The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-06

~~f"1 Aou VucA Snu0 OO CO8ob0er
to her mother'A
That was n little after II. 1t was
now striking midnight, and Jasper
Chase sat in his room staring at the pa
pers on his desk and going over the last
half hour with painful persistence.
He had told Rachel Winslow Of his
love for her, and she had not given her
love in return
1t would be difficult to know what
was most powerful in the impulse that
had moved him to speak to her tonight
He had yielded to his feelings without
any special thought on results to him
self because he had felt so certain that
Rachel would respond to his love for
her. He tried to recall now just the i'm
preston she made on him when he first
spoke to her
Never had her beauty and her strength
influenced him as tonight. While she
was singing he saw and heard no one
else. The tent swarmed with confused
crowd of faces. and he knew he was
sitting there hemmed in by mob Of
people, but they had no meaning to
him. He felt powerless to avoid speak
ing to her. He knew he should speak
when they were once alone
Now that he had spoken he felt that
he had misjudged either Rachel or the
opportunity. He knew, or thought he
did. that she had begun to care for him
1t was no secret between them that the
heroine of Jasper's first novel had been
his own ideal of Rachel. and the hero
of the story was himself, and they had
loved each other in the book, and
Rachel had not objected No one else
knew. The names and characters had
been drawn with subtle skill that re-
vealed to Rachel, when she received a
copy OF the book from Jasper, the fact
of his love for her, and she had not been
offended. That was nearly year ago
Tonight Jasper Chase recalled the
scene between them, with every infec-
tion and movement INCREASED from his
memory. He even recalled the fact that
he began to speak just at that point on
the avenue where few days before he
had met Rachel walking with Rollin
Page. He had wondered at the time
what Rollin was saying.
"Rachel. Jasper had said, and it
was the first time he had ever spoken
her first name. Il never knew until to-
night how much l love you Why
should | try to conceal any longer what
you have seen me look? You know
love you as my life l can no longer
hide it from you if would"
The first intimation he had of a re-
fusal was the trembling of Rachels arm
in his own. She had allowed him to
speak and had neither turned her face
toward him nor away from him. She
had looked straight on. and her voice
was sad. but firm and quiet. when she
spoke.
"Why do you speak to me now'
cannot bear it-after what we have
seen tonight
"Why-what'- he had stammered
and then was silent
Rachel withdrew her arm from his
but still walked near him
Then he cried out with the anguish
Of one who begins to see a great loss
facing him where he expected a great
joy.
"Rachell Do you not love mee Is
not my love for you as sacred as any
thing in all of life itself?'
She had walked on silent for a few
steps after that. They had passed a
street lamp. Her face was pale ard
beautiful He had made movement 20
clutch her arm. and she had moved a
little farther from him
mo. she had replied There was
time-i cannot answer for that. You
should not have spoken to me tonight.
He had seen in these words his an.
swer He was extremely sensitive
Nothing short Of joyous response to
his own love would have satisfied him
He could not think of pleading with
her
''Some time. when am more wor-
thyY" he had asked in low voice, but
she did not seem to hear. and they had
parted at her home. and he recalled
vividly the fact that no good night had
been said
Now, "a he went over the brief but
significant scene, he lashed himself fol
his foolish precipitancy He had not
reckoned on Rachels tense. passionate
absorption Of all her feeling in the
| scenes at the tent which were so new
in her mind But be did not know he1
well enough even yet to understand the
meaning of her refusal When the clock
in the First church Steeple struck l. he
was still sitting ut his desk. staring al
the last page of manuscript of his un
finished novel