The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-02

and had jumped at her conclusion.
. Emma knew when you went up
stairs frst,' said Clemency. "You
left her. door little aiar. Emma saw
then when that did not kill her you
gave her another Uncle Tom did not
know. He must never know, for it
would kill him, but you did kill her.
James was silent for a moment He
realized the impossibility of clearing
himself from the accusation unless he
told the whole truth and implicated Or.
Gordon Finally he said, miserablly
enough, "You don It know how horribly
she was suffering, dear, You don't
know what torments she would have
had to suffer-
He knew when he said that that he
t torted immedia aSe Yon don know.
I have heard Uncle Tom say. that no.
body can ever know. She might have
gotten well. Anyway, you killed her,
With that Clemency sprang up and ran
out of the room, and James heard her
sob. <*.:~5.ss=
AS for himself, he remained where
he was for. a long time. He never knew
how long. He felt numb. He real
lied himself to be in gulf of misun-
derstanding, from which he could not
be extricated, even for the. sake of
Clemency. 1t seemed to him again
GudU III uluSU w away, UuG uC 4CAIO1h
bered Gordon s pitiful plea to him to
remain. Finally he went into his room,
to find that Emma, in her absurd malice
had left only the coverlid on the bed.
She had stripped it Of the sheets and
blankets. He lay down with his
clothes on and passed sleepless night.
The next morning at the breakfast
table he looked haggard and pale. He
could eat nothing. DR.. Gordon looked
at him keenly.
asked.
Clemency gave quick glance at him
"Nothing,' replied James.
"You look downright ILL.,
IT am not i'll.
70, Clemency rose abruptly and left the
table. ..rs Is
g "What is the. matter, Clemency?
Where are you going?' Gordon called
out. . -
IT have finished my breakfast the
: girl replied in stifed voice.
Gordon insisted on making some calls
that morning, and relieving James:
NYou are worn out, my son. he said
in voice of real affection, and c1apped
him on the shoulder, He sent James
on short round in spite of his objec-
James reached home half AN hour be-
fore luncheon. r. =
1t was beautiful morning. Spring
seemed tic have come with a winged
leap. A faint down Of green shaded
the elms, and there was pink cloud
of peach: bloom in, the distance The
cherry trees. were swollen almost to
blossom, and the apple trees had pale
radiancesee4sin the glance of the sun.
The grass was quite green, and here
and there were dandelions. Clemency
was out in the yard, working in little
EHower-garden, as James drove in. She
had on black dress, and her fair head
was uncovered. She, pretended not to
see James, but he had hardly entered
the offcezbefore she came in. Her face
was all suffused with pink. She looked
at him tenderly and: angrily.
Il" Are you ill?'' she said, in an indig-
nant voice which had, in spite of her
self, soft cadences.
ono, Clemency''
"Then why do you look 500" she
demanded.
James turned at that. "Clemency,
you accuse me Of cruelty he said,
"but you yourself are CRUEL You do
not realize that you cannot tell man
he is murderer, and throw him over
when ne loves you, and yet have him
utterly unmoved by it.
fq 1ode eif%1eney was $, in his arms
Don besunhappy, don It look so. 1t
breaks my heart. i love you, I do love
you, dear;.I can't marry you, but I
love you! =
IF you$zlove me, you can marry
ClemencY shrank away, then she
chung to him again.. ssNo,' she said,
can't get over the thought of it. /
can't help it, but do love YOU, We
Will go on just the same as ever, only
we will not get married You know
we were not going to ret married Just
yet anyway. l love you. We will go
way you did this morning at break
Chow did I look9'
il your heart were broken'',
$50 it is, dear.''
- NO H., It IS s.. not. I love you, I tell
you. What is the need Of bothering
about marriage anyway? l am perfect.
ly happy being engaged Annie saws