The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-09-11

secret from him never concealed SO
much as q thought from my brother ii
all my life. and to eYade even mute
question from his brave, frank eyes
makes me feel a traitress to him 4
s ything else, z he muttered. Ask
me any thing else. For Gods sake. do
not let him dream that / liver
But why You still speak to me IN
enigmas. Tomorrow, moreover, before
we leave, he intends to seek you out
as what he thinks youa soldier of
France. He is interested BY all he
hears of your career. He was first in
terested by what I told him Of you
when he saw the ivory carvings at my
villa. asked the little vivandiere to
tell You this, but, on second thoughts,
It seemed best to see you myself once
more, as ! had promised. That French
child forced her entrance here in a
strange fashion. She wished to see
me, suppose. and to try my courage
too. She is a little brigand, but has a
true and generous nature, and she
loves you very Loyalty :
Cigarette r. he asked YEARLY. 'tOh,
no! / trust not! / have done nothing
to win her love, and she is fierce lit
tie creature who disdains all such
weakness. She forced her way in
here? That was objectionable, but
she seems to bear a singular dislike to
YOU
Singular, indeed! / never saw her
until today
He answered nothing The convic-
ton stole on him that Cigarette hated
her because he loved her.
And vet she brought you my mes
sage? pursued his companion. ssThat
seems her nature violent passions, yet
thorough loyalty. But time is pre-
cious. / must urge on you what
babe you come to hear 1t is to i'm
plore you to put your trust, your con
fdence, in Philip. Let him learn that
you live; let him decide whether or not
this sacrifice of yourself be needed.
His honor is as punctilious as that of
any man on earth. His friendship
you can never doubt. Why conceal
anything from him ~
dumb agony which once before had
chilled her to the soul.
DO you think, if / could speak in
honor, / should not tell you all ~
Asfush passed over her face the first
that the gaze Of any man had ever
brought there. She understood him.
But, she said gently and hurried
~, may it not be that you oyerrate the
obligations Of honor? I know that
many a noble hearted man has mex
orably condemned himself to a severi-
I ty Of rule that dispassionate judge
Of his life might deem very exaggerat-
ed, very unnecessary. =
Her voice failed slightly over the
last words. She could not think with
calmness Of the destiny that he ac-
Iscepted. Inyoluntarily some prescience
of pain that would forever pursue her
own life unless his were rescued lent
an intense earnestness, almost en-
treaty, to her argument.
He started from her side as he heard
and paced to and fro the narrow limits
Of the tent like Gagged animal. For
the first time it grew a belief to him
in his thoughts that were he free, were
he owner of his heritage, he. could
rouse her heart from its long repose
and make her love him.
'sHear me, she said softly. II do
not bid you decide. I only bid you CON
| fde in Philip. You are guiltless of this
charge under which you left England.
You endure it rather than do what you
deem dishonorable to clear yourself.
That is noble; that is great. But it is
! possible, as / say, that you may exag-
gerate the abnegation required of you.
| Whoever was the criminal should suf-
fer. Yours is magnificent magnanimi-
ty, but it may surely be also false
Justice alike to yourself and the
world. z
He turned on her almost fercely in
the suffering she dealt him.
| 1T is! It was madness, a quixot-
ism, the wild, unconsidered act Of q
fool! What you will. But it is done.
It was done foreverso long ago
| when your young eyes looked on me in
the pity of your innocent childhood.
cannot redeem its folly now by. adding
Ito its baseness;; I cannot change the
choice OF a mailman by repenting Of it
| with a towards caprice. All, God!
You do not know what you do how
| you tempt! Answer me! Choose fo1
mew he said yehemently. BE my law
and be my Gody'
She gave a gesture almost Of fear.
| Hush, hush! The woman does not
live who should be that to any man.
You shall be it to me. Choose for
tmeW
e Il cannot! You leave so much in
darkness and untold
Nothing that you need know to de.
eide your choice for me save one thing
only that 1 love you"
She shuddered.
This is madness! What have you
seen Of me
tsEnn11oI, Ia 1nvnS Won S1uhi1n NV Iifo