Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-28

I l.
thI there was no suggestion OF
0 shame in her thoughts or her
words, but to Loder, watching and lis
tening, there was perilous meaning
contained in both.
"ThankfulncssT he repeated slowly.
From his newly stirred sense Of re.
sponsibility pity and sympathy were
gradually rising. lie had never seen
Eve as he saw her now, and his vision
was all the clearer for the long OBJ
hvion. With poignant sense of com
passion and remorse, the knowledge
of her youth came to hm-the youth
that some women preserve In the
! midst Of the world when circum-
stances have permitted them TO see
| much, but to experience little.
| "Thankfuluess?' he said again in
credulously.
A slight smile touched her lips.
yes" she answered softly-"thanli-
fulness that my trust had been rightly
! placed"
She spoke simply and confidently, but
/ the words struck Loder more sharply
/ than any accusation. With heavy
sense of bitterness ana remuneration he
moved slowly forward.
Eve" he said worry gently, "you
don't know what you say"
| Sbe had lowered her eyes as he came
toward her Now she lifted them in
swift upward glance. For the first
time since he had entered the room
| slight look OF personal doubt and I'M
easinesS showed in her face. why"
she said II don't understand"
For Il moment he answered nothing.
He 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 he
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 one safeguard. one justiGcation-a
boundless audacity. Once shake that
audacity and the whole motive power
crumblcs 1t was to make the audacity
impossible-to tell You the truth and
make ii impossible-tha l came to-
night. The fact that YOU already knew
made the telling easier. but it altered
nothing"
Eve raised her head, but he went
resoutely on.
Tonight" he said. II have seen into
my own life. into my own mind. and
my ideas have been very roughly shak-
en- into new places.
I'VE never make so colossal a 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-
ception. solitary being vastly i'll used
by fate, who, with Il fine stoicism, was
leading a clean life. That was what
believed, but there, at the very out
set, l deceived myself. | was simply
man who shut himself up because he
cherished grudge against life and
who lived honestly because he had a
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 rushed
over me at sight Of him-the violent
desire that has possessed me TO look
away from his weakness and Danish
1. % IL, \ lnr
stand.
Il know now what the feeling meant
The knowledge came to me tonight II
meant that | turned away from his
weakness because deep within myself
something stirred in recognition of it.
Humanity is really much simpler than
we like to think, and human impulses
have an extraordinary fundamental
connection. Weakness is egotiSm, bu,
so is strength. Chilcote has followed
his vice; have followed my ambition
1t will take n 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
| tDoiiit VI tiiN hINsiilil- AZ MS law iido
found a panied. alarmed reflection IL
her own. But the awe and wonder OF
the mornings discovery still coloreC
her mind too wildly 10 allow of Other
considerations possessing their proper
value. The thrill of eXultation will
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 a miracle her love hao
been Justified For the moment the
justification was all sutticlng. Some
thing of confidence. something of the
innocence that comes not from igno
rance Of evil, but from mind singu
larly uncontannated, blinded her to
the danger of her position.
= Loder, waiting apprcheusively fol
some aid. some expression of opinion
became gradually conscious OF TINS
lack of realization Moved by freSl
impulse, he crossed the small space
that divided them and caught her
. hands.
Eve" he said gently, II have beer
trying to analyze myself and give yo'
= the results, but | shan't try any more
l shall be quite plain with you.