Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-05-03

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touched her cold hand. and at tn,
touch she swayed 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 sell
for which he had often sacrificed the
happiness of others or well-nigh for
feited honor. for which at last In a
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, ii
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 1t. 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 it softly over
her paid 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 trembling
hand and touched his thick brown
hair.
Don" she whispered family, tell
me it is not true!"
Il cannot" The hoarse reply
pierced her very soul. Her hand
dropped. She burst into sudden and
passionate weeping. With 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
it was not; but. in a fit of anger. I
fired, and it 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. I
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 it, and you
made me marry you!" The words
broke from her in low, hating SEN
fences, as il 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 l never dreamt you
would come to know of it."
"Oh, why did you make me marry
you?" 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 me-"
/. Il 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
iation, that it was indeed true. He
had shattered alike her faith in him
and her love.
"Oh!" he cried out, eff you had loved
me as l love you, you would under
stand and be pitiful!"
Il 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, if you
only knew what a purgatory remorse
has made my life ever since that fatal
night, you would pity me and for
give!" ...
81 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 fiaxen
hair from her face with a despairing
gesture. With a wild rush of memory
it 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 it indeed
only a few hours since she laid her
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 Don
WINGED beneath that look as If she had
struck him a blow.
ooh, that we could undo this day."
she said.
He knew then the thing he dreaded
had come upon him. He had lost her
love, and he was yet to lose herself.
And fierce despair fell upon him. He
strobe towards her and took her in a
passionate embrace.
mo, l will not let you say it," he
cried hoarsely, "for I could not live
without you, Lillie!"
CHAPTER JY