Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-29

ENM He Enclosed
.lEM his eyes. Now
you may dream;
oPon-my-1oord you can't avoid
s"e o'eo'"e" o''"' lit" he observed
lazily and closed his eyes, and neither
tuunts nor jeers nor questions nor
fragments of she'll flung with intent
to hit stirred him from his immobility
She tired Of the attempt presently
and sat silent, elbows on her thighs,
hands propping her chin. Thoughts
vague as the titful breeze arose, lin
gered and, like the breeze. faded, dis
solved into calm, through which, ca
denced by the far beat of the ebb tide,
her heart echoed, beating the steady
intervals of time A long while after
ward a small cloud foated across the
sun. and In the sudden shadow on the
world doubt sounded its tiny voice,
and her ears listened. and the enchant-
ment faded and died away.
Turning. she looked across the sand
at the man lying there. Her eyes con-
sidered hinl--how long she did not
know, she did not heed-until, stirring,
he looked up. and she paled trif1e
and closed her eyes, stunned by the
sudden clamor of pulse and heart.
When he rose and walked over she
looked up gravely, pouring the last
handful Of white sand through her
stretched fingers.
did you dream?' he asked lightly.
yes"
Ibid you dream true!'
Nothing of my dream can happen, =
she said You know that. don't your
Il know that we love and that we
dare not ignore It,"
She suffered his arm about her, his
eyes looking deeply into hers. close,
sweet careSs, Il union of lips and her
dimmed eyes response.
Stephen" she faItered, "how can
you make it so hard for me? How
can you force me to this shame"
"Shame?' he repeated vaguely.
Eyes; this treachery to myself when
cannot hope to be more to you, when
dare not love you too much"
"You must dare. Sylvia!
mo, no, no. know myself, l tell
you! cannot give up what is offered
for you--dearly. dearly as l do love
you'' She turned and caught his
hands in hers. flushed. trembling. un-
strung. II cannot-I simply cannot!
How can you love me and listen to
such wickednesS? How can you still
care for such a girl as ! am-worse
than mercenary because have a heart
or had until you took it? Keep It.
1t is the only part Of me not all 1g-
noble
II will keep tin trust" he said.
"until you give yourself with It,"
But she only shook her head YEARLY,
Withdrawing her hands from his, and
for time they sat silent. eyes apart.
Then-"There is another reason she
said wistfully.
He looked at her. hesitated, and
"My habits?" he asked simply.
Eyes"
81 have them in check"
care you certain?"
Inlnk l may De-llOW.
"Yct,' she said timidly, you lost one
fght-since you knew me-"
The dull red mantling his face wrung
her heart She turned impulsively and
laid both hands on his shoulders.
''1'hat chance would take, with all Its
uncertainty, all the dread Inheritance
you have come into. love you enough
for that. And if 1t turned out that
that you could not stem the tide even
with me to face it with you, and if the
pity of it. the grief of it, killed ME 1
would take that chance If you loved
me through it all But there is some
thing else. Hush! Let ME have my
say while l find the understanding
else you do not understand. Turn your
face little Please don't look at me.
This is what you do not know-that in
three generations every woman Of my
race has-gone wrong! Every one!
And am beginning with such mar
riage, deliberately, selfishly, shameless
ly. perfectly conscious Of the frivolous,
cratic blood in me, aware Of the race
record behind me!
"Once when l knew nothing-before
IL met you'll believed such mar
riage would not only permit me men
tai tranquility. but safely anchor me
in the harbor of convention, leaving me
free to become what ! am fashioned to
sbecome-autocrat and arbiter In my
own world. And now! And now! l
don't know-truly I. don't know what
may become. Your love forces my
hand am displaying all the shallow
ness. falseness. pettiness, all the mean
and cruel and callous character which
must be truly my real self. Only
shall not marry you! You are not to
run the risk of what might prove to
be when | remember in bitterness all
l have renowned. IL l married you,
should remember. ulreconcilcd. what
you cost me. Better for you. and for