The Holly chieftain., 1903-11-20

hoA Aei. iiie . StIuSsoieS anu pain, anu
left only the touch of heavenly fingers
upon the eyes and mouth.
One of her slow. radiant smiles
broke the sadness of her face as she
laid her hand upon the hand on her
arm as she said softly, a new intona-
tion even in the low voice:
you mustn't be so good to me,
Charlie; !! ought to suffer alone some
times. You cannot realize how much
| deserve it."
He laid his other hand warmly over
this soft hand on his arm, new light
on his face, and in his eyes that
caused sudden dropping of the face
in the light OF the sunset.
You deserve to suffer-" there was
an intensity in his voice born from
watching the suffering on her face,
and from the suffering in his own soul
You deserve to suffer, Dolores John
son! If there is need for your suffer.
ing how much more should I suffer
who was equal with you in thinking
the unkind thoughts? Come away
from this terrible place, Dolores
here in the weird shadows and mists
only mt for them. and give your life
to my keeping. tell me you love me as
love you-give me the answer to the
question | asked SO long ago, Lorie
under the light of your heavens. un-
der the tender light of your stars ere
you left me for your new life and pos
sible forgetfulness.
She met his eyes gravely and square
ly, though the new light of tenderness
was still In them as she said, slowly,
with almost her old slowness
THE happiness of mans life does
not altogether depend on the love of
woman. Charlie"
ITO a great extent, darling"
But even if l should tell you no,
you would be happy after a while,
Charlie. Time heals everything"
Not everything, Lorie"
Yes, everything" she said, decid-
edly. You know that time heals ev.
erything, Charlie-even the old pain
of unforgiveness."
"Hush!" he said, swiftly, and his
hands on both her arms as he held
her facing him. were trembling with
the wish to hold her free from pain.
You are never to say such things
again, dearest. Let those things pass.
You have suffered enough for them,
and God will lay His great tenderness
| over them"
She was silent moment as though
reading his inmost thought the lifted
eyes grave and searching and tender
Then she turned from the gruesome
chasm buried at her feet in it's treach
erous shroud of mist. and said, softly
| with tenderness that touched him
| deeply:
God is very good, Charlie. / can
not doubt his tenderness. All my life
| will leave in his hands as you say
all my life. past as well as future
Then presently she added:
Let us go, Charlie. leave here
buried in the heart of His mountains
the bitterness that has shadowed not
only my life but the lives of those
who love me. The mountains are His
and my life is His
But as they paused for an instant
on the rotten bridge with the waters
sobbing at their feet, black with the
slime and srooke of the town, she laid
her hand earnestly upon his arm, and
lifting her grave face to his, flushing
with its new tenderness, she added
softly:
you have been, so good to me al.
ways, Charlie! Are you sure-sure
you DC want nobody but that girl of
Iohnsor's? come with empty hands,
YOU know"
He smiled into the quivering face
and wide, searching eyes and he an
swered her, taking her two hands In
his closely as though he would never
again let them go from him:
Il am sure, sure that l want you,
Dolores Johnson, more than any wom-
an in Gods beautiful world. Your
hands may be empty hands, but they
are beautiful in the work they do and
have done for others, for even these
cruel people here who would have
ruined your sweet life. and the woman
who, now your uncle's wife, would
have stained her hands forever for the
darkening of your heart"
And what could she say? And tho
lights of the sunset were very tender
over them as they crossed the bridge
and passed up along the road through
the settlement where the changes OF
Ill. l.