Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-02


his friends"
He had ripened into that soundest
CT all mental periods Of life when the
full meridian had been reached and
he saw clearly through the horo-
scope of pure reason. sad, kindly
smile rested upon his lips, but the
windows above them indexed a Geth-
semane within. His eyes did not
smile. but they were clear, and strong,
and brave. and honest There was
not mean lineament in his counte-
nance. And the full strength of res
olution bern Of his death struggle
against selfishness. rested upon his
brow with the courtly grace of a king
Just then he was man to command.
Whatever may have been his weak
nesses in the past, it was evident that
he was master now-master over self.
the greatest victory ever won by man.
His eyes softened with an intense
longing as he addressed her. but the
look of a resolution, which set so we'll
in the background Of tn Sc clear gray
eyes. never lessened for an instant
and his voice was steady and firm.
81 have come to say" he began,
sthat still love you, dear, with love
as steady. and as strong. and as III
tense as ever: but I have come to say
also that | am ready to sacrifice you
if need be to your own inclinations if
it be necessary tc your future happi-
ness"
The woman whom he had trailed
over hundreds of miles of territory
the woman who had left his side and
home CT peace and plenty for the
gaities and the butterfly existence of
that gilded gaudy splendor in which
he found her. in shame and dishonor
-eazed up into those clear gray eyes
in stupefactiCn. Having ears she
heard net She heard but she could
not unders and. Yet with the first
musical note of his voice the flood
gates of memory were opened to her
end there poured out into her. giddy
remembrance the thousand and one
incidents of the past that caused her
momentary sense of shame. She
listened in wonderment as he proceed
ed.
"Your life, poor girl, has not always
been what it should have been. l
have fallen far short of my whole
/ duty toward you, and in my moments
of bitter retrospection I have seen
clearly where I might have softened
your lot but failed. Perhaps I neg
lected you. We can never appreciate
the blessings of the present.
"But all that is a matter of the
rast, with which we have little to do
row. What I have come to say is
that if your happiness depends upon
complete separation from me, and a
marriage with the man to whom yc'l
are now engaged, I will throw no OBJ
stacle in your way On the other
hand, will assist you all I can by
returning home and applying fer
divorce from you at once"
"And you know of that, too?" she
asked in amazement.
eyes. made inquiry about you be-
fore looking you up here, and learned
all about you."
"But how?' she asked.
sThat matters little,' he replied. '1t
only brings me to the point. I know
the life you are living here; l know
the temptations that surround ycu
and l know your weaknesses. 1t mat
ters not to me what your life here may
have been or is; if you want to re-
turn with me, resume your position
as my wife and live with me again,
I am here to take you back to m
home and my heart"
"You mean that? Take me back &c
am! Love me! What! Is it pos
sible?" The scared heart had been
penetrated at last, and she was moved
as never before in her life.
r "All things are possible tc, love-" he
replied, calmly and without a tremor.
ID is only when pride-that curse of
TIE human race-steps in and thwarts
love's purposes that we suffer most.
fMy love has conquered pride, and
am ready tc enfold you in my arms as
my beloved wife at any time. But
want you to make no mist,sAe in this
matter. for it is a serious one with us
F, both If you love another. I am
ready to give you up
Fer several moments she seemed
stunned and dazed. as if with some
new idea or thought or sensation, as
she gazed vacantly into his frank
!