The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-02-08

now. Don't you know the other uic..;
! told you hated Mrs. Charters? Sc
! did. But hated her because |
loved her. Don't you remember tell
ing me you felt sure ] didn't care for
her after the ball. Yes, / did avoid
her, because ] knew she was the kind
OF woman man was safest away
from" lie hesitated.
u have no right to blame her,
Dora. But long before she called me
IN to attend her she had made me an.
derstand in hundred ways"
lie paused again. The girl nodded
her head silently. She was leaning
back in chair her eyes shut, as il
she sought blindness from the blow
which must fall. The utter fcrlorn-
ness of her slight figure, SO still and
unresistant in its misery. might have
turned the edge Of less relentless
fate But suddenly she sat up,
straight and aggressive, with flaming
checks.
Leonard, did you ever discuss me
with her?"
"On my soul, Dora, never" he ex-
claimed impetuously. But in mo-
ment he added. with the appalling
self-honesty which characterized
him, THAT is, If we did. we never
said So"
She covered her face with her hands,
for the tears would come. The un.
conscious 1--WE" smote her so cruelty.
"Oh, Leonard, how could you?" she
moaned.
Perhaps il you had known her as
] did" he began again, after long
silence, but Dora chilled him with a
proud gesture.
Leonard" she said presently.
Leonard, | must know. must. Did
you-did you-ever kiss here"
lie could have smiled In the face
of the deep involving of his soul Will,
that dead woman's it seemed so
pnerile query.
NO." he answered coldy. "But
would have given my soul to-"
Thank YOU" she said proudly.
"Your frankness is admirable, but
somewhat gratuitous." She moved to
the door, but he held her as she swept
past him.
Dora, listen. I'm going away. I've
offered my services as an army sur
geon."
She wavercd. and then turned to
him hclplessly. II she had not loved
him better than herself il would have
been SO easy TO he proud
"Oh Leonard. don't go. You never
loved her. You only think so now
Some day you'll know better. You'll
know you loved me best
perhaps ! shall. but don't now"
he answered, incxorably honest The
trouble is. Dora. I've been loving two
women. Some one has said that at
heart all men are bigamists. 1t must
be true. or | can't explain myself"
She WINGED under his words. but an
intuition born of her love sustained
her even now.
You're too honest. Leonard. You
ask yourself too many questions.
should think that a doctor would have
known better than to pore over sym
toms, like a student, until he thought
he had the disease. ! suppose we've
got the germ of everything in or
bodies and our souls if we chose to
look for it,"
"Oh. Dora. You don't understand"
Don't j? DO You suppose ! didn't
know" she demanded. with sudden
upheaving passion. "Why. Leonard,
from the very night of the ball fol-
lowed il all. step by step"
lie stared AT her stupidity.
''les. and you pry and pry. and
then you're SO honest that you're
brutal. Why. you're SO honest that I
believe you'd almost tell lie in max
ing sure that YOU told the truth"
He listened tn her in amazement.
he had nevc~ suspected this simple
child Of sublety. He had thought her
as plain to him as a page of primer
prose.
All at once size turned to him with a
little cry.
"Oh. Leonard. don't you care any
hing for me? And I'm so good I've |
never done thing in my life that I
would be ashamed to have Won know"
Her checks famed. Gould Mrs. |
Charters have said that?"
"No."
why. they say I'm the sweetest |
girl in this town." She smiled at him |
vanly.
And I'm well. oh YOU know,
leonard" Was she going TO speak |
II her wealth. for whose sake so many |
non had cravcd her Sweetness %
why. Leonard. you know I'm not |
igly, and OH love Won SO terribly"
Ter voice died into whisper. so faint
hat he barely caught it.
Ugly. Dora. you're as beautiful rs
IN angel" he exclaimed in deep, |
'trong tones. The bitter pathos of il
III. this simple mastering Of all her
,irlsh virtues TO tempt him back TO
Ter side. melted his heart TO her like
wax in furnace.
But She hid her face from him, and !
,egan to sob Her humiliation was
.reater than she could bear
go away" she whispered pas
ionatcly. "COOI-hvc ~