The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-10-01

as il to punish them for trembling
and stopped to pick up sketch which
she had been drawing before the con
versation began. Again she glanced
at the clock.
well, the rest OF you may keep ur
the battle as long as you please" Eu'
gene said, glancing also at the clock az
he rose. II confess that am sleepy,
and will be obligng enough to with.
draw from the conference. But l will
warn you, mother mine, that you may
as well put down your arms; Judith
will come of conqueror."
Half an hour later he heard his pa.
rcntSand sisters come up stairs with.
out Judith. He had not gone to his
room, but to the library, thinking
that she might come there for some
book, as he knew that she was In
no mood to sleep. When lie found
that she was not likely to come up
very soon he went down to the draw.
ing room again.
20, he said in apparent surprise,
when he found her sitting in pre-
cisely the same attitude as when he
left her, "still here, Judith? l sup
pose the conference broke up in row,
judging from the expression Of your
face. l thought, too, that / heard
mother Sub as she passed the library
door"
He went up to her and leaned 0vel
the back OF the tall, carved chair ir
which she sat.
81 am sorry you came back, Eu
gene" said, Judith. looking very pale
and severe.
II do not care to talk to you any
more tonight, and il you will excuse
me will go up stairs"
~ will not excuse you, Judith" he
said, OBTAINING her. VI have such q
great desire to know why you refused
Frank White and Harry Stanton, and
then formed this mad resolve to be-
come an artist, that l shall not let
you 60 until you explain"
"You have no right to question me
in this way" said Judith white with
anger
ut may be that l have not" an
Swered Eugene in Il strangely gentle
tone. "DO you think that / shall be
the first to lay my heart at the feet Of
my old lovc-the pretty Widow Hard
ing-Or-do-you-care"
lie drew hei back against the high,
carved chair and made her look at
him-her eyes kindlng with shame
and resentment.
II know you have remained single
all these years because she threw you
over for Major Harding" she said,
looking defantly up at him. II am
also certain that she never loved her
husband as she did you, and that you
can win her now IL you choose"
Now that my prospects are i'm
proved, and she is quite wealthy her
self" said Eugene, scornfully. "Ju-
dith, / thought you would give me
credit for more penetration"
"a man has none for the woman lie
loves" said Judith ia low tone.
II confess you are right, for l have
known you well for ten years, and
never caught glimpse OF your heart
until tonight"
Judith looked up in bewilderment,
but Eugene bent down and kissed her
for the first time in his life. As a son
and brother he had not been demons
trative; still less had he been so as a
cousin"
"Judith, don't you understand me?'
he whispered. 81 love you and be-
lievc you love me, little girl"
II wish | could believe you," wist.
fully.
"Do l always seem to say the 0p-
pOsitc OF what l feel? That cynical
habit was the Outgrowth OF an effort
to conceal the real state OF my mind
toward Marie Harding, and afterward
to guard against q similar disclosure
toward you. For l was certain that
Hal Stanton had won your heart.
Tell me again, dearest, what your eyes
told me once this evening, that it is
really mine after ALL"
"But my life plans" protested Ju'
dith. "They arc fixed now, and ! can
not change them"
"You mean you do not love me then
Death and ambition are weaker than
love, Judith"
She thought again OF the future she
had mapped out for herself, counting
love out. 1t would be Il joyless, emp
ty existence, after all.
Indeed he pleaded, "do you want
such happiness as a mans true love
can give, or can you be satisfied with
the hard and narrow life that leads Il
famc?"
II believe l can live without fame
Eugene" she admitted at last. III
would be much harder, l fear, to liv'
without you"