The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1907-08-15
CHAPTER Iv.-continued.

heard an indeScribable fiuttertng rush |
that told as plainly as sight could have |
done that woman had answered her
hearts call. Looking up involuntarily, |
I saw sight that for long moment |
held my eyes as If l had been fas-
cinated. 1t was Bob bowed forward !
with his face hidden in his hands and !
beside him, on her knees, Beulah |
Sands, her arms about his neck, his
head drawn down to her bosom. Bob, |
Bob" she, said chokingly, Il cannot
stand it any longer. My heart is break
ing for you. You were so happy when
I came into your life, and the happi-
ness is changed to misery and despair,
and all for me, stranger. At first l
thought of nothing but father and how
to save him, but since that day when
those men struck at your heart, have
been filled with, oh! such longing to
tell you, to tell you, Bob" /
what? Beulah, what? For the
love of God, don't stop; tell me, Beu-
lah, tell me-" He had not lifted his
head. 1t was buried on her breast, his
arms closed around her. She bent her
head and laid her beautiful, soft cheek,
down which the tears were now
streaming, against his brown hair.
Bob, forgive me, but l love you, love
you, Bob, as only a woman can love
who has never known love before,
never known anything but stern duty.
Bob, night after night when all have
left 1 have crept into your Office and
sat in your chair. have laid my head
on your desk and cried and cried until
1t seemed as though could not live
till morning without hearing you say
that you loved me, and that you did
not mind the ruin l had brought into
your life. l have patted the back Of
your chair where your dear head had
rested. have covered the arms Of
your chair. that your strong, brave
hands had gripped, with kisses. Night
after night l have knelt at your desk
and prayed to God TO shield you, to
protect you from all harm, to brush
away the black cloud l brought into
your life. l have asked Him to do
with me, yes, with my father and
mother, anything. anything If only He
would bring back to You the happiness
had stolen. Bob. have suffered, suf-
fered, as only woman can suffer-"
She was sobbing as though her
heart would break, sobbing wildly,
convulsively, like the little child who
in the night comes to it's mothers bed
to tell of the black COLLINS that have
been pursuing it. Long before she
had finished speaking-and it took
l,, fau hoo ~ fDr hot 80
words had broken the power of the
fascination that held me, had turned
away my eyes, and tried not to listen
For fear of breaking the spell, did
not dare cross the room to close
Beulahs door or to reach the outer
door of my Office, which was nearer
hers than it was to my desk. waited
through a silence broken only by
Beulah's weeping. that seemed hour
long. Then in Bobs voice came one
low sob Of joy:
''Beulah, Beulah, my Beulah!"
realized that he had risen. / rose,
too, thinking that now l could close
the door. But again saw a picture
that transfiXed me. Bob had taken
Beulah by both shoulders and he held
her off and looked into her eyes long
and beseechingly. Never before nor
since have l seen upon human face
that glorious JOY which the old mas
tiers sought to get into the faces of
their worshippers who, kneeling be-
fore Christ, tried to send to Him,
through their eyes, their souls graft
tude and love. l stood as one en-
thralled. Slowly and as reverently as
the living lover touches the brow of
his dead wife, Bob bent his head and
kissed her forehead. Again and again
he drew her to him and implanted upon
her brow and eyes and lips his kisses.
could not stand the scene any longer.
/ started to the corridor door, and
then, as though for the first time either
had known l was within hearing, they
turned and stared at me. At last Bob
gave a, long. deep sigh. then one OF
those reluctant laughs OF happiness
yet wet with sobs.
well, Jim, dear old Jim, where did
you come from? Like all eavesdrop.
pers, you have heard no good of your.
self. Own up, Jim, you did not hear q
word good or bad about yourself, for
1t is just coming back to me that we
have been selfish, that we have left
you entirely out Of bur business con
ference"
We all laughed, and Beulah Sands