The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-07-13
BY HAROLD MacGRATH
(ContinueG.)
He strove to look AWAY.

at me and tell him that he lies,
You will not look at me? God have
mercy on me, it is true then!' She
rose and spread her arms toward
heaven to entreat God to witness Ter
despair. Il did not think or know that
such base things were done That
these loving hands should have helped
to encompass my fathers dishonor,
his degradation! For money!
What is money? You knew, father,
that what was mine was likewise
yours, Why did you not tell me?
should have laughed; we should have
begun all over again; | could have
earned a living with my music; we
should have been honest and happy.
And now! And | drew those
plans with a heart full of love and hap
piness Oh, it is not that you gambled,
that you have foolishly wasted
fortune; it is not these that hurt
here, pressing her heart 1T is the
knowledge that you, my father, should
let me draw those horrible things. 1t
hurts! All, how it hurts!" A sob
choked her. She knelt again at her
parents side and flung her arms around
the unhappy, wretched man. Father,
you have committed crime to shield
a foolish act know, | know! What
you have done you did for my sake,
to give me back what you thought
was my own. Oh, how we'll l know
that you had no thought of yourself;
1t was all for me. and | thank God for
that. But something has died here.
something here in my heart I have
been so happy too happy! My
poor fatheG!" She laid her head
against his breast.
my heart is broken! Would to
God that l might die!" Annesley
threw one arm across the back of the
chair and turned his face to his sleeve
Karloff, a thousand arrows of regret
and shame and pity quivering in his
heart viewed the scene moodily, dog
gedly No, he could not go back; there
was indeed wall behind him: pride.
well. Mademoiselle? 2"
She turned, still on her knees.
; you say that if do not marry you,
you will ruin my father, expose him."
Eyes, "-thinly.
Listen. ! am proud woman. yet
viii beg you not to do this horrible
thlng-force me into your arms. Take
everything take all that is left; you
can not be so utterly base as to
threaten such wrong. See!"-eX-
tending her lovely arms, 81 am on
my knees to you'll"
my daughter" cried the father.
do not interrupt me, father; he
will relent; he is not wholly without
pity"
mo, no! No, MOI" Karloff ex-
claimed, turning his head aside and
repelling with his hands, as if he would
stamp out the fires of pity which, at
the sound of her voice, had burst
anew in his heart II will not give
you up!"
She drew her sleeves across her eyes
and stood up. All at once she wheeled
upon him like a lioness protecting its
young In her wrath she was as
magnificent as the wife of Aeneas at
the funeral pyre of that great captain. |
'She knew! That was why she asked
me all these questions; that is why
STE eXacted those promises. Mrs
Chadwick knew and dared not tell me-
And ! trusted YOU as a friend, as a
gentleman, as a man Of honor!" Her |
laughter rang out wildly. And for |
these f9vors you bring dishonor' |
Shame! Shame, Your wife? Have you
thought wei Of what you are about &c
do?"
so we'll" he declared. that shall
proceed to the cad to the very end /
HoT te7rtif"l che was, And a mac
desire urged him TO spring to her
crush hor in his arms, and force upon
her lirs 2 thousand mad Kisses!
Have you weighed we'll the conse.
Quences?''
"Upoa loves most delicate scales"
''Have YOU calculated what name,
of woman am with subdued fierce
ness.
ITO me you are the woman of ali
women"
DO you think that | am a faint
hearted girl? You are making a mis-
take. I am woman with woman's.
mind and a thousand years would
not alter my utter contempt of yoH
Force me to marry you, and as there is
a God above us to witness, every
moment OF suffering you aow i1@.ct
upon me and mine, | shall giSe baca
a day, long, bitter. Calling cay. Do
you think that it will be wise to call
me countess?" Her scorn was superb
Il am waiting for your answer. VIII
you be my wife, or shall | DE forced
to make my villainy defnitiye?''
Permit me to take upon these Shout
ders the burden of answering thai
question" said a voice from the win
dow.
Wavburton, dressed in his stable
clothes, and leggiHgs. hctless and
drenched with rain. stepped into the
4. \ IL