The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1904-05-14
CHAPTER Nv.

What is it, my darling? Speak to mel"
1T is nothing" she breathed pain
FULLY. "You must let me go, Doctor
Cleland; you must leave me-"
Il shall not let you go!" Paul an
swered vehemently. "You dare not
send me from you, Margaret-you can
not! II nothing else gives me a right
TO you, surely my love does?"
She made no answer, but shivered as
If with cold.
Cleland went on passionately:
III you can say to me, Margaret, that
you no longer love me, that the past
is dead and buried to you, or that you
nave been self-deceived when you
imagined you did love me, then shall
90 away and trouble you no more. 1t
may be that shall shortly be leaving
this country, perhaps forever; and I
felt l 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 hunted
animal at bay in them.
Margaret" he went on slowly, after
4 pause. you must tell me-, now and
here, have you ceased to love me? By
your answer I will abide; it will be
final with me-"
A strange look crossed the girls
face.
III refuse to answer"
Il shall not leave you till you an
swer." said Cleland. Margaret, IT
you can say these words after me
Paul. no longer love you'll shall be
satisfied and go my way. It is all I
ask"
Again the white hands moved con-
vulsively. It gave Cleland a curious
sensation-as If she had wrung them
piteously. She began slowly:
paul, I-no-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 it's cause.
He spoke at last, in a voice I'M
steady and uncertain.
Then you love me still, Marga-
ret1''
T 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 touch that
thrilled him through and through, II
cannot hide the truth from you. I do
love you'll shall love you always; but
there is q reason why 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-
tween US which can never be removed.
Do not ask me what it isl cannot
tell you. Do I seem cruel? Believe
me, 1t is because I wish to save you
pain that 1 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
garrett" said Paul Cleland, huskily.
"You ask me to give you up forever,
and l am not even to know why. If I
knew your reason, I might submit to
your decree; but you cannot expect
me tamely to give you up without
knowing why I am to do sou
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 infict 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.
Twill you not take my word for it,"
she said at last, very gently. The
barrier between us is insuperable, and
l cannot, must not, tell you the nature
of 1t. Oh, spare yourself and me
further pain, Paul, by leaving me now!
We must try to forget"
II 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 I am coward enough to shrink
before the sneers of the world over a
dead mans memory; you have, per-
haps, learned after all your father was
guilty, and you will not confess it to
me. You would rather wreck my life
and my happiness!"
But the next moment he stood hum
bled and contrite before the look OF