Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-13

"You go too far
mo; it is you! love you as my
life, and you drive me mad with
doubts. Knowing my weakness, you
play upon it. l will have the truth,
or
Katherine's face, gazing white and
passionless In his, arrested him.
sKathe," he pleaded, Il can't stand It,
Right or wrong, you must have no
secrets from me. It's torture
Argument is useless, Kenneth
Katherine's voice was as cold as her
look-"quite useless. If l told you
this, there would be something else to-
morrow. l am not the woman for
you. You are not the man for me-"
Ibid you love me as T. began the
man passpnately.
Its not question of love-" return
ed the girl. I'm not going to allow
you to spoil my life with your I'M
bearable doubts, NOR will l sacrifice
my individuality on the altar of your
jealousy. We have gone through this
before, and you>beat down my reason
by appealing to my affection. Now
choose to be free, to put you out of my
life once and for ALL
In the days following Hadley strove
| to reopen the question, but Katherine
would neither answer his appeals in
| writing nor grant him an interview, so
as last silence fell between them. Then
the girl tried to take up her life where
il had been broken into by the coming
4 of Kenneth, tried to rejoice In her re-
covered freedom, but as the weeks
passed they grew heavier, dragging at
her heart like the ball and chain on
the convict's foot. She suffered in a
manner that she could neither under
stand nor have believed possible and
grew recentful at the persistent aching
and craving that possessed her.
BY night she tossed restlessly. in
somnia her jailor, half choked with q
grief to which she would give no out
let. She had resented Kenneth's mas
terful claim on her and on her pur
suits. Why, then. when this super
vision was lifted was she not content
Love she believed subservient to ndi
viduality. When one or other mus
be sacrificed she had had no hesita
ton In her choice. She had made &
fetch of ego, to find In the end love
had so undermined it that she wa:
no longer an entity. sufficient to her
self Then succeeded days when, hal
desperate in her unhappiness. she near
: ~ capitulatede hours when It seemed
as though an irresistible force impellet
her to Kenneth, but always pride ros'
forbidding and she made no sign.
Kenneth sails Saturday. Mildre,
I, told her at last risking quarrel
having been forbidden to mention tn
;, name. There being nothing to keel
I him here now" she continued comfort
q ably, ''he may never return" Sh
FL watched with satisfaction the result o
t this stab. "Fve often wondered" sh
persisted. ''that you never regrette
e the break, but it's too late now, s
S it's better as it Is"
II Katherine made no response. bu
0 that night She wept for the first time
e and long bitter sobS washed ava
s every feeling but the love that CAV
e them birth. She realized now thar owe
| her love for Kenneth his faults ha
TO control Human nature is so fra
f that it must love and cling where
e can in spite of weakness.
Ell Early Saturday, when Hadley wa
+ about to board an outbound vessel.
t hand, thrust suddenly out of the ha
i light. caught at his sleeve. He turne
/ at the touch.
e "Katherine!" No thickness of We
could disguise her In his eyes. TheI
& they stood, silent, incapable Of speecl
Il string at each other. The. man r