Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-29
THE POWERS AND MAXINE.

How thankful am that 1 came to you to-
night. l meant not to come. I was afraid
Of myself and what I might do. But at
last 1 couldn't hold out against the some
thing that seemed forcing ne here in spite
of all resistance. Do you forgive me?"
As a reward for your promise 1 said.
smiling at him through tears that would
come because I was worn out. and be-
cause l knew that it was l who needed his
forgiveness. not he mine.
Now are you happy again." asked.
Yes, I'm happy" he said. Though on
the way to this house I didn't dream that
1t would be possible for me to know happi-
your gate he stopped suddenly and his
face changed I waited an instant. but see
Ing that he didn't mean to go on. could
not resist questioning him. 1 had to know
what had happened at my gate.
Even at the gate-what?" / asked
Nothing. I'm sorry l spoke. l want to
show you how completely trust you now
by not speaking of that
But this reticencS of his only made me
more anxious to know what he had been
going to say. 1 was afraid that 1 could
guess. But / must hear it from his lips.
and be able to explain away the mystery
which, when ii required to him in the flu
ture. might make him doubt me. even
though in this moment of exultation he did
not doubt.
Yes, speak of it." said IAN the more
ing"
Il want to punish myself for asking an
explanation about Godensky. by not allow
ing you to explain this other thing" in
sisted poor, loyal repentant Raoul. Then
at the time-it made all the rest seem
worse a thousand times worse. But l
saw through black spectacles. Now l see
through rose-colored ones
I'D rather you saw through your own
dear eyes. without any spectacles: You
must tell me what you're thinking OF. dear
For my own sake. II not yours
"Well-if you will know. But. remember
darling. I'm going to put 1t out of my
mind. I'll ask you no questions. I'll only
tell you the thing itself. AS 1 said, l
didn't come here directly after seeing Go
densky get into your carriage: 1 wandered
about like q madman-and / thought Of the
Seine
"Oh-you must indeed have been mad!
Il was But that something saved me
the something that drove me to find you.
I walked here by roundabout ways but al
ways coming nearer and nearer, as II being
drawn into a whirlpool. At last 1 was in
the street. on the side opposite your house.
| hadn't made up my mind yet that would
try to see you. l didn't know what would
do. l stood still and tried to think. 1t
very black in the angle between two
garden walls where the big plane tree
sprouts up. you know. Nobody who didn't
me in the darkness. l hadn't been there
for two minutes when a man turned the
corner. walking very fast. AS he passed
the street lamp just before reaching the
garden wall I saw him plainly-not his
face. but his figure. and he was young and
we'll dressed. in travelling clothes. 1
thought he looked like an Englishman. He
went straight to your gate and rang. A
moment later some one. couldn't see who,
opened the gate and let him in. Involun-
tarily 1 took a step forward. with the idea
Of following-of pushing my way In to see
who he was and who had opened the gate.
r.,,tt e. Tia
a cad. The gate shut. Oh Maxine. there
were evil and cruel thoughts IN my mind,
confess 1t to you-but how they made me
suffer. I stood as If I were turned to
stone. and l only wished that l might be,
for stone can't suffer. Just then a cab,
creeping slowly along the street. stopped
IN front OF your gate. There were two
women in it. l could see them by the light
of the street lamp, though not as plainly
as I'd seen the man. and they appeared to
be arguing very excitediy about something.
Whatever 1t was. 1t must have been in
some way concerned with you or your af-
fairs. because they were tremendously in
terested in the house. They both looked
out. and one pointed several times. Even
if I'd intended to go in, | wouldn't have
gone while they We're there. But the very
fact that they were there reused me out
of the kind of lethargy of misery I'd fallen
into. l wondered who they were and L
they meant you harm or good. When they
had driven away | made up my mind that
would see you if I could. 1 tried the
gate and found it unlocked I walked in,
and-there were lights in these windows.
| knew you couldn't have gone to bed yet,
though you'd said you were tired. There
was death in my heart then, for you and
for me. Maxine. for-the gate hadn't
opened again, and"
Il know what you thought l broke IN.
my heart beating that my voice
shook a little, though l struggled to seem
calm. You said to yourself. 1t was Max
Inc who let the man in. He is with her
now. l shall find them togethtr.
Yes" Raoul admitted. But l didn't
try the handle of the door. as | had of the
gate. l rang. l couldn't bring myself to
take you unaWares
DO you think still that l let man in.
and hid him when | heard you ring?' 1
asked (For an instant l was inclined to
tell the story Ivor had advised me to tell,
how. in painting the picture for me. he
lived through the scene again, and, in spite
of himself suffered almost as keenly as he
had suffered in the experience. ! saw how
his suspicious of me came crawling back
into his heart, though he strove to lash
them back. l dared not bring Ivor out
from the other room, if he were still there.
He too handsome, too young, too at
tractive in every way. II Raoul had been
jealous of Count Godensky. whom he knew
] had refused. what would he feel toward
never mentioned, though he was received
at my house after midnight? l was thank
full l hadn't taken Ivors advice and in
troduced the two men at first for In his
then mood Raou would have listened to no
explanations He and I would never have
arrived at the understanding we had