The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-08

| 1Hdl, she Sald, SLOWLY, is one of
those things a man is constitutionally
unable to understand
Try to make me understand"
.WeHs your son must have my care,
since he has no mother"
'But~4~eanit understand"
L told you you couldn't. Do you
| not see, since you seemed to regret
that his existence forever separated
you from me, wanted you should have
| some compensation"
Chalmers grew excited and STAN
! mered as he spoke. you did it for
| love OF me, because l seemed to re-
| greet. You cannot call it seeming when
every thob of my heart was for you"
1T throbbed for another-there's the
| boy, you know
What satisfaction could 1 feel in
the daily presence of this wretched
child?" g, -
| None, perhaps. But may be for
| gwen for thinking that you still have
left some remnant. of honorable and
gentle feeling. A mans own SON"
! You took the child In for love of
me, believing it to be mine For love
of me! Say it.. Dorothy say it."
For the love I had felt
| Love cannot die in an hour. You
had been my wife less than two
| years.
And that boy was less than a year
old. 1 assure you, love can die in a
minute under favorable circumstances"
| Suppose 1 were to tell you this boy
| is not mine 2"
She started forward in her chair. If
| love dies quickly the. habit of hope
| does not. Suppose were to ask you,
| Whose child is hep" she answered,
| hoarsely.
| why, it might be-anyones"
| Norman once told me that a little
| boy might eat a bear" she replied.
| Mrs. Chalmers was artieulating with
| difficulty. This was to be a Waterloo
for somebody ,Napoleon's side.
| Dorothy, in heavens name you
love me today as you did in that first
year of our married life. 1t is true.
| Dorothy, 1 did not dare dream of that
before, but now 1 know 1t. I cannot
| let this hour pass-give me one chance
the benefit of the doubt Oh, Doro-
| thy!"
There is no doubt" she said, star
ing at him. She hoped for something,
she didn't know what.
Let US be reconciled. When I be-
lieved you hated me 1 had no power
to plead, but now for Gods sake, Doro-
thy"
Ill
Don't speak, don't speak" Chalmers
cried. He, was holding out his arms.
What shall 1 do?" she murmured.
twisting her fingers and looking at
Chalmers open arms and remembering
the feel of them about her in the old
| days. what shall 1 do?" And then
Norman laughed, just without the
library door. They started as the same
shaft struck them both
For the last time" she said hur-
! riedly and under her breath, who Is
his father?"
81 said-it might be any one; it
might-wty, it might be your father
4. lii. fyvn1Ny
or he never would have said it.
MY father" she repeated. Then
Mrs. Chalmers seemed to assemble her
| wits. my father-Who loved you as
his own son, whose memory great men
celebrated today; my father. who loved
| my mother and her children next to
| honor A hero first, last and forever,
whose word was truth, whose life was
truth! Take that back" she said,
looking for all the world like the old
general himself.
"I-take it back" answered Chalmers.
But 1 love you So" Chalmers
seemed to be about done for.
Madame is served" spoke the very
discreet servant.
IT cannot dine tonight" she said, and
passed out at another door.
| Chalmers stood in the middle of the
floor and looked off where his wife had
| gone.
Il will do it," he said, suddenly.
"This is hell, and I'll tell the truth"
He unlocked the small drawer of a
cabinet near his desk. and yet, may
| be-she would hate me for the truth.
| She loves me now, for certain. l Won
der just how bad the truth would
! sound. It's years since even heard II
/ years. he unused, as he took letter
| from the drawer He spread it careful
| ly upon the desk 1t seemed not to
| have been read frequently, and it told
| how Dorothy's hero father had made
a mess of his affairs, and how his con-
science was troubling him now that he
was dying, and how he trusted to his
| beloved son-in-laW to square things for
/ him and for his conscience-and for
| boy who was not his wife's. Il have
/ not the courage" he had written, ito
! remember the boy in my WILL lest it
| excite suspicion, and now I'm dying 1
haven't time to make other arrange
| ments,''
| ooh, Lord" groaned Chalmers. "If
1 should die and Dorothy never know
that 1 was always as true, as true
/ Chalmers wiped the sweat from his
| face.
eff Dorothy found I was not the
| hero she always thought me I should
turn in my grave" Chalmers read
Haven't the courage to ignore the
| childs existence; his mother is dead.
| She was woman L knew III HdTlS. Inc
| boy ought to be looked after-leaYe it
all to you
"By Jove! It sounds worse than
thought" murmured Chalmers. mo,
I guess I won't-but I'd rather be a
| dead hero than live one. I won't tell
her about the old man, after all. Well,
what the dew What is 1t, Nor
MANI
at came to hear the story" said
| Norman from the doorway. Chalmers
hurriedly thrust the letter into the
| drawer and fumbligly dropped the key
upon the floor. While he was trying
| to find it without overturning his chair
| or rising from it Norman stood upon
the hearthrug watching him. I'm to
hear a story about her father"
| Chalmers, failing to find the key, left
the room, and Mrs. Chalmers entered it.
your father was a hero all right,
wasn't he, Mrs Chalmers?" said Nor
man, sitting back on his heels.
| yes she answered.
my father wasn't, was he?" visit
| fully. Mr.. Chalmers once said he was
not"
Are you very fond of Mr.. Chal-
ners?''
.T-I-don't know, madam. think