The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-05

he did not have the strength to finish.
Her face. with it's indefinable charm.
was raised to his, as she dropped these
words one by one from her lips in lin
gering cadence, "Frederick-tlo you
love me. then, SO very much?"
He was angry; possibly because he
felt his resolution failing him. "You
know" he holly began. stepping back.
Then with sudden burst Of feeling
that was almost like prayer he re-
sumed: DO not tempt me, Amabel. l
have trouble enough without lament
ing the failure of my first steadfast
purpose"
".ah." she said. stopping where she
was. but drawing him toward her by
every Witchery of which her mobile
features were capable your generous
! impulse has strengthened into a pur.
/ pose. has it? Well, I'm not worth i,
| Frederick"
| More and more astounded, under
standing her less than ever. but charm
/ ed by looks that would have moved an
anchorite. he turned his head away in
vain attempt TO escape an influence
that was so rapidly undermining his
determination
She saw the movement. recognized
the weakness it bespoke, and in the
triumph of her heart allowed a low
laugh to escape her
Her voice. as | have before said. was
unmusical though effective, but her
| laugh was deliciously sweet, especially
When it was restrained to mere rip
pie. as now
You will come to Springfield soon"
she avowed. slipping from before him
SO as to leave the way to the door
open.
"Amabel.' Els voice was strangely
husky. and the involuntary opening
and shutting Of his hands revealed the
emotion under which he was laborinp
DO you love me? You have acknowl-
edged it now and then. but always as
II you did not mean it. Now you ac-
knowledge that you may some uay ana
this time as if you did mean it. What
is the truth! Tell me without coquet-
ny or assembling. for am in dead ear
nest. and He paused. choked and
turned toward the window. where but
few minutes before he had taken
that solemn oath. The remembrance
of 1t seemed to come back with the
movement Flushing, with new ayi-
tation, he wheeled upon her sharply.
mo. no." he prayed: SAY nothing If
you swore you did not love me.
should not believe it, and If you swore
that you did ! should only find it hard
er to repeat what must again be said.
that union between us can never take
place. have given my solemn prom
Use to-
"Well, well! Why do you stop? Am
l so hard to talk to that the words will
not leave your lips?"
| 81 have promised my father l will
never marry you. He feels that he has
grounds of complaint against you. and
as owe him everything
He stopped. amazed. She was look
ing at him intently. that same low
laugh still OH her lips.
Tell the truth" she whispered. II
know to what extent you consider your
| fathers wishes. You think you ought
not to marry after what took place last
night Frederick, | like you for this
evidence of consideration on your part,
but do not struggle too relentlessly
with your conscience. can forgive
much more in you than you think. and
if you really love me-
''Stop. Let us understand each 9th
err" He had turned MORALLY pale and
met her eyes with something akin to
alarm. What do you allude to in
speaking of last night? | did not know
there was anything said by us in our
talk together
81 do not allude to our talk
"0r-or in the one dance we had
Frederick. IL dance is innocent
! The word seemed to strike him with
the force of Il blow.
'innocent,' he repeated. "innocent
| becoming paler still as the full weight
OF her meaning broke gradually upon
| him.
Il followed you into town." she wllis-
t pered, coming closer and breathing the
words into his ear But what saw
you do there will not keep me from
obeying you if you say: Follow me
wherever ! go. Amabel. Henceforth
our lives are one
"My Cod
II was all liz said. but it seemed to
create a gulf between them. In the 81
lence that followed the evil spirit Ia
tent beneath her beauty began to make
itself evident even in the smile which
no longer called into view the dimplcs
which belong to guileless mirth. while
upon his face after the first paralyZing
effect of her words had passed there
appeared an expression of manly re-
sistance that betrayed a virtue which
as yet had never appeared in his. selfish
and altogether reckless life.
That this was more than passing
impulse he presently made evident by
lifting his hand and pushing her slow
ly back.
y do not know what you saw me
dc" said he. "but whatever it WAS it
can make no difference in our reia-
TONS
| Her whiSDnr which. baH haap huf a