The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-23
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off slimmering ever beckoned ana
eluded.
But for the blindness caused by
this same selfshness. her utter in
ability to detach her thoughts from
the quest she now believed she would
have known that Dudley and the
writer OF the letters were one. A
nature more acuteiy alive 10 anoth-
er's situation would have recognized
by instinct what she did not suspect;
and as her heart went out to him in (,
longing, she felt that the character
the letter revealed betokened
strength of thought and manliness
OF ideal that summoned all that was
best in her In that hour she knew
that If misery had made a man OF
Dudley, It was also making woman
of her-a woman with whom the
merely fanciful and the romantic
must forever give way before the
simplest realities Of life and love.
II was nearly an hour and half
later when the sound of a vehicle
moving rapidly along the drive in the
direction Of the stables reused her to
a thought OF immediate action. She
glanced at the clock and rose pre-
cipitately. IL was quarter to nine,
and Dudley's train would leave at
half-past ten. Plainly there was only
one way-she must send note. and
by the man who had driven Dudley
into town, and who had just returned.
She snatched up one OF the loose
sheets on the table, wrote a few hur-
ried words, found an envelope and
addressed It, and then rushed breath
lessly from the room and down the
stairs. A moment afterwards she
was fleeing stableward with the swift
ness of deer her white-robed form
darting in and out with a ghostly
suggestion among the dark ever
greens. ...,.. ..
The dim light in the stable threw.
an uncertain fare about the door
way. As she approached man came VI
out Of the building, and she hurried
forward, waving her hand to attract
his attention. Then all AZ once she
thrust the hand that held the letter
behind her. and paused abruptly.
rs there anything ! can do for
you?" Dudley asked calmly. ''.
Startled into silence by his unex-
pected presence, and by the cold
quiet Of his tone. she stood SPELL
bound, her hand stiil behind her. ~"
81 found that had forgotten SONS
nN and
had to come back for them" Dudley
exclaimed, with the same courtly dis
tance.
All at once the hand behind her
became visible and with the aid OF
the other she slowly tore into bits
the note she had written him.
Dudley" she said at length, in . ,,
tone as cool as his own. II should
like TO tell you, now, before we go IN;
the name OF your rival
His form stiffened, but he bravely
met her eyes. He waited r.I
She half turned away. ....t
1T is the name Of the man who
wrote me those letters"
He started. but his face hardened b
instantly,
at is impossible that you did not
know" he said. quickly and sternly
But | did not know" she replied
frankly. Now that ! have read
what you sent me tonight, and know
that you no longer care for me- p.
She broke of, struggling with a
new and overwhelming abasement.
The old masterful tone he we'll knew
how to assume, and which had almost
conquered even when opposed by the
softer charm Of the letters, made IL
dficult for her TO go on. She stood
mute and tremulous, and he came a
step nearer. and bent down his head
that he might see her face more dis
tinctly. His own face had grown
strangely unrelenting. .p a.a.U.
Now that no longer love you--"
he began. u.. f.u.
But she cut in icily. Perhaps it
doesn't matter. but that being the
case, think you will be able to un-. %
derstand why II was possible for me
to tell you II may explain some
things" m.frn'aa. /"
For instance. WHAT" a.. .
She shrank visibly. 1T may eX-
plain why ! thought | couldn't love
you so
And also why" his laugh sound
ed harsh and unpleasant. and also
why you thought you could love the
other fellow?" ~.
1T seems there isn't any-other
fellow. He was only figment of my
Imagination"
But she had suddenly regained con-
troll of her wandering capabilities,
and she turned away, throwing him
a wavering glance over her shoulder
in which wistful tenderness blend
ed with latent coquetry,
"ot course your last letter told me
everything" ..' .... ~,
Everything" ...
'It at least told me that you no
longer loved me- Ert.
She put her hands to the. gauzy
cape she had thrown about her ,
shoulders. and suddenly his hands