The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-03


l am not. AS soon as I saw what you
wished l was grateful, not angry"
What did l wish?"
ITO let me know as gently and as
kindly as you could that you pro-
posed to end our engagement. And I
guess you are right We do not
seem to care for each other as we
ought if we"
You misunderstood me- she said,
pale and with flashing eyes, and in
such a struggle with her emotions
that she could say no more.
If l had not seen that only her pride
and her vanity were engaged in the
struggle, and her heart not at all, l
think l should have abandoned my
comfortable self-deception that my
own pride borbade discussion with
her. AS 1t was, l was able to say:
Don't try to spare me, Carlotta, I'm
glad you had the courage and the
good sense not to let us both drift
into irrevocable folly. l thank you -
l opened the door into the hall Let
us talk no more about it, We could
say to each other only the things
that sting or the things that stab
Let us be friends. You must give
me your friendship, at least" / took
her hand.
She looked strangely at me. you
want me to humble myself, to crawl
at your feet and beg your pardon.
said she between her teeth. But
shan't." She snatched away her hand
and threw back her head.
Il wish nothing but what is best for
us BOTH" said l. But let us not
talk of it now-when neither of us is
calm"
"You don't care for mel" she
cried.
do you love me?" / rejoined.
Her eyes shifted. 1 waited for hel
reply, and when it did come, said:
Let us go to breakfast
I'll not go in just now" she an
swered, in a quiet tone, sudden anC
strange shift from that Of the mo
ment before. And she let me take he
hand echoing my good-by, and made
no further attempt to detain me.
That was a gloomy breakfast de
spite my efforts to make my owl
| seeming good-humor permeate to tn,
others. Mrs Ramsay hid a sombe
face behind the coffee-urn; Ed ate fu
riously, noisily. choking every nov
and then. He drove me to the sta
ton; his whole body was probably a
damp from his emotions as were hi
eyes and his big friendly hand. TIL
train got under way; I drew lon
breath. l was free.
But somehow freedom did not tast
as had anticipated. Though l RI
minded myself that 1 had acted q
any man with pride and self-respec
would have acted in such delicat
circumstances, and though knew ths
Carlotta was no more in love with N
than l was with her, this end of OF
engagement seemed even more hunt
Eating TO me than it's beginning ha
! seemed. 1t was one more instanc
of that wretched fatality which hs
pursued me through life, which ha
made every one of my triumphs CON
to me in mourning robes and with
gruesome face. In the glittering a
ray Of prizes" that tempts man I
make a beast and a fool of himse
IN the gladiatorial show called Lii
the sorriest, the most ironic, is Il
grand prize, Victory.
The parlor car was crowded; i
only untaken seat was in the smo
ing compartment. which had four OF
er occupants. deep In a game
poker. Three of them were types
commonplace, prosperous Americans
the fourth could not be easily classe
and. therefore, interested me-esp
cially as I was in the mood to We
come anything that would crowd
the background my far from agre
able thoughts.
The others called him Doc
Woodruff. AS they played, the
drank from TASKS produced by ca,