The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-07-26

The butler lame in with the letters
upon a copper tray. There was Q
great pile Of them, and as the man
closed the door after he had put the
tray upon the writing table. Sir Will.
lam began to deal the letters like q
pack OF cards, throwing this and that
one on the floor with a shutting
movement Of the wrist. And as he did
SO his eyes were horrid In their
searching and their intensity.
At last he came to the one he
sought. a letter addressed to him in a
fold but femiaine handwriting. Az
his fingers touched it a loud sob burst
out in the silence Of the room. With
shaking fingers he tore 1t open, stand
Ing among the litter Of the unopened
envelopes, and began to read.
He read the letter right through,
th"n walked to the mantelpiece. lean.
Ing his right arm upon it as if for
support. But the tension was now q
little relaxed. He had come down to
find the worst, to meet the inevitable.
He had met it, and there was now
neither anticipation of the moment of
realization nor the last and tOrturing
Kicker Of despairing hope.
This was the letter. 1t began with
out preface or address:
you must have known this was
coming. Everything in your manner
has shown me that you knew it was
coming, and for that, unhappy as l am,
| am glad. | have a terrible confess
sion to make to you. But you, who are
20 great-you, who know the human
mind from your great height, as a
~conquertng general surveys a country
from a mountain-top-yOu will under
stand. When you asked me to marry
you and l said Yes l was pleased and
fattered, and l had a tremendous ad-
miration and respect for you and for
all you have done. Then, when we
came to know each other better, l be-
gan to see the human side of you, and
l had-and, If you will let me say 80,
still have-a real affection for you.
and had 1t not been that something
more powerful than affection has como
into my life. l would have been a true
and faithful wife and companion to
you.
But you have seen and you must
know that things are changed. Are
W. not all subject to the laws of des-
tiny, the laws of chance? Is it not
true that none of us on u way
through the world a say by whom
or how we shall be caught up out of
ourselves and changed into what we
could not be before? Oh, you know 1t
all. You of all men know it!
Il need not here speak in detailed
words, because from things you have
seen you know well enough what l am
about to say, of whom l would speak
II l could. But it is enough, William,
to tell you what you already know
that | love some one else, and that It
l am true to myself, which is, after all.
the first duty of all of us, l could never
marry you. can never be to you
what you wish or what l would like to
be as your wife. I am stricken down
with the knowledge of the pain all this
will give you, though | thank heaven
it is not a pain for which you are I'M
prepared. l dare not ask your forgive
ness, l can say nothing to console you.
have acted wickedly and wrongly
but I cannot do anything else but that
which I am doing.
Forgive, if you can. Think kindly
if you can, OF marjorie.
Now he knew. He folded the letter
gently, kissed tan odd action for q
man so strong-and put it in the In
side pocket of his coat, which pressed
next his heart.
Then he rang the bell.
ASK Mr.. Guest to come" he said.
Every we'll, Sir William" the butler
answered; but Mr.. CharlieWood has
Just arrived"
Then ask him in" Gouldesbrougn
answered.
Charliewoof came into the room.
"By Jove!" he said, you look about
as seedy as I've ever seen you look!'
Sir William went up to him and put
his hand upon his shoulder.
ITO Be continued.)