Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-04-07

he stretches out his hand as though
10 take it, but she puts it behind her, and
plunging both hands into his pockets, he
sets his shoulders against the mantel
shelf and confronts her with sort of
desperation. What he has dreaded ever
since the terrible night OF poor Rupert's
death has come TO pass, and instead of
winning a wife he has lost friend.
Cannot you speak? Have you nothing
to say" she cries angrily, provoked out
of self-control by his silent nonehalance.
II beg your pardon, have heard moth
ing yet that required an answer" he says
politely. What is the matterg'
This. 1t was the Censor that killed
Rupert Dunstan-you know that.
No; he would have died.
HE would moi, - she breaks i'll passion
ately not like that--of broken heart.
He might have lived for weeks-months-
yenrs perhaps in better climate, it was
that review that killed him. as surely as
pistol shot or cup of poison would
have done and you knew it all the time"
II knew it was the Censor es."
And you write reviews for the Censor
Reggie haytcr told me So"
Il used to-
He has bowed his head to the storm,
and seems incapable of anything bu5 ac-
quiescence Her voice is lowered, aud I'M
consciously she draws step nearer.
Were he to look up he would see some
thing akin to appeal i'll her clear, search
ing eyes.
Gerald, did you write that2"
Yes"
That is all; without any excuse, any
plea of ignorance, or effort at justification
the simple bald assent is uttered, and
there falls between them terrible ST
lence which she at last breaks with one
word.
"Hypocrite!"
He straightens his back and looks up.
From his babyhood upwards, as his older
friends know only too well, reproof has
always hardened rather than abashed
him, and now her condemnation loosens
his tongue
Il am no hypocrite," he says, with a.
much fire as she herself displays. Il
never hid the fact: if YOU had asked me
at any time | should have told you"
~" she queries, with bitter scorn.
what have / to do with it? You were
not bound to confess to met is not me
you have left desolate and widowed"
DO you think it would serve any good
end for me to tell Mrs. Dunstan? If one
death already lies at my door am | to
incur the guilt of another? Do you think
she would receive anything at my hands.
if she knew what you know?"
"She ought to know"
Then tell her." he says recklessly.
"and rob me of the only PREPARATION l can
possibly make
She turns from him with a passionate
gesture.
1T is horrible horrible!" she says
strenuously, that she should accept her
daily bread at your hands, when all the
while it is you who have"
1t would be more horrible if she were
to starve," he interrupts roughly, and
l had two lives instead of one on my
conscience"
Your conscience!"
"Well, mind heart call it what you
| can tell YOU"
You have carried it easily enough foI
two months or more" she says bitterly
Have II"
The simple quiet question quenches her
wrath as no passionate self defense would
do. That he has found some of life's bur.
dens heavy enough to bear is patent tG
the most unobservant person, and she
notices now, for the first time, how the
lines have deepened round his close-shut
lips, how hollow his checks have grown
how his whole person has aged since the
pleasant summer time when he and she
made friends and found out one another's
good qualities at Mill Farm so long ago
ut is no good talking about it," she
says, turning hopelessly away, "but ]
shall never forget-never."
"Oh, but we will talk about lit" saws
Gerald quickly, and by rapid movement
he steps between her and the door "You
shall not condem. me unheard. Listen tt
me. JEAN
She draws herself up,
Il am Jean only to my friends Mr.
! Barclay
She almost quails before the fash in
his black eyes. but it is instantly gone
and he locks straight at her with steady
hopelessness.
Miss Carlyle then. 1t is quite true
that ! wrote that review, that | called
that poor fellows poetry 'vaporing trash,
and said it was impudent conceit to try
to pass it off on Che public | had the
book to review and | said what I hon,
estly thought about 1t; | had no notion
who the author was--I did not know his
name. The article was written and out
of my hands before ] ever heard of Ru.
pert Dunstan, and they absolutely re
fused to return it. Am / a murderer be
cause long afterwards when he was al
ready dying-those fools sent it to hin
and he broke blood vessel over it,"
You might have told him-you might
| have warned him"
cot course l might and would he ever
have spoken to me again? Would hi
have confided in me and let me befrienc
him? Would he have accepted favor,
from a man who had said such things o.
him? He would simply have refused t.
see me again and have sacrificed himself
and his wife to his wounded pride. Wher
/ found out what had done | could only
try to make it up TO him in other way.
and trust that he would never know
| Confession might have relieved me. blu,
=