Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-08-06

David had said that the other woman
was nothing to him now. but-that tear
in MS eye! Slowly Alva drew her hand
from his clasp but he did not seem to
notice. Presently she shivered, and he
felt the motion.
What IS the matter. dear?" he said.
''Are you cold? SHALL l close the win
dow? See, the pink is only a dull gray
now"
No. 1 am not cold, said Alva. wear
lily. All the brightness seemed to have
gore out Of her life; it had changed from
gorgeous crimson TO a dull gray while
the sunset faded Her heart ached, and
her head throbbed. she wanted to be
alone-to think ii ever.
L have a headache, dear" she said
aloud. Il think if you will excuse me 1
will go to bed. Perhaps it will be better
by morning"
Il hope 81, darling" answered her
lover. adding in whisper: 4 am sorry.
I'll go now" he continued, ''and to-mor-
row afternoon I'll come and take you for
a drive"
Thank you dear" said Alva, but the
face she lifted to his was unresponsive
to his kiss.
Why, your hands are coldw cried
David. How thoughtless' l was to let
you sit 50 long beside that open window
These evenings are cool. But l was
watching the sunset and did not think"
Alva sighed. 1t was not the sunset
that made him forget. she thought.
Ali night Alva lay awake, staring in
to darkness When daylight came she
got Up and wrote the following letter to
her lover:
DEAR DAVID am sorry-I did not
mean to hurt you last night. did not
suppose If could hurt you to talk of her
But 1t did, dear, and so although you
DO not know It, you must care for her
still. II you did not love her, the thought
OF her could not bring tears to your eyes.
/ am going to break our engagement,
dear, for l love you too we'll to have
even a memory between us. All, you
don't know how it hurt me when l saw
that you did not want to talk of her.
Had | shown t2ct, would have changed
the subject, but could not do it.
And l should always be wanting to
talk OF her to see if it still hurt you.
1t will be easier to endure the agony
Of separation than to go through life with
this awful ache in my heart, and feeling
that l have not power to heal a hurt that
any ore else could cause you.
Do not try to see me, dear YOU can
not alter my decision, and you will only
make things harder for me. To think of
you is almost more than l can bear. and
yet l must go on thinking of you, al
ways. Good-by, dear, and God bless
You. AIvd
After this letter was sent, Alva took
up her life as if i were something that
must be got through with somehow.
A week passed without bringing any sign
from David, but on the eighth day a
etter came. Alva clutched it to her
leart with a fierce eagerness. She had
lot known how hard it would be to let
lm go out of her life Tremblingly
he broke the seal and read the letter.
My DEAR Child shall not try to tell |
'ou how yoIr letter hurt me, but it was
/ hurt far worse than the hurt of the |
'ther night, the one that caused you to
write it.
| am not going to plead with you, |
lear, l am proud man, and I could |
lot do that, but am going to ask you to |
liter your decision
l hardly know how to write what I |
wish to, dear; how to tell you what l |
want you to know. There can be moth
ng between US; not even a memory.
Once I loved that other woman. l
Believed her everything that was good
nd womanly, and when my confidence !
n her was shaken l. thought that l never |
Ould trust any one again. l believed |
It the time that it was the depth of my
owe that made me suffer so, but now | |
NOW it was because my trust had been
l mourned not the woman
herself, but the ideal she had shattered. |
That is why it still hurts me to talk of |
Ter. although she is nothing to me now.
1t was you, dear, who brought back |
ny faith in human nature, my trust in
and your power to do this is the |
)est proof that l love you as l have
never loved before
Some people say that mans first
owe is his best, but they do not know.
Of course, if his first love lasts and be-
comes the fuller, rounded love of his
alter life, it is the best, but each time
4 man loves he loves against greater
odds. His trust has more bitter expert
,nces. more cynicism to battle with.
There can be no love that is worthy the
name without confidence, and the love
that can bring to life a dead\faith must
Re the greatest love.
| do not think you can realize this,
dear, YOU are too young. But try to
believe me, and do not send me away
from you. have said that would not
plead with you, but do plead, dear
You can do what no one has ever been
able to do; you can make me forget my
pride,
l know how you love me- Your letter
told ne that. as wei as OF your pain.
| am sorry for the hurt dear I under
stand. Bus. if you send ME away now.
some day when you are older and have
learned the difference between the trou-
hes that are shadows and the cares that
must be faced and fought, you will be
very. very lonely.
Better the Joy Of love, dear, than the
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