The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-10-08
SILAS X. HOOKING.

Whether you reciprocate it or no., l
can never go back again to the old
life, and | shall go on loving you for
ever and ever"
For awhile there was silence be-
tween them. Then she said, in a voice
that was only just above a whisper,
Il am very sorry"
Sorry that ! love your"
"Yes, very sorry"
Then you cannot love me in re-
turn" he questioned, after a painful
pause.
Il fear that has little to do with
the matter" she answered, slowly.
Between us there Is a barrier that
nothing can surmount."
What barrier?"
my fathers wrong"
THAT is a thing of the past he
said, holly. II have put 1t out of my
life. 1t must not be allowed to come
between u.s."
1--WE cannot help ourselves" she
said, impatiently. God has made us
free. We shape our own destiny. We
are not towards, to be ruled by cir
cumstances. We turn circumstances
to our own account"
Il like to hear you talk grandly,"
she said, with a pathetic smile. 1T
makes me think you will do great
things some day. But, strong as you
are, you are not strong enough for
this"
Then you do care for me-" he said,
impulsively.
you may think what you like about
that" she said, in her frank, ingenu-
Gus way. ut can make no differ
ence."
You are mistaken In that" he
urged. eagerly. IF you care for me
at all love will grow, and If you and
| love each other there is no power
On earth that can keep us apart"
She smiled wistfully and shook her
head.
why should We be kept apart?" he
pleaded. From the day you passed
SO suddenly out of our sight my one
desire has been to find YOU, to make
myself worthy of you and win you as
my wife. Now | have found you, and
my desire has increased a hundred
fold. | tell you | cannot live without
you.'
Yes, you ear and you will. And
the day will come when you will be
thankful that | saved o from your
self"
Save me from myself"
Eyes. You are not yourself to-
night"
Then I shall never be myself
again." he said, with a hollow laugh.
You think SO now. And, believe
me, | do not doubt your sincerity for
a moment, and I marvel at your good
ness-your generosity. But some day
you will look at things with calmer,
more critical eyes,"
II do not want to look at things
with critical eyes" he urged; love
laughs at criticism"
THAT is because It Is foolish and
blind. Time removes the scales and
restores the sight; then love does not
Taught weeps."
"Oh. Marion! Marion! You break
my heart" he pleaded brokenly.
mo, no; l save your heart from
being broken In time to come, and
save my own heart too. II O were
to yield the impulse of to-day, and I
were mean enough to take advantage
Of your generosity, there would be an
awful reckoning of sorrow later on"
mo, no; not sorrow. The harvest
of love is joy"
Il have not so read the book of life"
she answered. slowly. God meant IL
to be so, ! think, but the perversities
Of men destroy the purposes OF Cod,
1T Is the perversity of a I'M
In the present case" he said, bitterly.
Think again." she replied, in the
same even tone. $50 brave and gen.
erous are o that you would make me
your wife,"
II would indeed" he answered.
promptly; tomorrow II that were
possible, but as soon as ever | could
provide you a home"
You would not take me to Nav.
gan Chaser"
Il do not want to live at Mawgan
Chase. l rested there. want to live
here and work and win you"
Pardon me, but that is not an an
swer to my question:" she said, with
a pathetic smile. you would not
take me to your mother?"
Not at the first, perhaps" he STAN
mered. Mother is proud and, in
some things. unforgiving. But what
does that matter? A man does not
marry to please his mother"
Your friends and relatives would
not receive me when they knew"
They needn't know" he urged.
lamely.
That would be impossible"
And suppose they didn't receive
you? We should have each other. I
should want nothing else IL I could
win you"
you know better than that" she
answered, with a tired smile. you
know you do. Life IL not all ro-
NANCE"
without a 1t IL q sorry,
humdrum thing"
And then silence fell for several
minutes.