Oakes Republican., 1904-03-18
CHAPTER ".

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1T is nothing" she breathed pain
fully. You must let me go. Doctor,
Cleland; you must leave me-"
II Il shall not let you go!" Paul an
swered vehemently. "You dare not
+ send me from you, Margaret cam.
not! II nothing else gives me right
to you, surely my love does?"
She made no answer, but shivered as
IL with cold. Il.
Cleland went on passionately:
IF you can say to me, Margaret, that
you no longer love me, that the past
is dead and buried to you, or that you
have been self-deceived when you
imagined you did love me, then I shall
go away and trouble you no more. It
may be that shall shortly be leaving
this country, perhaps forever; and I
felt could not go without knowing
the truth"
He felt her shiver again, but her
strength came back, and she stood
erect. looking at him with eyes that
had something Of the look of a hunted
animal at bay in them.
Margaret" he went on slowly, after
q pause, you must tell me. now and
here, have you ceased to love me? BY
your answer l will abide; it will be
dnal with me-"
A strange look crossed the girls
face.
IF refuse to answer?"
Il shall not leave you till you an
swer," said Cleland. Margaret, il
you can say these words after me
Paul, l no longer love you'-I shall be
satisfied and go my way. It is all I
y ask"
Again the white hands moved con-
vulsively. It gave Cleland curious
sensation-as If she had wrung them
piteously. She began slowly:
paul, Eno-longer-" Then her
voice dropped and broke into a half
sob and her face fell between her
hands.
In the silence that followed Paul
Cleland felt his heart quicken its beat
ing, with an emotion that was half
joy, half pain. She loved him still,
then! These proud, pure lips of hers
could not utter an untruth. But the
agony that could wiring that sob from
self-contained Margaret Crawford al
most frightened him. He could not
even guess at its cause.
He spoke at last, in voice un-
steady and uncertain.
Then you love me still, Marga-
/. ret?"
She looked up then and at sight of
his agitation her own calm seemed to
return. That one pitiful yielding to
weakness had startled her back to her
old SELF And her woman's heart, for
getting its own pain and trouble, tried
to find some comfort for his.
Paul." she said, gently laying her
hand upon his with a touch that
thrilled him through and through, 81
cannot hide the truth from you. / do
love you-I shall love you always; but
there is reason why 1 can never al
low you to speak of this, why we can
never, never be anything to each
other. There is a terrible barrier be-
Do not ask me what it isl cannot
tell you. Do I seem cruel? Believe
me. it is because wish to save you
pain that cannot tell you more
Paul, God has laid on us both heavy
burden; but he will surely give US
strength to bear it,
You ask a hard thing of me, Mar
garet," said Paul Cleland, huskily.
You ask me to give you up forever,
and am not even to know why. If l
knew your reason, might submit to
your decree; but you cannot expect
me tamely to give you up without
knowing why am to do SOL"
Margaret was silent. She felt that
it would be easier for her also could
she tell him the whole truth; but what
cruelty it would be to inflict on him
the knowledge that his father had
died:-or taken his own life, as Paul
himself seemed to think-believing his
son guilty of SO fearful crime?
No, she must never tell the truth.
For Paul's own sake, for the sake of
the dead, she must not.
will you not take my word for it?"
she said at last, very gently. The
barrier between us is insuperable, and
cannot, must not, tell you the nature
Of it. Oh, spare yourself and me
further pain, Paul, by leaving me now!
We must try to forget
Il shall never forget" said Paul, a
little harshly. He was scotchman,
and "dour" and obstinate rather than
passionate. "You are sacrificing your
own happiness and mine, Margaret, to
some absurd notion Of honor. You
think am coward enough to shrink
before the sneers Of the world over q