The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-01-22

Z DNL iut SHtlDly h1inf tHtte wan
the little Helen. And as the child
grew beyond the years when she
could conveniently be put TO sleep or
sent to the nursery, loving, lovable,
always ready to spring into her fa-
Tiers arms, the baneful root In
Lillians heart took a fresh start
Every caress he gave to Nellie she
felt herself defrauded Of, every fond
word robbing Of her right; to her
self she said she could not bear II,
that her own child should come be-
tween them. and at times she almost
hated the child for IT,
One day there was white Grape on
the door, and a white casket was car.
ried out Of their home
Lillian shed many tears. she felt
the keen stress Of grief; but yet deem
down, far deeper than Helen's death.
lay the thought that she would hardly
have owned to herself, but was none
the less present, that now, for the
first time, Robert was hers alone.
no longer was there right or claim
beside.
And yet, impalpable as the thinnest
breath Of vapor, not to be grasped or
defined, but none the less present and
felt, was the shadowy something that
seemed to have come between her and
Robert in the hour when she could
claim him as hers, and hers only At
first she recognized this with an in
credulous petulance that In turn gave
place to vague alarm. Not that he
was less tenderly kind Or attentive
the more so, il anything; but he went
his way as If no longer touched by
her moods; frequently he said he had
writing to do, and shut himself In
the little room that had been Nellie's
play-room, now made into a den" Ii
almost seemed; but then II could not
be that he was living life OF his own
apart from her
At last one evening petulance and
alarm famed into speech. and as he
vas leaving TIC Con- 81 shs plea ss
writing little while" she threw her.
self before him. Robert" she cried,
holding him fast, what is itg What
has come between us so? What are you
dolng?"
4 am writing on the book you have
often heard me speak Of, answering
the last Of her questions.
But don't want you to write that
book; hate It," the tears beginning
to gather. You are so changed to
me, and now for that 20 come in.
You have never been the same since
Nellie died; always knew you loved
her the best, wish ! could have died
instead Of her. You never loved me,
or you would not make me SO miser.
able.
Lillian, and there was a note IN
his voice she had never heard before.
Il married you because ! loved you;
have loved you always; | love you
now. You are sweet and true at
heart, The trouble has been that
you wanted and exacted of me what
/ did not ask Of you. what no one has
right 10 demand OF another. my
| whole and only love. Love Is Ike a
(. fountain, the more freely and IN larger
r measure Il flows. the purer and fuller
it is, choke 1t up and It either dimin.
q ishes or becomes unhealthy. This.
If your selfish jealousy-forgiye me II
a speak plainly-ha done Tor both OK
. MS. Because Of il you hardened your
!. heart to Helen, who would gladly have
n loved you. and loving whom would
n have made your own life the richer,
4 and led me to weakly fail In the gratl-
> tude and devotion ! owed 10 her. be-
) cause Of It you we're an untender
4 mother to Nellie: you neither gave
her your own love nor allowed me tu
il show her mine, for the lack Of which
Z. her whole young life was ciouded
le DO not think that I blame you
a alone for this ] blame myself oven
IN more. that seeing Il ! weakly yielded
ir that / was not strong enough, clear
II sighted enough, TO have crushed Il fol
n. you as you would not for Yourself
but as It is Il has spoiled my home
n and marred my happiness and fillet
my heart with rcmorseful memories
y You say that have changed 4
be YOU since Nellie died It Is because
It have thought OF these things slnc'
A. then as never did before. and have
i'd come to some conclusions that 4
were we'll for both Of Us had ! don'
a so long ago. In the future ! shal
es give 10 you, as 1 have always had i
il. iii my heart to do. the best Of my low
d and confidence and care; but ~ M
ly same time I shall remember that
ne have my own life to live. aud give to IL
duties and claims what feel the
ia deserve. You ask me. Lillian. wha
be has come between uss It is the onE
ct thing that ever could have come
x. yourself"
~ She had loosed her hold on hin
Id and dropped into a chair he bent an
If gently kissed her and left the room
alf For once Lilllan's usual flow Q
words failed her II there had bee
ed trace Of passion IN his tone-bu
n there was none-it was the pitiles
eh caimness Of his words that had ehille