
and the look of smiling tenderness faded
from her face. "You have come to quar-
rel with me, Paul" she said.
Harding waited for awhile before he an
swered Resting his arm on the side
mantel above the fireplace and facing her,
he answered slowly:
II have not como to quarrel with you,
Eleanor. do not know that that would
do any good. There has been enough Of
that sort of thing already But I came to
beg you, to entreat you, to command you,
II there Is anything in the relation we bear
which gives mo any authority over you, to
give over this determination to which you
saw Won have arrived-this foolish, need
less cruel resolution.
ST ask YOU to do it for me- for yourself,
for every one that is Interested in you-in
the name of our love, Eleanor. You can
not mean that you will disregard that?'
Tho g!,l beard him through without in
terzuztiop. "You know, Paul." she said,
when he bad finished, 'you have said all
this 10 mo before. This is the way you be-
gin when we quarrel.
81 have never said it to you as do now,
Eleanor. 1 have never believed that you
really meant to do this thing. / half
Thought that you kept talking about 1t be-
cause you saw it worried me- I never be-
lieved that you really meant it. cannot
believe it now"
II can show you copy of the contract
have signed" said the girl quietly, al
most coldly.
"Can 1T be that you have gone as far as
thatY" he said.
eyes, have gone as far as that. told
you was going to-.
"But you need not keep it. 1t cannot
bind you. will see to 1t myself. can
force Davis to let you off; 1t will be easy
enough" said Harding hurriedly.
"But do not want to be let off, as you
call it," answered the girl. II knew what
Twas doing when signed the contract. 1
did it,deIberately, because 1 think 1t is
right for me to have my way about this
thing. I do not want to turn back"
"Yousare forcing me to tell you what it
will mean II you persist" said the young
man nOt1y.
The girl ruse from her chair and faced
him with flashing eyes. well, what will
1t mean?'' she cried.
'sIt will mean that everything is over
between you and me-" he answered, his
eyes flashing too. "You must understand
thnt.'
livery we'll; If that is your choice, I
have nothing to say. I expected that you
would say it,.
"It is not my choice. I will not let you
saddle it upon me. 1t Is your choice and
you admit that you have taken it DELHI
erately. My choice is very different, but
that has nothing to do with this situation
apparently.
Ayes, your choice is different. Your
choice Is that shall submit, even now, be-
fore we are married. to your dictation.
You say that do not regard our love.
What is there in our love that 1t can be
served only by the things that you happen
to want? Gould it not be nourished by "A
little that want? Is my Judgment always
to be wrong and yours always to be right?
And because l do not Immediately look
ct the thing from your standpoint you say
that am false to our love. You have no
right to say that, for it is not true. l do
not see why should give in to your self
ishness. suppose you would call it your
love, but do not
''Davis told you oil these things to say,
suppose, said the young man, with a
eneer.
"What do you mean?'' demanded the
girl.
~ mean just that. Ever since this
cursed business began you have been under
his influence. He has hattered you, and
YOU have believed him. He has told you
that you had great powers, and straight
way you have longed to exercise them.
He has set you dreaming Of applause, Of
the praise of the crowds that he says will
welcome your entrance into public view.
You have gone crazy with it, Eleanor. Can
you not see it?"
''Do you think 1 will be a success,
Paul?" asked the girl suddenly.
'sI do not know. Perhaps you may. Do
you mean that you are determined to go
on with this thing? That you will not
listen to me at all?"
There was long pause, and then the
girl answered in low tone, eyes; that
IS what I meant ;"
X Harding turned on his heel and walked
to the door. The girl followed him and
opened the outside door for him. He stood
a moment looking at her, and nhen he
went out and she closed the door after
him. Then she went back into the mel
low light of the little room, and, throwing
1 herself upon wide diyan, burst into tears.
"The surprise which we have long
known Manager Davis OF the Empire thea
ter had in store for us is out at last. F" said
the dramatic column Of one of the big
dailies.