The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-27

ever much they may pity ana sorrow
for a mans fall, can neither forgive
nor condone the sin by which he teli.
And then-dishonor. thought OF pret-
ty. sanity Monica. with her narrow,
nun-like creed and her rigid moral
code. and | knew that IL Robin had
been the only man I'm the world ne
would still have stood no chance win
her. Pity she might have felt Tor hlih,
sorrow. and perhaps even sympathy
up 10 a certain point; but love-nsVer'
"You see." / tried TO explain, Mon
| lea Is such "A queer girl. She's had
queer bringing up. and really she isn't
a bit like the ordinary everyday girl.
IF she had BEEN" said Robin, soft
| ly. II should never have loved her.
shes 80 romantic and full of fan;
cies," / went on. she lives In Worlu
of her own, and she's always reading
poetry. She has the striotest code OF
honor | ever came across. and she
measures men by her own standard.
| She's awfuly fond OF quoting poetry
about some chap in the Middle Ages
| who wore the white flower OF blame,
less life'-King Arthur. wasn't ityAnd
| then-and. then--oh! hang IL all. Wnat
/ the good of tal.sng,"
| Robins white face grew whittier still'
and his lips twitched with "a queer
smile as he looked at me.
! The white flower OF a blameless
| life, he repeated, slowly. II see, colo
mel. And does Harold Marsden wear
the white flower of "A blameless lie Z
felt puzzled his tone sounded SO
| odd.
why. yes" I sad. las far as
man can in these days. Anyway, he has
Kept his honor"
The last words fell from my lips al
most without my knowledge-ccrtainiY
| without my will. and l would nave
| q N thRnl soon
as they were spoken. l had not meant
/ TO hit the boy so hard as tha..
j saw him mince. but a moment Ia
/ ter he was SIN ding again.
Don't hit a man whe.n he's down
colonel" he said "it's unsportsman-
| like; and, besides-besides- His voice
| faltered huskily, and he was silent.
| was silent too. for | dill not know
| what TO say. / had never felt more
embarrassed i'm my lfe.
What a world this is," ROBIN went
on presently. What a JUS. charitable,
| sympathetic world: overlooking with
the milk OF human Kindness. ! wonder
IL the next world will be the same.
wonder If. even there, ones best
friends Will believe the worst possible
! without proof and condemn one with
out hearing. 1 wonder-I wonder
His voice faltered again.
i looked at him IN hmlZcmcnt, and
then "a sudden glimmering OF the truth
unsupported during all these years
broke in upon Inc.
Robin" / cried do you mean tc
tell me that you are Innocent"
lie made no answer. but only looked
at me, stll with twitching lips. The
| truth grew clearer to me-
1T was not you, after all. Was II
Harold?' 1 asked eagerly. "Ah. l see
Il all now-as i ought to have seen II
years ago. oh. Robin. Robin. why
didn't you speak out at the time? WIS
did YOU take up the burden OF sin
that was not your own?"
Robin frowned uneasily.
We'll" he sad "if the sin was not
actually mine. the fault was. and that's
much the sa.le thing. | was bound &c
stand by Harold when it was my ex'
ample that led him wrong. III II hadn
been for me he would never have
| touched "A card; but he followed me. "A:
he always did. One night he lost NOR,
| tlft4A he eettid afford 10 .yz4 y, ard then
| well, you can guess the rest. I'm mo
ment Of despair he tried 10 cheat. anc
the other fellows thought IL wasl and
we'll as J said before. l was bound Il
stand by Harold"
He paused and looked at me again
but i said nothing. What was ther
that l could say?
"It didn't seem TO matter whether
went under or not. 80 he added. in low
bitter tone Harold had mother WI
would have been heart rt-broken IL sh
had known the truth; but / had no
body"
put out my hand and grasped his.
And | never guessed the truth ii
| now!" I cried. Robin, can you eve
forgive me for my blindness? What
fool must have been-what fool
Robin sighed drearily.
ct doesn't much matter now n
| col shttt II wonder
that nobody guessed the truth. ]
seemed so strange that everybod
| should take my guilt for granted. ID
you remember the day came to tel
you about il. colonel? / think j ha
some vague idea that you would trus
me and refuse to believe the story ;bu
you took 1t all for granted-like tn
rest"
groaned.
'oh, the pity of it," said. THE pit
of n ALL"
"It doesn't much matter now Robi
said. again. land, really, l don't kno'
| that IL much mattere1 at any time
Come. colonel. you're the only man !
the world--except Harold-who know
my secret: and YOU must keep II, as
shall keep Ii, forever Let Harold go o
to the end, wearing the white howe
Of a blameless life; and as for me-a
for newell, I'll let the old place an
90 hack to Australia There's nothin
else for ii. I can't face things here"
So Robin went forth again from th
home of his fathers. and his place /
the Old World knew him no more
| / went down to Southampton TO So
him off. The day and the scene wer
i'm keeping with the. event The cole
gray sea. the leaden sky. the swirlin
sheets of sullen rain. land Robins white
| tortured face as ne turned away fror
me-all these things haunt me still.
But perhaps the sun was shinin
somewhere.-London Truth.