The Red Cloud chief., 1907-04-26
The MAJ,
(Continr o.

gradually rising. He had never seen
Eve as he saw her now, and his vision
was all the clearer for the long oh
%livlon. With a poignant sense of coin.
passion and remorse, the knowledge
Of her youth came to him the youth
that some women preserve I'm the
midst of the world when clrcum-
stances have permitted them to see
much, but TO experience little.
"ThankfulnessY' he said again In
credulously.
A slight smile touched her lips.
'Yes,' she answered softly-"thank.
fulness that my trust had been rightly
placed"
She spoke simply and confidently. but
the words struck Lodcr more sharply
than any accusation. With a heavy
sense Of bitterness and remuneration he
moved slowly forward.
Eve" he said very gently, you
don't know what you say"
She had lowered her eyes as he came
toward her. Now she lifted them I'm a
swift upward glance. For the first
time since he had entered the room q
slight look Of personal doubt and un-
casincss showed in her face. "WhyT"
she said. "I-I don't understand"
For q moment he answered nothing.
lie had found his first explanation over
whelming. Now suddenly it seemed TO
him that his present difficulty was more
impossible to surmount. IL came here
tonight to tell You something" he be.
gan at last, "but so far | have only
said half
"IIalf."
Eyes. half" He repeated the word
quickly, avoiding the question in her
eyes. Then, conscious Of the need for
explanation, he plunged into rapid
speech.
"A fraud like mine" he said. has
only II safeguard. one justlficatlon-a
boundlcSs audacity. Once shake that
audacity and the whole motive power
crumblcs. 1t was to make the audacity
lmpossiblc--to tell you the truth and
make II impossiblc-that | came to-
night. The fact that you already knew
made the telling easier. but it altered
nothing
Eve raised her head, but he went
resolutcly on.
Tonight" he said. II have seen into
my wi life. into my own mind, and
my ideas have been very roughly shak.
en- into new places.
I'VE never make 50 colossal Il mis-
take as when we imagine that we know
ourselves. Months ago, when your
husband first proposed this scheme TO
me-. | was. according to my own con
ccption, Il solitary being vastly i'll used
10y fate. who. with Il fine stoiCiSm, was
leading Il clean life. That was what
| believed, but there, ut the very out
set, | deceived myself. | was simply
a man who shut himself up because lie
cherished a grudgc against life and
who lived honestly because he had Il
constitutional distaSte for vice. My
first feeling when | saw your husband
was one of self righteous contempt,
and that has been my attitude all
along. | have often marveled at the
food OF intolerance that has ruSh2l
over me at sight Of hlm-the violent
desire that has POSSESSED me to look
away from his weakness and Danish
the knowledge OF it-but now | under,
stand.
Il know now what the feeling meant.
The knowledge came TO me tonight. 1t
meant that | turned away from his
weakness because deep within myself
something stirred in recognition of it.
humanity is really much simpler than
pEn 1fl.n -, thi,1v n,I mn, n,,,,,I.n
have an extraordinary fundamental
connection. Weakness Is cgotism, but
SO is strength. Chilcote has followed
his vice: | have followed my ambition.
1t will take Il higher Judgment than
yours or mine TO say which of us has
been the more selfish man" He paus-
ed and looked at her.
She was watching him ~intently.
Some Of the meaning in his face had
found Il panied, alarmed reflection in
her own. But the awe and wonder of
the mornings discovery still colOred
her mind too wildly u allow of other
considerations possessing their proper
value. The thrill of cXultation with
which the misgivings born of Chilcote'S
vice had dropped away from her men,
tai image of Loder was still too absorb
ing to be easily dominated. She loved
and as If by Il miracle her love had
been justified. For the moment the
justification vas all sutficing. Some
thing of confidence, something of the
innocence that comes not from igno
rance of evil, but from a mind slngu
iarly uncontaminated, blinded her t,
the danger of her position.
Loder, waiting apprehcnsiyely fol-
some aid, some expression Of opinion