The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-19


close to him, laid both hands on his
shoulders.
For a space they stood silent she
with her face lifted, he with averted
eyes. Then very gently he raised his
hands and tried TO unclasp her fingers.
There was scarcely any color visible in
his face, and by a curious effect Of
emotion it seemed that lines, never be-
fore noticeable, had formed about his
mouth
'What is it," Eve asked apprehen-
sively What is it,"
BY a swift involuntary movement
she had frightened the pressure of her
fingers, and. without using force, it
was impossible for Loder to unloose
them. With his hands pressed irreso-
lutely over hers he looked down into
her face.
AS sat in the theater tonight, Eve"
he said slowly, "all the pictures had
formed of life shifted Without deslr-
ing it, without knowing it, my whole
{
saw things by the worlds searchlight
| instead of by my own miserable can
die. suddenly saw things for you, in
stead of for myself"
Ewes eyes widened and darkened,
but she said nothing.
Il suddenly saw the objectionable
wrong that l have done you, the i'm
perative duty of cutting it short" He
spoke very slowly in dull, mechanical
voice.
Eve her eyes still wide. her face
panied and alarmed, withdrew her
hands from his shoulders. You
mean," she said, with difficulty, that
it is going to end? That you are going
away? That you are giving every
thing up? oh, but you can't! You
can't" she exclaimed, with sudden ex-
element, her fears suddenly overmas-
tering her incredulity. You can't!
You mustn't The only proof that
could have interfered''-
Il wasn't thinking of the proof"
''Then of what? OF what?'
Loder was silent for a moment. "Of
our love-" he said steadily
She colored deeply. But why?" she
stammered. why? We have done no
wrong. We need do no wrong We
would be friends, nothing more, and
Lob, I SO need a friendr'
For almost the first time in Loder's
knowledge of her her voice broke, her
| control deserted her She stood before
him in all the pathos of her lonely girl.
hood-her empty life.
The revelation touched him with sud
den poignancy. The real strength that
| lay beneath his faults, the chivalry
buried under years Of callousness, stir
red at the birth Of q new emotion. The
resolution preserved at such cost, the
sacrifice that had seemed well nigh Inn
possible, ali at once took on q different
shape. What before had been a bar
rem duty became suddenly a sacred
right. Holding out his arms, he drew
her to him as if she had been a child
Eve" he said gently, II have learned
tonight how fully woman's life Is at
the mercy of the world, and how
scanty that mercy is. If circumstances
had been different believe-I am con-
vinced-I would have made you good
husband-would have used my right to
protect you as well as a man could use
it, And now that things are different
WANT should like He hesitated
very little. Now that l have no
right to protect you, except the right
my love gives, I want to guard you as
closely from all that is sordid as any
husband could guard his wife.
I'm life there are really only two
broad issues-right and wrong. What
ever we may say, whatever we may
profess to believe, we know that our
action is always a choice between
right and wrong. A month ago-a
week ago-I would have despised a
man who could talk like this and have
thought myself strong for despising
| HIM Now l know that strength Is
something more than the trampling Of
others into the dust that we ourselves
may have a clear road; that it Is
something much harder and much less
triumphant than that; that 1t is stand
| ing aside TO let somebody else pass on.
Eve" he exclaimed suddenly, I'm
trying to do this for you. Don't you
see? Don't you understand? The easy
course, the happy course, would be to
| let things drift. Every instinct is call
| ing to me to take that course-to go
on AS | have gone, trading on Chill
cote's weakness and your generosity.
But 1 won't do 1t. can't do itv' With
a swift impulse he loosed his arms
and held her away from him. Eve,
it's the first time l have put another
human being before myself"
Eve kept her head bent. Painful, In
audible sobs were shaking her from
head to foot
Its something in you, something