The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-24
CHAPTER XIII.

| CHAPTER XIII. The End of the Meeting. Stephen went on in her calm. cold | voice:
 Did he tell you that asked him
 to marry me? Despite herself. as she
 spoke the words a red tide dyed her
 face. It was not a fiush 1t was not
 a blush; 1t was a sort of flood which | swept through her. leaving her in a | few seconds whiter than ever. Harold
 saw and understood. He could not speak: he lowered his head silently. | Her eyes slittered more cold,y. The
 madness that every human being may
 have once was upon her. Such mad
 ness is destructive. and here was some thing more vulnerable than herself. Did he tell you how pressed himf"
 There was DO red tIie this time. nor
 even again whilst the interview lasted.
 To bow in affirmation was insufficient;
 with an effort he answered:
 'T understood so." She ans swered
 with an icy sarcasm:
 You understood so! Oh, don't
 doubt he en1bellished the record with
 some of his own pleasantries. But you
 understood 1t; and that Is sufficient.
 After a pause she went on:
 Did he tell you that he had refused
 me?'
 '.Yest' Harold knew that he was un-
 der the torture, and that there was no refusing. She went ony with a light laugh, which wrung his heart even more than her pain had done. Stephen to la1fgh like that
 And I have no doubt that he em- belIished that too. with some of his fine masculine witticiBms. under stood myself that he was offended at my asking him. I understood 1t quite well: he told me sol" Then with fem mine intuition she went on:
 T daresay that before he was done he said something kindly of the poor little thing that loved him; that loved him so much. and that she had to break | down all the bounds of modesty and decorum that had made the women of | her house honored for 6 thousand | years! And you listened to him whilst | he spoke! oh--h-h" she quivered | heat in the heart of a furnace quivers. But her voice was cold again as she | went on:
 But who could help loving him7 | Girls always did. It was such a beast ly nuisance! You understood all that, I daresay: though perhaps he did not put 1t in such plain words" Then the prisoned. turned on him; and he felt as though some hose of deathly chill was being played upon him.
 And yet you. knowing that only yesterday he had refused me-refused | my pressing request that he should marry me, come to me hot-footed in the early morning and ask me to bs your wife. I thought such things dld not take place; that men were more honorable. or more considerate, or more merciful. Or at least I used to think so; till yesterday. Noi till today. Yes terday's doings were my own doings and had to bear the penalty of them myself. I had come here to light out by myself the battle of shame. ."
 Here Harold interrupted her. He could not bear to hear stephen use such a word in connection with her self.
 No! You must not say shame. There is no shame to you, Stephen. There can be none, and no one must say 1t in my presence!" Tn her secret heart of hearts she admired him for his words; she felt them at the mo- nent sink into her memory, and knew that she would never forget the mast sry of his face and bearing. But the blindness of rage was upon her, and It is of the essence of this whfte-hot l anger that 1t preys not on what is oasest in us. but on what Is best When It is at work all goes down before it, is spared; and in it's evil path nigh deeds or noble words or holy thoughts are but as dust. That Harold felt deeply was her opportunity to wound him more deeply than before.
 Even here in the solitude which I lad chosen as the battle ground of my shame you had need to come unasked. Inthought of. when even a lesser mind han yours. for you are no fool would nave thought to leave me alone. My Ihame was my own. I tell you and I vas learning 10 take my punishment My punishment Ha-ha-hai my pun. shment! Poor creatures that we are we think our punishment will be what we would like best: to suffer in silence rot to have spread abroad our shannevr How she harped on that word. though he knew that every time she uttered t. it cut to the heart of the man who owed her And yet you come right till more illimitably. You come. vou vho alone had the power to intrudA on my grief and sorrow: DOW, IF given you by my fathers Kindness. You come to me without warning. con iderately telling me that you knew
 would be here because had always ome here when I had been in trouble. | yo-I do you an injustice. Tn trouble; vas not what you said. but that lad come when I had been in ahoyt rocks. Short frocks, And you come } Q tell me that you loved me. You bought I suppose, that as I had re- used one man. would jump ct tho ext that came along. wanted nan. God God! what have done that uch an affront should come upon me? md come. too. from hand that should ave protected me if only in gratitude or my fathers kindness," She was yeing him keeniy. with eyes that In ar mnhinohing anger took in every.