Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-06-10
PART w.
CHAPTER vI-tCoaanuea,

-
fixed OH Frank with duh, anxious IN
treaty.
"No one knew of the existence of these
letters but you. Have you any suspi-
cion why ii should be to Williams in
tercst 10 suppress them, them
NO. How should IL" said Berthe,
scarcely above his breath.
Come, come-speak OUT" cried West
hove, quivering in every muscle. You
must know something about ii. that is
quite clear. You must. Speak out!'
All thought of self-defense melted
away under the vehemence OF Franks
tone. BERTHE hardly had anyFeuriosity
eyn TO know what bad occurred 10 be-
tray Williams completely: and he felt
that it would be easiest now to give
himself up completely, without re-
serve. since that which he had been
dreading for weeks had come upon
him. inevitably and fatally: and in his
weakness he was conscious OF the hor-
rible pathos. the hopeless pity Of his
being what he was-of things being as
they were.
well, Them he muttered. detected
~, 81 do know"
What do you know
1T was | who
"Ycu did what
'sNho bribed William not TO deliver
tho letters"
Westboye lokeod at him In dumb as
constituent: darkness cIouded his sight;
everything was in a whiri; he did not
hear, did not understand, forgetting
that the truth had already flashed
across his brain.
You. Your he gasped. MY God.
but why?"
Van Maeren got up; he burst into
tears.
"Because-because-I don't know. l
cannot tell you. 1t is too VILE"
Westhove had seized him by the
shoulders: he shook him and said, ia a
hoarsc n
.You villain. you will not tell me
whyg You will not tell me? Or must
l shake 1t out OF your body! Why?
Tell me this Instant!
Because, because" sobbed Van
Maeren, wringing his white hands.
''Tell me-out with it,
Because / wanted to stay with you,
and because ii you married should
have to go. l was so fond Of you, and
and"
speak out. You were fond Of me-
anu OHct"
"And you were SO kind t. me. You
gave me everything. | foresaw that |
should have to work for my living
again. and l was so well of where /
was. Frank. Frank, listen to me; hear
what / have to tell before you say
anything, before you are angry, Let
me explain; do not condemn me until
you know. oh, yes. 1T was base of to
Ia u.ttn< Il Atys Int 1Af mo ca " a ward
do not be angry, Frank. until know
everything. Frank. try to see me as 1
am. ! am as God made me, and | can
not help It: 1 would have been differ
ent II / couid-and 1 only did what l.
could not help doing. Indeed. l could
not help 1t; was driven to it by a pow
er outside of me. / was so weak, so
tired: / could rest with you: ana.
though you may not believe 1t, | loved
you, / worshiped you. And you want
ed to turn me out and make me work.
Then 1t was-then l did IT. Hear me.
Frank: let me tell you all. must tell
you all. I made Eva believe that you
did not really love her; / made her
doubt you, SO that everything was
broken off between you. And the let
tiers, i stopped them. 1t was
all my doing, Frank-all, all; and l.
hated myself while l did il, because |
was not different from what | am. But
I could no help ii. i was made so,
. And you did not understand
me. / am such a strange mixture that
you cannot understand. But try to
understand me and you will. Frank;
and her you will forgive me: perhaps
you will even forgive me. oh! believe
me, l beses ch You; i am not wholly
selfish. / love you with all my soul. SO
truly as one man hardly ever loves an
other, because you were 50 good to me.
| ram prove ii to YOU did I no stick by
you when you had lost all your money
in America? If l had been selfish.
should 1 not have left you then? But
l stayed with you, l worked with you,
and we shared everything and were
happy. OH why did not things re-
main as they We're? Now you have
met her, and now"
"Have you done with wordsY' roared
Frank. $50 you did this; you wrecked
all that life held for me! God in heav-
enl is it possible? No; you are right;
/ do not understand your' He ended
with a yenomous laugh, his face Grim
son aud his eyes starting with rage,
BERTHE had dropped. crouching. In a
Hedp Oh the SrOuHu anu SOUDpN atouu.
.Oh, but try to understand me" he
entreated. ''Try to- see 4 fellow crea-
lure as he is. in all his comfortless ma
kedness, with no conventional wrap
pings. My God. I swear to you that l
wish i was different. But how can 1
help being what l am? l was born
without any option of my own; l was
endowed with n brain, and | must
think; and / think otherwise than L
gladly would think. and l have. been
tossed through life like a ball-like j
BAH. What could / do, thus tossed,
but try to keep my head up! Strength
OF will, strength Of mind? I do not
know whether you have any; but l
have never, never felt such a thing.
When l do a thing it is because /
must, because l can do no otherwise;
for, though 1 may have the wish to act
differently, the strength and energy
are not therel Believe me. I edspise
myself; believe that, Frank. and try
to understand and to forgive"
words. words! You are raving,"
growled Frank. Il do not know what