The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-09

Tn -. Louis the otner day." !
went on, 81 saw a man who has
risen to power greater than ! can
ever hope to have And he got it
by marching erect in the open"
Yet you have everything you used
to want" she said dreamily.
'sYes-everything. Only to learn
how worthless what I wanted was.
And for this trash, this dirt. have
given-aIl / had that was OF value"
"AII?"
AL" I replied. Your love and my
seIf-respect."
Why do you think you've not been
brave?' she asked after awhile.
Because I've won by playing on
the weaknesses and fears of men
which my own weaknesses and fears
enabled me to understand"
You. have done wrong-delib-
erately?'
Deliberately"
But that good might Gomez"
So I told myself"
And good has come? I've heard
that figs do grow on thistIes"
Good has come. But / think, in
spite of me. not through me-
turning her eyes to mine with appeal
in them, and something more, /
thought, you will--you will go on?"
Il don't know. Is there such a
things as remorse without regret?"
And then my selfcontrol went and /
let her see what / had commanded
myself to keep hid: II only know
clearly one thing, Elizabeth-only one
thing matters. You are the whole
world to me. You and 1 could--what
could we not do together."
Her color slowly rose. slowly van
fshed. WAS that what you came to
tell me9" she asked
YES" I answered. not finching
THAT is the climax of your moral
1zings?"
YES" I answered. "And of my
cowardice."
A little icy smile just changed the
curve of her lips. When l was
girl, you won my love-or took 1t
when I gave it to you. II you prefer.
And then-you threw it away. For
an ambition you weren't brave enough
TO pursue honorably. you broke my
heart"
YES" 1 answered Butt loved
you
And now" she went on after your
years of self-indulgence of getting |
what you wanted. no matter about |
the cost. you see me again. You find |
] have mended my heart, have coaxed |
a few flowers of happiness to bloom |
You find there was a something you |
did not destroy. something you think |
it will make you happier to de- |
stroy"
Yes" I answered, 81 came to try |
to make you as unhappy as / am. |
For 1 love you
She drew a long breath WELL" |
she said evenly, "for the first tim6 in |
your life you are defeated. / learned |
the lesson you SO thoroughly taught |
me- And I built the wall round my
garden high and strong. YOU"
she smiled, little raillery, a little |
scorn-'you can't break in, Harvey
nor slip in"
NO need" I said. For I am in
I've always been in"
Her bosom rose and fell quickly.
and her eyes shifted. But that was
for an instant only. eff you were
as brave as you are bold" she
sooffed.
'If I were as brave without you as
/ should be with you." replied.
even as Y began to thrill with a hope !
so high Chat 1t was giddy with fear.
che was once more straight and
strong and calm.
You have come You have tried.
You have failed" she went on after a
in 81 1
ports. that deep voice of hers was
gentle and wonderfully sweet. Now
YOU will return to your life. / to |
mine" And she moved toward the
entrance TO the drawing-room, 1 fol-
lowing her. We stood in silence at
the front doorway waiting for my
carriage to come up. I watched her
.maddeningly mistress of herself.
How can you be so cold," I cried.
Don't you see. don't you feel, how
1, who love you, suffer-"
Without a word she stretched out
her beautiful white hands, long and
narrow and capable. In each OF the
uplifted palms were four deep and
bloody prints where her nails had
been crushing into them.
Before I could lift my eyes to her
Then: But you love as woman
loves-hersef first, the man after
ward
Harvey Sayler denouncing selfish
ness,"
DO not sneer," / said. "For-I love
you as a man loves. A poor pale
shadow of ideal love- no doubt. but a
mans best. Elizabeth"