Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-02-26

%%@$~SV$S$@~@ @@S%@@$V%%%@@
Sne pauseu u-TUpI1y.
"Blind, stupid fool!' l said to myself
He held himself resolutely in hand,
answering carefully, but his voice had
lost its GOODNESS and was sweet and
kind.
"Have l done this for you? Then
surely God has been good to me. And
you have helped me more than any
words could tell you"
"Helped!" she repeated scornfully.
Eyes. helped" he answered, wonder
ing at her scorn.
.You can do without my help" she
went on. you make people help you.
You will get many to help you. But I
need help too"
She was standing before him with
her hands tightly clasped. Her face
was pale, and her eyes We're deeper
than ever. He sat looking up at her
in kind Of maze as she poured out
her words hot and fast.
81 am not thinking of YOU" His cold
ness had hurt hec deeply. 81 am self
ish. I am thinking Of myself. How
shall do? | have grown to depend on
you, to look to you 1t is nothing to
you that go, but to me-
She did not dare to finish.
y this time Craig was standing be
fore her, his face deathly pale When
she came to the end of her words, he
said in voice low, sweet and thrilling
with emotion:
"Ah, if you only knew! Do not make
me forget myself. You do not guess
what you are doing"
"What am doing? What is there to
know but that you tell me easily to
go?"
She Was struggling with the tears
she was too proud to let him see.
He put his hands resolutely behind
him. looking at her as if studying her
face for the first time. Under his
searching look she dropped her eyes,
and the warm color came slowly up in
to her neck and face. Then, as if with
a sudden resolve, she lifted her eyes to
his and looked back at him unf1inch-
ingly.
He started, surprised, drew slowly
near, put his hands upon her shout
ders, surprise giving place to wild joy.
She never moved her eyes. They drew
him toward her he took her face be-
tween his hands, smiled into her eyes,
kissed her lips. She did not move.
He stood back from her, threw up his
head and laughed aloud. She came to
him, put her head upon his breast and,
| lifting up her face, said, kiss me-"
| He put his arms about her, bent down
and kissed her lips again and then rev.
erently her brow. Then, putting her
| back from him, but still holding both
| her hands, he cried:
mo, you shall not go! shall never
let you go.'
She gave little sigh of content and,
smiling at him, said:
81 can go now" But even as she
spoke the flush died from her face and
she shuddered.
"Never" he almost shouted. "Noth-
ing shall take you away. We shall
work here together"
"Ah, if we could, if we only could!'
she said piteously.
"Why not?" he demanded fiercely
"You will send me away. You will
say it is right for me to co." she re-
piled sadly.
"Do we not love each other? was
his impatient answer.
"Ah yes, my love-" she said, "but
love is not ALL"
"No" cried Craig. "But love is the
best"
eyes," she said sadly; Glove is the
best, and it is for loves sake we will
do the best"
"There is no better work than here
Surely this is best" And he pictured
his plans before her.
She listened eagerly.
ooh, If it should be right" she cried
II will do what you say! You are
good; you are wise. You shall tel
me-"
She could not have recalled him bet
ter. He stood silent some moments
then burst out passionately:
"Why, then, has love come to us
We did not seek it. Surely love is Of
God. Does God mock us?"
He threw himself into his chair
pouring out his words of passionate
! ctofin I;c+o