The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-01

made a brave fight, OF IT, " said Ashe. with
sudden change OF tone DO you think
that I don't understand-that / don't
honor you for IT? ] know that it is not
/ for yourself | can see what II is costing
you. Isobel listen TO me- When ! first
saw you do you think that the knowledge
that you were great heiress. the last OF
an old line. could blind me to your
beauty. your sweetness, TO all THAI makes
you what you are? No; but it could shut
my mouth, il could make me feel how
mad 7 was to lift my eyes to you. a
! poor man. with nothing but an old name,
though an honorable one, to bring to
you. But I was only a man, after all;
/ I couldn't be near you and not love you,
not long for you, not strive for you $50
/ bel. We are on a level to-day, there is
neither name nor riches between US.
You know that what / have said is true
I Isobel, I can protect you now / can be
OF service 10 you now, can ask you to
/ be my wife now
When the Hon. Evelyn Ashe can gain
St0rmOnt and its heiress by giving his
old and honorable name to Isabel
Brown" cried IsObel, wrought UP 70 the
last pitch. and with a laugh which might
have hayed the least sensitive.
Ashe had his traditions, II nothing
more. The blood rose dark to his face
/ his breath caught in his throat. He
snatched at her hand between rage and
reused passion.
BY God you're worth winning Say
what YOU ike. despise NE as you please,
you must listen To me-there's no other
way out. But that's the least Of it. Iso-
/ bel I love you'll love you'll love your
For once the young man was wholly
mastered. He had no art, no words 10
plead his cause 4 love yOu"-it was
more than enough: the words left no
doubt, they burned with devouring de-
/ sire. IN the yelled eyes a spark kindled
and grew-"the strange fire" which burns
on unhallowed affairs
With sharp shudder IsobeI snstched
her hands away.
You love me-yOu.' the long emotion
rushin< into speech al last Love. What
do you know OF it-what can you know OF
lit? Love, Good God, why isn't there
some other word which a man ike you
could take into his MOUTH
She had darted out from under the cold
shadow of the portico. The sun. a mighty
round OF pulsing, intolerable splendOr
was touching the southern ridge. and as
she turned and flung back her passionate
words at him. the last long rays seemed
10 enwrap the tall figure. the fair face
in a sudden glory Of light
Another moment and she had disap-
/ peared behind the dip OF the hill, taking
as it seemed. all the light with her, foI
the sun sank, the glow vanished, the
darkness Of the pines deepened to black
the snow glimmered ashen; night had
| already claimed the valley. But with
Ashe the glowing vision remained. and he
/ fingered for while, induging it to the
full. He tinSled from the smart Of heI
last words as from a stinging blow. They
would never be forgotten-no. nor for
sgiven-nOt one tone or glance Of disdain,
and some day he would know how 10
exact payment for them but meantime
1t was IsObel in her radiant fairness,
Isobel with her rich inheritance. he
wanted. whether he gained her love now
or not She would learn ere long 70
render him his dues. And as in his turn
I he descended the slope, his grasp seemed
almost closing upon both. Il was no
/ Alnaschar dream now. as Ii had been
on that sunny afternoon when he had
heard Isobels story from vi Rudgeley,
and when from the heathery slope he
had first seen the great gray pile of StOr-
mont lOrding il over the valley After
all, his luck had not failed him; chance
had played into his hands in the most
marvellous fashion Now Sir David could
not deny him whatever price he chose TO
put upon his knowledge. Isobel would
have to strike her flag, bend her pretty
neck. and then-and then The rough,
stony track might have been strewn with
roses; the twilight was hung with golden
visions.
And speeding far before him, a shadow
amid the shades. Isobel had fed down
and down till distant whisper grew to
a hOarse roar, which seemed TO flood all
the stiffness Of the valley. She was az
the bridge again, and she paused, grasp
ing the rail. Down here in the gorge
with the black pine 5oughs shutting out
the sky, night seemed already to have
come. She could hardly see the water
raving below. only now and then its
tossing name glinted white in the fast
fading light. AS she stood for moment
to recover breath, both mentally and
physically. before she would mount the
opposite slope and face as best she
] QlIUtI
the longer evening. the rail against
which she was leaning cracked and shiv.
cred She started and stood erect re-
membering the fakes of wood which had
crumbled under her fingers.
The vague vision of a swift fan from
far-Off icy heights which had fioated be-
fore her earlier in the day suddenly took a
new and definite form. and frightfully
possible one. She had only to throw
herself against the rail-there would be a
yawning gap. which would explain every
/ thing-it could have been nothing but az
aecident-and in that welter Of raging
water II surely couldn't take long to
drown. 1t would break her mothers
heart-sO in her own heart she was still
fam to call her-but better surely e
mourn a dead child. to cherish a pure
memory, than 70 face a living lie in her
lost child's very shape and form. If, to
save her mother from that there was No
other way than to strike that monstrous
bargain With Evelyn Ashe. then-ther
better the mercy of the wild waters than
his.
Nearer and nearer she stopped. heav.
Ter and heavier she leaned on the frail
| yielding rail, when a step rang cut on the
sounding planks. Evelyn Ashe! Was