Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-16

% they overlook ono fact the fact tha
 one of them has . wife! That's not n.
 way of putting 1t. It's the way 1t wa
 put to me by one of Lady AstruppI
 party"
 Again Evo looked up. The doubt ant
 question in her eyes had grown unmis
 takably. As he ceased to speak he
 lips parted quickly.
 "John," she said, with sudden con
 viction. you're trying to say something
 something that's terribly hard" Without raising his head Loder an
 swered her. "Yes." he answered. ''tht
 hardest thing man ever said"- His tone was short, almost brusque
 but to ears sharpened by instinct 1,
 was eloquent. Without a word Eve
 took step forward and, standing quite
 close to him, laid both hands on his shoulders.
 For space they stood silent, she
 with her face lifted, he with averted
 eyes. Then very gently he raised hle
 hands and tried to unclasp her fingers,
 There was scarcely any color visible in
 his face, and by a curious effect of
 emotion 1t seemed that lines, never be. fore noticeable, had formed about his
 mouth.
 "What is it?" Eve asked apprehen-
 sively. What is itg"
 By a swift involuntary movement she had frightened tho pressure of her
 fingers, and, without using force, 1t
 was impossible for Loder to unloose them. With his hands pressed irreso-
 lutely over hers he looked down into her face.
 "As sat in the theater tonight, Eve" he said slowly, "all the pictures I had formed of life shifted. Without desir- ing 1t, without knowing 1t, my whole
 mt of view was changed. I suddenly
 w things by the worlds searchlight instead of by my own miserable can ale. suddenly saw things for you, in- stead of for myself"
 Eve's eyes widened and darkened, but she said nothing.
 T suddenly saw the unpardonable wrong that have done you, the i'm perative duty of cutting 1t short" He spoke very slowly in dull, mechanical voice.
 Eve. her eyes still wide, her face pained and alarmed, withdrew her hands from his shoulders. You mean," she said, with difficulty, ''that 1t is going to end? That you are going away? That you are giving every thing up? Oh, but you can't! You can't" she exclaimed, with sudden ex- citement, her fears suddenly overmas-. tering her incredulity. You can't! You mustn't! The only proof that could have interfered'-
 T wasn't thinking of the proof"
 "Then of what? Of whatY
 Loder was silent for moment "Of our love-" he said steadily.
 She colored deeply. But why? ?" she stammered. "Why2 We have done no wrong. We need do no wrong. We would be friends, nothing more, and I-oh, so need friendw
 For almost the first time in Loder's Knowledge of her her voice broke, her control deserted her. She stood before him in all the pathos of her lonely girl hood-her empty life.
 The revelation touched him with sud den poignancy. The real strength that lay beoeath his fnults the chivalry buried under years of callousness, stir red at the birth of a new emotion. The preserved at such cost, the sacrifice that had seemed we'll nigh i'm possible, all at once took on different shape. What before had been bar -en duty became suddenly sacred light. Holding out his arms, he drew her to him as if she had been a child.
 Eve" he said gently, T have learned .onight how fully woman's life is at the mercy of the world, and how 'canty that mercy is. If circumstances ,ad been different believe-I am con. rinced-I would have made you good lusband-would have used my right to protect you as we'll as man could use t. And now that things are different 1 want-I should like He hesitated , very little "Now that I have no right to protect you, except the right my love gives, I want to guard you as closely from all that Is sordid as any could guard his wife.
 'In life there are really only two broad issues-right and wrong. What ever we may say, whatever we may profess to believe, we know that our lction is always a choice between light and wrong. A month ago-a week ago-I would have despised a nan who could talk like this and have thought myself strong for despising Jim. Now I know that strength is more than the trampling of ,thers into the dust that we ourselves nay have a clear road: that it Is much harder and much less than that; that 1t is stand ng aside to let somebody else pass on. Eve" he exclaimed suddenly. I'm rying to do this for you. Don't you eel Don't you understand? The easy curse. the happy course. would be to ct things drift. Every instinct is call ng to me to take that course-to go n as I have gone. trading on Chil- 'ote's weakness and your generosity. But won't do it. I can't do itr' With swift impulse he loosed his arms nd heId her auav frou him sEve |