Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-21

ened her.
 Please don't; please! Not this time! Ah, have mercy, Charl- We'll! There! There! Mary mother, forgive me" Then her woman spirit fell before the whirlwind of his passion, and she was on his breast, with her white arms around his neck, paying the same trib- ute to the little blind god that he would have exacted from the lowliest maiden of the land. .t
 Brandon held the girl for moment or two, then fell upon his knees and buried his face in her lap.
 Heaven help me!' he cried.
 She pushed the hair back from his forehead with her hand and as she fondled the curls leaned over him and softly whispered:
 Heaven help us both, for I love you!'
 He sprang to his feet. "Don'ti Don't, I pray you," he said wildly, and almost ran from her.
 Mary followed him nearly to the door of the room, but when he turned he saw that she had stopped and was standing with her hands over her face, as if in tears.
 He went back to her and said, "I tried to avoid this, and if you had helped me it would never''- But he remembered how he had always de- spised Adam for throwing the blame upon Eve, no matter how much she may have deserved it, and continued: ''No, I do not mean that 1t is all my fault. I should have gone away long ago. I could not help it. I tried, oh, I triedw
 Mary's eyes were bent upon the floor, and tears were falling over her flushed cheeks unheeded and uncheck- ed.
 ''There is no fault ill any one. Nes- ther could help it," she 'sAurmured.
 "No T; it is not that there is any fault lL the ordinary sense. It is like suicide or any other great self inflicted injury with me. I am different from other men. shall never recover"
 'T know only too well that you are different from other men, and-and I, too, am different from other women. Am I not?'
 s.Ah, different! There is no other woman in all this wide, long world" And they were in each others arms again. She turned her shoulder to him and rested with the support of his I arms about her. Her eyes were cast down in silence, and she was evident ly thinking as she toyed with the lace of his doublet. Brandon knew her varying expressions so well that he saw there was something wanting, so he asked:
 | tTc u;eh +n say?'
 s'Not l." she responded with em. phasis on the pronoun.
 'Then it is something you wish me to say?'
 She nodded her head slowly, "Yes."
 "What is it? Tell me, and I will say | it."
 She shook her head slowly, "No."
 "What is it?' I cannot guess.''
 ''Did you not like to hear me say that that loved you?''
 sAh, yes! You know it. But-oh.- do you wish to hear me say it?'
 The head nodded rapidly two or three times, "Yes." And the black curving lashes were lifted for feet ing, luminous instant.
 Tt is surely not necessary. You have known it so long already, but I am only too glad to say it. I love you" She nestled closer to him and hid her face on his breast.
 "Now that I have said it, what is my reward?' he asked, and the fair face came up, red and rosy, with rewards any one of which was worth kings | ransom.
 "But this is worse than insanity" cried Brandon as he almost pushed her from him. we can never belong to each other. Neverr'
 "No," said Mary, with a despairing shake of the head, as the tears began to flow again. "No, neverv' And fall ing upon his knees he caught both her hands in his, sprang to his feet and ran from the room. Her words showed him the chasm anew. She saw the distance between them even better than he. Evidently it seemed farther looking down than looking up. There was nothing left now but flight.
 He sought refuge in his own apart ments and wildly walked the floor, -ex- claiming: "Fool, fool that am to lay up this store of agony to last me all my days! Why did ever come to this court? God pity me-pity mel" And he fell upon his knees at the bed, bury ing his face in his arms, his mighty mans frame shaking as with palsy.
 That same night Brandon told me I how he had committed suicide, as he put it, and of his intention to go to Bristol and there await the sailing of the ship and perhaps find partial res urrection in New Spain.
 Unfortunately, he could not start for, Bristol at once, as he had given some challenges for tournament at Rich mond and could furnish no good excuse to withdraw them, but he would not leave his room or again see .'that girl | who was driving him mad" It was better, he thought, and wise | Iy, too, that there be no leave taking, but that he should go without meeting | her. 'If see her again. he said, I shall