The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1908-12-24

sudden conception Of some element
hitherto uuguessed Id his makeup
something lnveterate and adamant
Could II be that he did not intend ia
tell at all? The very idea was mon
strous. Yet that clearly was his mean
ing. She looked at him with flashing
eyes.
"You mean you will notP she ex
claimed bitterly. "You are bent on
sacrificing yourself thenl You are go
ing to take this risk because you think
It brave and noble. because somehow
It Ats your mans gospel Can't you
see how wicked and selfish II Is? You
are thinking only Of him and OF your
self, not of me-"
"Jessica. Jessicap he protested, with
groan. But In the self torture Of her
questionings she paid no heed.
Don't you think | suffer- Haven't !
borne enough in the months since ]
married you for you to want to save
me this? Do you owe me nothing, me
whom you so wronged, whose
she stopped suddenly at the look on
his face Of mortal pain, for she had
struck harder than she knew II pierre
ed through the fierce resentment to her
deepest heart. and all her love and pity
gushed back upon her in torrent
She threw herself on her knees by the
bare cot. crying passionately
"Oh. forgive mel Forget what ! said
| did not mean It. ! have forgiven you
a thousand times over ! never ceased
to love you love you now more than
all the world"
at is true" he said, hoarse misery In
his tone 81 have wronged you. II !
could coin my blood drop by drop to
pay for the past | could not set that
right If giving my life over and over
again would save you pain would
give 1t gladly But what you ask now
is one thing | cannot do. II would
make me pitiful coward I did not
kill Moreau That Is all can say to
you or to those who try me-"
"Your lifeI'' she said with dry lips.
1T will mean that That counts so
fearfully much to me, more than my
own life a hundred times. Yet there is
something that counts more than all
that to you"
His face was that of man who
holds his hand In the FIRE, "Jessica,'
he said. ''it is like this with me When
you found me here--the day saw you
on the balcony--I was a man whose
soul had lost IFS compass and its bear
ings. My conscience was asleep. You
woke 1t. and 1t Is fiercely alive now
And now with my memory has come
back debt Of my past that | never
paid Whatever the outcome. for ny
souls sake must settle II now and
wipe II from the score forever
She rose slowly to her feet. with ,
despalring gesture,
ellie saved, others she quoted II
hard voice; "'himself he could no
saver once heard a minister preacl
from that text at home. 1t was you
| friend, the Rev. Henry Sanderson.s
thought II a very spiritual sermon
then. That was before | knew wha
his companionshlp had been TO you"
IF there were any justice In the upi
4 verse" she added 1T should be h
immolating himself now, not you, BIZ
for him you would never be here. Ill
ruined your life and mine. and l hat
and despise him for selfish hypc
critic"
That was what he himself haI
seemed to her in those old days. Tn
edge OF a flush touched bis forehead
as he said slowly. almost appeaiingly
"He was not a hypocrite Jesslca
Whatever he was II was not that. A
college he did what be did TOO openly
That was bis falling, not caring wha
others thought He despised weakness
in others He thought 1t none OF hi
\ affair SO others were influenced fsu
after he came to see things differently
from another standpoint when b
went into the ministry zhe would bas
{ given the world to undo IT."
Mems Ilkings are strange. she said
T Because be never had temptation
like yours ana has never done wha
the law calls wrong YOU think be Is q
noble as yon--noble enough to shieI
a murderer to bis OVID danger
"Ah, nc. Jessicae' be interpreted ger
tly. Il ouIy said that 10 my place h
would do the samer
"But Won are shielding murderer.
-. ..