The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-02

had removed all-disabiIities. You know
of my letter to Mrs. Desbrow!
II had the privilege of reading it,
"And it satisfied you-that?
THAT the woman who wrote 1t was one
of the bravest, noblest of her sex
Harriet flung the tribute aside with
gesture of impatience. What were soft
words and petty phrases to her now SIe
was athirst for love-for happiness. lie
was Offering her a stone "hefe S"0 '''
asked for bread.
..That is not the point What | asked
TO know was if that letter satished yo"
that there was no barrier toto your nap
pinesS" -,
..you mean did IL satisfy me that III
wanted TO marry Miss Towers there was
nothing i'm the way?
eyes. that Is what | mean. OF cpu'9e.
T thought | had written it so piaihiy'
tried to be very explicit
"you were He looked at her across
the intervening hearth space WIZ, az. nI,,
tentness that made her pale cheeks HUSH
angrily. o,,,,
''Rut dear Mrs Monette. it would seem
ne if vour labor had all been i'll van.
IL DO not comprehend.
"JnsunerabIe obstacles still stand IN the
way of a marriage which frahkiv co.
fess wasted 81 few years of my HE Try
ing to bring about. .
II am afraid. then. I cannot help you
81 am not so sure of that of one ,iii'is
ONLY am entirely certain. OF two things
perhaps"
His manner was so free from the dejec-
ton of a disappointed lover that Harriet
could only look at him I'm genuine per-
plexity as she answered gently:
And that one thnG2
'Ts that Miss Towers loves another
man
Another man, And that"
T'Other thng?" All the ievitv had gone
out of his manner now: he answered her
almost solemnly: rs that | love ano'her
woman"
His words seemed to convey no intelli-
gent meaning to her senses. She had let
her eyes drop from his face to the glow
Ing, bed of Goals i'm the fireplace. She had
not been schooling herself all these
months for nothing. OF the two. lnst
then. she was the more composed. inc
hands she held loosely folded on her zap
lay quite still Her voice was pitchtS to
that low conversational tone he had al
ways approved.
You seem to be talking i'm riddles. 7
have got so used. you know. To thinking
of you as-Dianas devoted admirer that
your sudden change of heart seems :n-
COMPREHENSIVE"
II don't know that it has been so sud
den" he said. with touch of impatience
in his tones. IL think sometimes We are
very slow TO discover the true state of
own affections. and from sheer force
of habit or false conceptions of honor
cleave to the wrong, even after We have
discovered the true. II was only when |
fell in love witt. = woman-nobly planned.
true. earnest brave-that | was in posi-
tion to sit in judgment upon first infat-
uation for a pretty child. There are some
extenuating circumstances in my favor,
but | will not plead them just now.
She sat so still. looking resolutely at the
fading Goals. that a great fear came sud
denly upon him. What right had he 10
come back To her and almost demand
tn. heart ne had once held so loosely in
his grasp? How did he know that Hedges
loyal, stanch little Hedges. had not car
red off this prize already? He got up
and walking over to the window stood
staring out in moody trepidation
Once" he sad without turning toward
her. Il thought you cared a little Tor
me and knew later that cared a great
deal for YOU. | believed then that my at
titude toward Miss Towers and my cX-
pressed promise TO my friend Desbrow
were inexorably binding upon me.
Il have been trying TO free myself from
the ENHANCEMENT of my own making ever
since my STAY here. Before | left Farm
daIe's Gulch the true state of my heart
was known to me. | said to myself, when
she comes back from Europe she shaii
be mine You got the message of my
roses You knew that | was thinking
of YOU when YOU sailed away from us,
and them. You came back so radiant IN
YOUR beauty, so admirably prepared 10
hold regal sway over society that i shrank
with a fresh dread. | did not want 10
seem 10 presume on anything that had
passed while We were living under the
same roof out there and So | held aloof-
and
"I.eft-me-tO suffer.
They were the first words she had
SPOKEN since he had entered upon his
impassioned confession. They came to
turned and went back 10 her with great
gladEess shining i'm his handsome face.
She had left her chair and was leaning
against the oil Farndale piano. He drew
her toward him with proud sense of
possession.
Then you still care for me? oh. heart
of woman. how generously ready To for
give. This is more than deserve al your
hands"
He kissed the shining hairs about her
temples She placed her FOLDED hands on
his breast to force him gently away from
her.
Il have nothing to forgive. When !
was a crude ignorant woman you came
into my l:fe and / showed you all my
heart. Those were the days when | was