The record-union., 1898-08-14

L
| You will help me?' she asked, tim
idly.
| II don't know. What is it you want
| done?'
| She shrang back, and a frightened
lock came into her eyes. Don't ask
me- she walled, lit is a secret l am in
honor bound to keep. You must help
me; oh. say that you Will" A sus-
picious tremor crept into her voice and
her eyes We're wet with tears. 1t was
hard to resist her, and Darlington felt
his resolution wavering.
What is il you want done?" he re-
peated
Il knew you would help me-" she said.
again mistaking him. She rumaged Tor
a moment among the heap of pillows,
| and finally brought forth a much
crumpled bit of paper on which she had
hastily perned some words. This is
a telegram" she explained, 1T is of
the utmost Importance that it be sent
at once"
Darlington received the bit OF paper
mechanically. and saw that II was ad-
dressed 70 Eugene Lautcrbacn, Mon
treal, Canada"
"Extradition papers out. officer now
on way with them. Leave al once" he
read aloud.
Who is this man? What is he to
you?' he asked. All Of his Old dis
like for the man again welled up with
! in him, dcepened and intensified a
hundred fold. He loved this girl. f.
would not give her up without a strug-
gle.
What is this man 10 you that you
want me To 90 this thing?" he asked
again But she only buried her face
III the protecting pillows and would not
| answer. while her whole body was
shaken by the sobs she could no longer
| repress.
In a moment he was on his knees
beside her Very gently he turned her
tear stained face toward him
"Dosie,' he said tenderiy, for the
first time making use Of The familiar
little name which he loved better than
any other. Don't you know 1 love
you, dear? That I've loved you ever
since I've known you, ana that I
would do anything but this for you"
Don't ask me to do this thing. ] can't"
If you really loved me you would do
what | ask" she sobbed
Darlington was almost at his wits
| end. How could he convince her Of
! the great love he bore her without do
ing this thing at which his whole bet
ter nature revolted? He arose to his
feet and looked sternly down upon her.
| Il don't want to pry into your Sc
crets." he said after a pause, but
think | have a right to know who this
man is. You said you could trust me:
now prove that you meant what you
said.'
CT, 11l
in spite Of the evident pain which it
gave 10 the injured knee. You are
| right she said. Listen, and l will
| tell You my story:
! Il first met Eugene Lauterbach on
my return from school He was my
fathers confidential clerk, and l soon
found was treated more as a friend of
the family than as an employe He was
handsome and fascinating. A thor
ough man of the world / had seen so
few men that | was pleased and flat
| tered by his attentions. My family of
ferins no objections, we were constant
| ly together. He was man that almost
any woman would admire; in my girlish
eyes he was simply a paragon of ev-
erything good and noble / imagined
myself in love with him, and when he
asked me to marry him l said yes. For
a time l thought myself very, very
| happy, but the delusion did not last
| long. / soon aWoke to the fact that he
| was tyrannical and dictatorial to ar
| inSufferable degree. / would have
broken with him then and there, but
had been brought up with the old-fash-
Toned idea that the engagement is al
most as sacred and binding as the mar
rage VOW itself, SO | bore with him IN
! patience. He used to be seized with
terrible fits Of depression, alternating
! with flights of the widest happiness;
his moods frightened me. / never knew
| just how 10 take him. Then, one day,
! he told me the whole miserable shame
! full secret of his life. For years he had
| been systematically robbing my father
! The fact could no longer be concealed,
! and he was obliged to flee from Justice
| He threw himself on my mercy, and
! begged me not to release him. With
my love to sustain him he promised to
| reform. He would begin life anew in
| a new country. | promised what lie
| asked, though L knew that I no longer
loved him; / only felt an intense pity
for him yelling up in my heart H.
went into the mountains and lived for
months under an assumed name
wrote him every day, though the bur
den sometimes seemed greater than /
| could bear'-she paused abruptly
i Did You write this letter to him p
| asked Darlington suddenly. AS she
spoke he had taken it from his pocket,
and now handed her the letter he had
| brought with him from the cabin in
the mountains.
She seized it eagerly. A cry, half Of
surprise, half of fear, escaped her.
How did you get this?" she managed
to gasp.
Darlington told her. A long silence
fell between them. which she was the
| first TO break
viii you not help me now?" she
! pleaded, this man is nothing to me:
my heart is irrevocably given to an
other. / only want to do my duty by
! him as / would want him to do it by
me were / in the same position" But
one look into Carringtons white. set
face convinced her how hopeless was
! the cause she pleaded.
| But he only repeated obstinateIy. 7
cannot. Dearly as I love you, I cannot.
| Were / to do so ! would lose my self
respect. Don't make it too hard; for ne.
Believe me, dear, / sympathlze with YOU
from the bottom of my heart" He
took up his hat. and. coming over to
the couch. held out his hand. Mast
it be goodGy forever?" ha asked. Eut
! she turned ner back On him and would
| not be induced to say another WORD