The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21

thing." Mary said. and l think 1 ought
to know"
His eyes stopped before her steady
glance
Leila shouldn't have said anything
who was the giri9" she laid her
hand on his arm and shook il q little.
who was the girl. WalteF2'
He locked down az her troubled,
1T was Leila, he said, finally, and
his face was white.
oh" Mary gasped. "Oh. Walter"
He thought she was going TO cry. She
dropped into g chair and sat there shak-
ing and trembling, but she did not cry.
Walter knelt beside her u didn't love
her as ] did you. Mary he whispered.
but you loved her, and you would
have married her, and she would have
been here If yoJ lad had your way,
Mary accused him, here on your we'd
ding day
He tried TO take her hand. but she drew
back and hid her face in the cushions Of
the chair. And Leila IS so much pref
tier than / am, she said, between quick
breaths.
n another moment she was sobbing
wildly. You ought to have told me"
Hush he said, with his hands OH
her shoulders Hush" and there was
mans masterfuiness in his tone
Look al me. Mary" Ha Grew her uD
out OF the chair and held her hands so
that she could no. put them over her
face. Look at me"
Y ought not To have told you" he
said. as she stiI sObbing lifted her heavy
ids and met his glance. You are wrong.
I ought not TO have told you No one
should have told you. ] ought not 10
tell you n0W-n0 man has a right 10 talk
of these things-but Leila has Brought Il
on herself ] was nice 10 her, and I
thought I loved her, ard ] told her 50.
and at last We were engaged
oh" Mary said. and drew away. But
he held her firmly.
And / did send her vioIets. but after a
while / began TO send her roses, big,
j scentless ones and she asked me why.
/ but / did not ike TO tell her that it was
/ because she reminded me Of them; that
( had not found any sweetness or fra
/ GRANGE in her. and that / dreaded the day
/ when I must take her 10 my heart-and
/ then. oh, Mary-yOu came" He paused
and went on with a break IN BIS voice.
The first time I saw you after you
/ came home from teaching In the country
knew you were the girl ] had been
1 locking for all my IIfe And one day
/ told Leila. / don't suppose it was the
! thing that a man would do In d story
/ book or in a play. They always marry
the wrong ones, you know. But I felt
that marriage without love would be as
bad for Leila as for me-and ] knew by
that tire that she did not really care for
me
Leila hadn't let any one know Of the
t engag cement. and so when it came to an
/ end there wasn't any talk. But Leila
couldn't forget me-and if she had left
Ii alone, you need never have known.
you needn't have been unhappy. you
needn't have disrusted me-"
Mary's face was hidden against his
coat.
I've been unhappy all day" she whis-
pered.
"On our wedding day2 Mary"
I'm s0TTy." she whispered again.
Outside the night deepened and dark
ened. The house had grown quiet the
( noise Of the busy streets was stiIled
He lifted his head with a little laugh
that had in il deeper ring than that Of
gayety Pm not sorry" he said For
now the last barrier OF distrust is down,
and you are mine and / am yours. and
ahead Of Us IS only happiness-Mary-
Copyright, 1877, by p. G. Eastmeut.i