The Marshall republican., 1906-02-02

people. It was so much the worse for
the theory.
Il am sorry to hear you speak so.
dear" I said II hoped and thought
that you would have supported me In
a very painful resolution. The blow
is hard enough to bear. even with
your help; without. 1t is almost un-
endurable."
She rose from her chair, and then for
the first time I realized the depth Of
her emotion. Her beautiful eyes
dashed. her bosom heaved. and she
slowly crushed the paper she held in
her hand to shield her face from the
fire. into a shapeless mass. and then
threw IL down.
you have no heart" she said. do
you suppose 1t is nothing to me. who
was going TO marry you within a week,
to lose my husband and to be Obliged
to fall back again into this half life.
this very twilight Of a life7 OH Geof-
frey. think again." and she stretched
out her arms toward me. and looked
at me. and spoke in accents of i'm
FASHIONED tenderness. Think" she
went on, can you not give up YOU
scruples for. me? Am I not worth
straining a point In your conscience?
There Is nothing in the world, Geof-
frey. that a man can profit by In ex-
change for his love. Soon this dis
ease will take a hold OF you. and then
you will grow weak. and miserable.
and incapable Of enjoyment. Live now
while you can. and leave the conse-
quences to Providence. or rather to
the workings OF those %unchanging
rules which we call Providence. Look
at me: ] am beautiful, and I love you.
and my intellect Is almost as great an
your own. Don't throw me away for
n theory. Godfrey"
All the time that she was speaking
she drew slowly nearer to me. her
arms outstrctched and her great eyes
glowing and changing In the shaded
light. And now the arms closed
round me. and she lay upon my heart
and gazed into my face. TIL I thought
that ! should be overcome. but, thank
Heavenl somehow for conscience sake
/ found the resolution TO hold to what
I knew 10 be right. I think Il was the
recollection Of my dear wife that came
over me at that moment. and induced
n sudden feeling OF rcvulsion to the
beautiful woman who lay In my arms.
and who did not scruple to resort 10
such to turn me from my duty.
Had II not been for the thought. I am
sure that being but a man, and there
fore weak. I should have yielded and
then there would have been no possl-
bility OF further retreat. Az Il were. I
with n desperate effort. wrenched my
self free from her.
1T IL OF 10 use. Fanny" I cried, In
despair. II will not do Il? | think
that Il would be wicked for a man In
my condition TO get married. This dls-
me beyond measure: but I
yielded 10 you ! should be doing n
shameful thing. Forgive me. Fanny.
II Ia not my fault. I did not know. IL
Ia hard enough" I added. with a ma
burst OF Indignation. TO be sud
denly doomed TO n terrible death with
out having 10 20 through this agony"
and with n sudden motion | flung the
wedding license into the Hrc.
She watched II burn, and then sunk
back In the chair. covered her face IN
her hands and said no moro. In this
she remained for nearly half
an hour. Then she rose. and with u
stern. cold face that II almost frighten-
ed me TO look upon, returned TO her
work. which was now once more tho
chief bond. between US: nor was the
OF our engagement alluded TO
again for many months. Nobody had
known OF II. and nobody knew that Il
had come to an end. And 40 II died
and went the way OF dead things into
seems TO be forgetfulness. but Il
In truth the gateway into those new
and endless halls OF perpetuated lile
On whose walls evil and unhappy rec
ords OF the past. blazoned In letters
Of fire, are the lamps to light us down
from misery 10 misery.
~. Ia n.-l