The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-19

=. nei seat at the table, holding her head
very nigh, and turning her back to her COM
panlon Odille closed the door and withdrew.
FOR moment she fingered outside, a statue
VI Despair; then she, too turned aside, and
went 10 her own room, murmuring to her
Sell, with smothered sob:
L have failed, but 1 will save her vet
must speak, must unmask him, but oh.
now shall L ever have courage to face the
oroeaI! My heart seems to stand still at the
mere thought Of it. May Heaven take pity
on me and give me the strength that shall
surely need
And Lillian, left alone, took the photograph
rom lts envelope and looked it long and
earnestly.
or the eyes Of the beautiful girl that she
loved the man upon whose likeness she was
looking.
Il could not doubt you" she said softly.
unless your own lips acknowledged YOU
were unworthy, and that could never be-
CHAPTER V.
''Lilian-my fair, proud spotIess Lillian. is
It possible that you love me? 1 can hardly
oeleve 1t; it seems too good to be true. Let
me near you say those three little words
once more. They fall like sweetest music
on my ear"
The young girl hid her blushing face
against the shoulder of the man whose arms
enfolded her, and whispered, tremously:
II love you, Rene-I love you with all my
anything so wonderful in the fact? You are
30 handsome and so clever"
Little fatterer! but I love to hear you say
30, nevertheless, my peerless Lillian. I am
verify the proudest man in the world today
he whispered, in a voice that was scarcely
more than breath, with kiss between al
most every word. Il believe you, because I
know you are the soul of truth. Only tell
nothing-nothing- nothing could ever make
you think ill of me or love me less"
only one thing, Rene
He started, then, holding her a little way
from him, and looking down into her lovely
flushed face, he said:
What is that one thing, Lillian? You
frighten me. 1 tremble at the mere thought
of losing you, life of my life!'
You have nothing to be afraid of, Rene,
because it woulda be impossible for that one
thing to come between US. L will tell you
what it isl could never give you up or
cease to love you unless 1 found out that
you had been guilty of base or gnoble ac-
tion-that you had told deliberate lie"
Il should never tell you a falsehood, Lillian,
but you. with your lofty ideas and spotless
purity, might have standard of morality
that none but a hero or a saint could hope
to reach. I confess frankly that am neither
hero or a saint, and 1 do not pretend that
my past is a pure white page like yours. In
some ways my record is perhaps worse than
other mems. Being an only son. my mother
made a sort of idol of me, and spoilt me
terribly. 1 was wild and did many reckless
things which you might call-how can I tell?
-ignoble.''
"Oh, no! I am sure you have done nothing
that could make me withdraw myself and
my affection from you,' was the girls soft
answer, as she lifted her beautiful eyes to
her companions face-eyes that shone with
the divine lustre of perfect faith and love-
The one thing could not forgive or forget
and that would destroy my affection for YOU
at blow, would be if 1 were to discover
that you had wilfully and deliberately set
yourself to break a woman:s heart and spoil
her life All true love-that is worth the
name-let the world, let novelists say what
they will, is based esteem. From the
moment I had good reason to despise the
man on whom. believing him to be worthy of
respect, I had bestowed my affection. I
should inevitably dislike him. even were he
my husband"
You are very severe Lillian"
II do not see it. Any woman worthy of
the name would think as I do
In that case, 1 am afraid there are very
few such women-women worthy of the name
in, the world replied Rene Larooue with
a cynical smile. Then his brow which had
darkened for moment at her words, cleared
again. He passed his hand across his fore
head with the gesture of who chases
unpleasant and importunate thoughts Then
he answered lightly, in his usual tone
after ALL as you say, Lillian, have moth
ing to fear. AS for breaking any woman's
heart, I can assure you women's hearts are
not so easily broken as you seem to imagine;
and If they do get broken-or rather if their
owners declare they are broken-they get
mcnded again in the most miraculous fash
ion. You woman in a thousand Lillian
and you measure others of your sex by YOUR
self. I have certainly never met the woman
whose heart could have broken had 7 tried
to do so, whose life it was possible to
spoil, you call it, Are you satisfied now
oh, judge?"
"I never doubted you for a moment Rene
There was no need even for you to defend