North Park union., 1900-05-18

/ look Al me.
! He had gone to her side now and
touched her cold hand. and at the
touch she swayed a little and would
| have fallen senseless, but he caught
her in his arms and laid her on the low
| divan. He threw himself on his knees
beside her. and looked at her with his
breath coming in hard. quick gasps.
Despair and shame overwhelmed
him to suffocation. and paramount
through 1t all came the proud fear for
that self which had hitherto ever been
first with him all his life long-the self
for which he had often sacrificed the
happiness of others or well-nish for
feited honor. for which at last in
moment OF frenzy he had even sold his
soul.
He saw himself In that awful mo-
ment for what he was. and even with
Captain Derwent's dead body at his
feet he had failed to see himself.
Scorned and shamed before men. it
brought near to him another tribunal.
higher and all-powerful. at whose por-
tails he must needs stand at the last
day, and he bowed his head in the
first real prayer that had ever rent his
bleeding heart.
MY God. my God. be merciful!"
How would she for whom he had
| sinned look at him when those closed
eyes opened! Would she not shrink
from his touch as from some unclean
thing? Would her love not fail be-
fore this blow he had dealt it. or was
1t that love possessed of divine pity
which would not turn even from the
hand that struck It? He took the ivory
fan which had dropped from her nerve
less fingers and waited 1t softly over
her palid face.
Her long, thick lashes quivered. the
white eyelids opened at last. and her
blue eyes were looking into his.
He covered his face with his hands
and bowed his head on the cushion be-
side her. for he could not dare to look
at her now. She put out a trembling
hand and touched his thick brown
hair.
"Don." she whispered family. tell
me 1t is not true!"
| II cannot!" The hoarse reply
pierced her very soul. Her hand
dropped. She burst into sudden and
passionate weeping. With 4 strong
effort Don recovered his self-control,
and spoke with labored intensity.
at was not my shot that killed him
AS God is my Judge. swear to you
1t was not; but. in a fit of anger.
fred. and 1t might have killed him.
He insisted you were. to marry that
dark fellow. and he would not listen
to me, and lost my head. Lille, LII
lie! don't look like that! Don't!
cannot bear IT."
She had stayed her convulsive sobs.
and her blue eyes were regarding him
| in a way that made his proud lips
| CULVER.
"You did that. yet you came back to
me and told me nothing of 1t, and you
made me marry you!" The words
broke from her In low. halting SEN
tences, as II they choked her to utter
them.
Lille, be merciful! 1t was my love
for you that made me reckless. What
good would it have done to tell you of
our quarrel? For I never dreamt you
would come to know Of it."
"Oh. why did you make me marry
your" she walled. And now she broke
down once more and wept bitterly.
"Lillie!" he cried, beside himself
with remorse and suffering, you don't
believe me guilty Of his death? Don't
tell me you doubt mel"
"I do not doubt you." she spoke at
last: "but you have deceived me. and
oh, Don. it has broken my heart!"
He looked at her wildly. and seemed
to realize. with a new sense of DESC
lation, that 1t was indeed true. He
had shattered alike her faith in him
and her love.
"oh!" he cried out, "if you had loved
me as I love you. you would under
stand and be pitiful!"
II do love you." she answered bro
kenly-'you as you should be, as God
meant you to be. not what you are"
DON'T" he cried again. "Oh. II you
only knew what purgatory remorse
has made my life ever since that fatal
night. you would pity me and for
give!"
Il do forgive you." she said, after a
silence that seemed an eternity to the
man who hung upon her words; "but
life can never be the same again
never, never!"
She staggered to her feet and flung
back the long strands Of her naxen
hair from her face with despairins
gesture. With a wild rush of memory
1t had dawned upon her that this was
her wedding day, and that In an hours
time she was expected to leave her
maiden home happy bride.
Her wedding day! Was 1t indeed
only a few hours since she laid hel
hand In Don's and vowed that him she
would love and cherish and obey till
death them did part?
She turned now and looked at him
with the misery of that remembrance
writ large upon her face. and Dor
WINGED beneath that look a. II she had
struck him 4 blow.
"Oh. that we could undo this day!'
she said.
He knew then the thing he dreaded
had come upon him. He had lost hel
love, and he was yet to lose herself
And fierce despair fell upon him. HI
4 a IL l. .