Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1902-10-31

park canal. No, no., Doctor Rigby,
suicide is the luxury of the mailman
and the genuine philosopher, tits not
for u.s."
The mere reading of these words will
convey to the reader no idea of their
m~addening irony; each word and speer
rtung me to the quick, and before she
had finished had jumped to my feet.
A bottle OF the strong solution of NOR
phia, used for subcutaneuos injection,
was on the table near me; in a frenzy
OF rage and despair l rushed to it, drew
the cork, and holding it close to my
lips, Missed out: "Look, you thrice
damned curse of your own sex and
mine, see if have not the pluck |"
and in a moment l should have swal-
lowed the whole of it had she not, with
n bound across the room, dashed
the bottle from my hand. For a NOM
ent we stood face to face, m~otionless
and i%rresolute, and with our eyes down.
cast. She was the first to speak. TAX
ing a lapel of my coat, in each of her
hands, she said in a voice deliberate
but now soft and gentle: "You are
not the coward 1 took you for"
The miraculous alteration in her
voice rather than her words, arrested
my attention; l looked up aud no longer
saw the Miss Milne of ten minutes
since, no longer the demon in woman's
clothing. but, as though by magic, the
whole character Of her had changed
the bad was dead, the good again living
and active. The seven devils mad
been cast out.
OF the why and wherefore of the
marvellous metamorphus, of the sci
ence OF this sudden death and sudden
birth, l know nothing. l only know
it happened.
"No, no." she continued, as l looked
straight in the face, no longer afraid,
and saw her smile as | had not saw her
smile for many a month, ''you are not
the coward l took you for, Doctor Rig
by. l have been an enigma to you, l
have been a puzzle to myself; / think /
have been mad this many a month. |
have admired you one month and de-
spised you the next; one day l have
hated and the next loved you"
Loved mel"
eyes, loved you as 1 think l alone
among women can love-"
"You have adopted a Grange method
of showing your love-"
"Ugh!" she exclaimed with a glim-
mer of her other self. "You know
nothing OF women; we love and we
hate in the same degree, and our lives
and our hates lie side by side, separat-
ed by the thinnest OF walls, which one
drop of jealousy will dissolve. But"
and she laid a firm hand on my should
er, 81 have loved you madly and hated
myself for it. l love you madly now"
And bowling her head, she added in
slow, almost inaudible tones: Give
me one real kiss and you have seen the
last OF me, | will never trouble you
again-will your" che aksed, trembling
at my delay, and looking up with the
lace Of a child. 81 am not wicked, /
am not mad now"
took the girl in my arms, 1 let the
memory of her past float away in her
tears, / let her arms entwine them
selves about my neck, | let her passion.
ate lips touch mine, l let her nestle
her head upon my shoulder. and forget
in this strange present all the terrible
past.
When she had released me, her hands
fell powerless by her side, \ and with
dropping head she stood motionless.
Then a SILVER ran through her from
head to foot. That shiver was the last
volcanic display that had just shaken
her. She looked up, and her face was
now calm and impenetrable; evidence
of neither love MOI anger was visible,
but a fixity OF deter .nination had entire
possession of her.
~ am, as yon know, a woman of my
word, Doctor Rigby, and / have prom
ICED to cea-e troubling you, so that now
there is nothing left but to wish yon
good-by."
She put out her hand az she spoke.
and, taking it in mine and holding it,.
/ asked her what she intended doing.
"Of my future movements l know
nothing; 1 have not had time to think.
All l know is II that l will not trouble
you any more"
"You will, Of course. allow me to
help you with some money; l am IN
funds and can well aoffrd it,"
THANK you, no; / am not one OF the
sinners that suffer paroxysmal fits Of
repentance and then repent Of their re-
pentance. would seriously like to
undo some of the injury | have done
you, but that fear is out OF the ques-
lion; at any rate. | will not make mat.
ters worse by taking any of your
money"
"But may not give it TO o as a
free gifi?"
"No; don't tempt me. / have no
| child To live fur nour Yau wondax L