Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-07-07
CASSANDRA'S FOLLY.

Whisper love you, Robert-you! 1t
was always you; you must have known
IT. Uphraid me if you will, but must
love you!'
A tremor came over him. He glanced
coVertly at her face, and her eyes ar
rested him; the eyes of Gree In an
other moment she had flung herself at his
feet.
Robert" she cried, you are mine,
mine, and you must marry me. You
shall, | say-you shall! You belong to
me, and no one shall separate u.s."
Mechanically he raised her to her feet
You are not angry, RobertT"
mo, Cassandra."
Silence fell between them, and it
seemed to Cassandra as though she could
hear the beating of his heart
Robert"
Ssh! l am thinking"
She sank into a chair, and watched
him through half-closed eyes. His brow
was deeply furrowed. and in his eyes
there was faraway lcok She scarcely
dared to breathe for fear of disturbing
him.
Fate plays us some sorry tricks, Cas-
sandra," he said presently.
She hardly knew what to say, or what
he was leading up to.
Horace loves you, you love me, and
love Winifredl" he went on. and he
laughed horribly.
DON'T" pleaded Cassandra.
Don't what? | want to find out ex-
actly where we stand. Just at present
I'm bit puzzled. Everything seems so
ike comedy, and yet, upon my word,
feel more IKE crying than laughing.
Isn't it curious?" And again he broke
out into hideous laughter.
Cassandra put her hands to her ears to
shut out the sound. Every nerve in her
body quivered with excitement She had
never seen him in this mood before. He
was regarding her now with the cold
gaze of dispassionate critic She was
certainly beautiful, he told himself. After
all, why shouldn't he take this woman?
True, he did not love her. But marriages
were always a matter of convenience
nowadays. What Horace had said was
quite true-there was no vein of romance
IN him. He had thought so once. and Sc
cretly enjoyed the blindness of those
Others who had not detected it; but now
he knew different.
Would it really please you if l were
10 marry you, Cassandra?''
Robert, l love you" she whispered.
That's nonsense, you know, Cassandra,
because / don't love you"
you will-yOu shall love me! There
is nothing l would not do for you. Marry
me, and see. Don't send me away from
you. l will be your slave, anything you
wish, so long as | may remain near you.
That is all l ask"
II will marry you. Yes; l think that
on Fate. We owe it to ourselves to take
that revenge"
Was there ever a stranger wooing?
Il only hope you won't live to regret
this step, Cassandra,' the artist added.
in a queer voice.
"Never!" she cried. Nothing will ever
make me regret it, Robert. Can't you
understand how l love your Wouldn't
you have given up everything else to
marry the woman you love? What
would anything else matter so lone as
you could be near to Winifred?"
Never mention her name to me again.
1 hate her! No, mol" he cried passion
ately; mot that! Cassandra, you don't
know how feel over this affair"
eyes, l do, dear You feel--just as 1
do"
Heaven help you, if you are suffering
as I am"
But my suffering is over now. Won't
you let me help you to forget yours?
Kiss me, Robert"
Her arms twined about his neck. He
clasped her to him, and their lips met in
passionate kiss.
at is Fatel" he murmured huskily.
"Cassandra, l will try to love you. l
will do my best to make you happy"
He released his hold of her, and sank
back into his chair.
Il will leave you now, dear" said Cas-
sandra. Il may come back AGAIN."
She moved slowly towards the door
Tomorrow" he answered
And then she went out, gently closing
the door after her. Cassandra had won
the battle; she had snatched the victory
when it almost seemed that she had lost
it forever.