Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-21
CHAPTER XXI.

ger, his lalI, sllSHl inquire lSpoSAAe ~
the broken armchair, his keen blue
eyes studying the fire from beneath
delicately penciled, dropping eyelids.
One white hand plays thoughtfuny
with heavy flaxen mustache, yet
once he starts, and for an instant the
languid lids raise themselves. There
is a keen. intent look upon the face as
he listens for something. Then he
leans back In his chair, fills his glass
from the silver flask in his bag and re-
sumes his old posture.
Presently the door opens noiselessly
1t is Lyndall. followed by Doss. Quiet
ly as she enters he hears her and
turns.
"I thought you were not coming"
al waited till all Lad gone to bed.
| could not come before"
She removed the shawl IL envelOp-
ed her. and the stranger Io.,u 10 offer
her his chair. but she TOOK her I on
a low Pile Of sacks before the W.--dow.
Il hardly see why | should Dr out
laved after THE fashion," he said, re-
seating himself and drawing his chair
little nearer to her. These are hard
ly tie Quartris onc expects to find aft
er ira Yelling = hundred miles in answer
10 an invitation"
Il said Cone If gou wish
And | did wish. You give me a
cold rrCcp; hH."
~ cc.iG not take you 10 the house.
Question world be- asked which
IL n,.io
ton"
Your conscience Is growing to have
a certain virgin tenderness" he said in
low. mclodious voice.
Il have no conscience. ! spoke one
deliberate lie this evening. | said the
man who had come looked rough. We
had best not have him In tie house.
Therefore brought him here. 1t was
n deliberate lie. and | hate lies tell
them II / must. but they hurt me-"
wv ell you do not tell lies to yourself,
at all events You are candid SO far"
She Interrupted him.
"You got my short letter."
"Yes: that is why | come. You sent
n very foolish reply. You must take IL
back Who is this fellow you talk of
marrying?"
"a young farmer"
"Lives here?'
Yes; he has gone to town to get
things for our wedding"
"What kind of n fellow Is hep
"a fool"
And you would rather marry him
than meY'
"Yes, because you nre not ono"
THAT is n novel reason for refus-
ing to marry n man." he said, lean
ing his elbow on the table and watch
ing her keenly.
at is Il wise one" she said shortly.
IF | marry him, ! shall shake him OFF
my hand when 1t suits me. If | re-
mained with him for II months, he
would never have dared to kiss my
hand. AS far as wish he should come
he comes and no further. Would you
ask me what you might and what you
might not doi"
Her companion raised his mustache
with a @ressing movement from his
lip and smiled. 1t was not n question
that stood in need OF any answer.
why do you wish to enter on this
semblance OF mairiager'
because there Is only one point on
Which have n conscience. | have told
you So"
Then why not marry meT
Because II once you have me you
would hold me fast. | shall never be
free again" She drew n long, low
breath.
what have you done with the ring
gave you" he said.
Sometimes | wear 1t. Then take
1t Off and wish to throw 1t into the fire.
The next day | put 1t on again. and
sometimes kiss It."
80 you do love me littleY
"If you were not something more to
me than any other man In the world,
do you think She paused. II love you
when l See you, but when you are
away from me l hate you"
"Then fear | must be singularly In
visible at the present moment" he
said. Possibly If you were to look
less fixedly into the fire you might per-
ceive me-"
He moved his chair slightly so as to
come between her and the freight.
She raised her eyes to his face.
"If you do love me-" he asked her,
"why will you not marry me"
Because If l had been married to
you for n year l should have come to
my senses and seen that your hands
ard your voice are like the hands and
the voice of any other man. l cannot
quite see that now. But 1t is all mad
ness. You call into activity one part Of
my nature. There is a higher part that
you know nothing of, that you never
touch. If l married you, afterward 1t
would arise and assert itself, and /
should hate you always, as l do now
sometimes"
81 like you when you grow meta
physical and analytical" he said, lean
ing his face upon his hand. Go a lit
tie further In your analysis. Say, i
love you with the right ventrlcle Of my
heart, but not the left, and with the
left auricle of my heart, but not the
right, and, this being the case, my af-
fection for you is not OF duly elevat-
ed, intellectual and spiritual nature /
like you when you get philosophical"
She looked quietly at him. He was
trying to turn her own weapons against
her.
you are acting foolishly, Lyndall," /"
he said. ddenly changing his manner
and speaking earnestly. "most foolish
ly. You are acting like little child. /
am surprised at you. 1t Is all very well
to have ideals and theories, but you
know as well as any one can that they
must rot be carried into the practical
world. love you. l do not pretend
that Il II ia any high, superhuman
sense. ] 10 not say that | should like
you as well If you were ugly and de-
formed, or that | should continue to
prize you whatever your treatment of
me might be, or to love you though you
were n spirit without any body at all.
That is sentimentality for beardless
boys Every one not mere child land
you are not child, except In years.
knows what love between man and n
woman means. | love you with that
love. I should not have believed it ~