Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-12-18


 parental consent if possible, without it if necessary. Clare when consult ed cast her lot with Gordon. All revelations concerning Gordon's ca- reer and record were without avail
 Then the mother in desperation went to Gordon's apartments at the Royal and made @ pathetic appeal to him.
 There can be no happiness in such a match" she said. "When she awak ems to the realities she will be heart broken-as you well know. There is no happiness in such marriage either for her or for you. I do not know what you are after. I will not insult you by intimating that you seek her money. If you do it shall be yours without a marriage. In any event I conjure you by a mothers love; by the memory of the old times when we were fricnds-more than friends, do not destroy my daugh- ter's life"
 Rising from his chair where he had sat nonchalant and unconcerned dur ing the interview, Gordon advanced directly in front of the excited wom- an who stood with clasped hands and flushed face pouring out her heart, and said in voice hoarse with emotion:
 "It has been my dream for 1o years to see you in front of me pleading for something dear to your heart. I never dared to hope the dream would come true-certainly not in the manner it has. Let me tell you, 1 will give you your hearts de- sire just as you gave me mine 19 years ago. You chose deliberate ly to ruin my life. You were merc;- less-even scornful. What I am, am as a result of your heartlessness. What I am not is the result of your faithlessness. All the reasons that make me in your estima ton an unfit husband for your daughter are the result of your ambition and your ad- vice. I was not a man of bad in- stincts in the old days. I was not void of ambition. All this you delib- erately killed. You sapped all the good out of my nature and threw me aside, a mere husk. Now you ap- peal to :he moral nature you de- stroyed. l mover dreamed of so per feet a revenge until I saw the girl your very second self. and then I saw the way to make you suffer even as I have suffered. And you must suffer to the end. I will not spare you. Go and tell the girl what l have said and that I am your old lover. if you please. She will not believe it and will deny it. It is your turn to walk the floor now. I have done it for 19 years. Oh, I will lead your proud and sensitive girl pretty dance, promise you"
 He caught her as she tainted, and after applying restorativss showed her to her carriage.
 The wedding was a swell affair and the newly-vedded pair went abroad for 6 honeymoon tour.
 It was ten months later at Venice. when the crisis came. They had fingered there for five weeks enjoying the soft languor of the Italian skies. The months had been a revelation to Gordon. Never had he supposed earth held such joy as he had found in the golden weeks that had slipped by since his marriage. As he penetrated further and further into the nature of the woman who had married him despite warning and evil report. he sounded depths of tenderness that he never expected had existed. Far from carrying out his threat and in- tsntion to break her heart. he be- came inspired day by day with the deepest reverence for her. This soft evening in Venice the climax came. He crossed over to where his wife sat and said:
 "Clare, l have confession to make. l cannot go on in this way with e lie in my heart. l did not marry you with a clean soul and from a pure love. All they have said about me is true. Your mother knew me better than any living person, and Sne lOIu NOu apiANN HdNt known you as wife I have come to learn somewhat of your real worth, and a great lOathing of myself has taken possession of me until life seems only tolerable on the condition that l cease to act lie and that you know me as I am. Forgive me? was cruelty hurt by a woman once and charged it to all womankind. l win make any amends you say. will leave you if yc1 will it-any- thing. anything, no matter how hard so I stand at least honest in your sight"
 With a broken sob he sank on one knee and buried his face in his hands.
 In an instant she was beside him with both arms about his neck.
 "I knew you better than you knew yourself" she whispered.