Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-11-03
tcHAPTER xxxvr-continuea

here again"
She did not answer, bat seized his
j hand and clung TO it, as though no
force on earth should drag him from
her side.
F. 'Leonore, he said more sternly.
this is folly, madness. Our marriage
must not take place. 1t will be better
for you-better for me, if we do not
meet again
Have you thought of what that will
mean?" she asked slowly.
Yes" he replied. ut will mean
freedom for you. Your talents ought
never TO be obscured by the dulling in
fuence of married life. AS wife
your great gifts will be wasted. AS
the wife of an invalid, of cropping
pulling child-for | am no better than
child in my blindness-they would
be lost for ever. Think of the life,
Leonore, tied to log like me, who
| cannot even see the smile on your
face. Why, it will be penal servi-
tude!"
s'Have you thought Of what ii will
mean to you? or your own life pass
ed in loneliness and darkness, at the
mercy of servants who will rob you,
of acquaintances who will pity you"
| Il have thought Of all that. Yet 1t
would be better than the ruin of a
young and brilliant woman who has a
great career before her. | have done
enough mischief in my life already"
Jack" she said calmly, do you
wish me to believe that you are only
thinking of me in this matter? l can
n hot hay inc SoiI
to me-"
You are justified in making that re-
mark" he replied. When you first
told me the truth I thought chiefly of
what you had told me. But | know
now that you love me SO well that
your love is an excuse for anything
you may have done. And, knowing
this, refuse TO ruin your life"
She was silent, and though he
could not see her face, he realised
that she did not believe him.
You do not believe me-" he con-
tinued. "but | tell you, Leonore, that
II We're as other men, and my sight
We're restorted to me, I would marry
you in spite of everything | swear
this to YOU
Knowing that your sight can never
be restored she retorted; yet it is
now that you need me. | cannot bear
to speak of what lies before you.
cannot bear even to think of it. Il
only know that wish to be with you
in your darkness
Il can fight my own battles" he re-
piled slowly, "and it is better that no
one else should get hurt in them. I
They say it is only the first month or
two that is so hard to bear | shall
probably pay some good-natured and
intelligent man to come and live with
me. Goodbye. Leonore''
No, no." she sobbed Il cannot
leave you like this. Il cannot do it,
Jack; it will kill me-"
All, you will soon forget, Leonore.
| shall pass out of your life as l have
passed out of the lives Of Laura and
William Tankerlane. | have much to
be thankful for. l might have been
poor man, dependent for my livelihood
on my work. AS it is, I have only TO
sit still and do nothing. shall not
starve."
"Oh, this is brutal, horrible she
cried rising to her feet 81 cannot
bear it. Have pity on me- Jack"
You will forget, Leonore, you will
forget. You have your work to do
You are famous already, but time
will only add to your fame. You will
live to thank heaven that you never
become the wife Of an obscure coun-
try gentleman. AS for me, shall
stand my darkness as long as l can,
and there is always way out of it,
You must not speak like that,
she cried flercely. ooh, cannot leave
you. 1t is as l thought as feared
You intend to take your own life. I |
will not leave you!'
He rose slowly to his feet--so slow
ly that he might have had all the
weight Of the world on his shoulders.
"Leonore," he said calmly, twice |
since | last saw you has God given
me back my life. I spoke idly just |
now. You may be quite sure that |
shall never be SO wicked, so migrate
full, as to do the thing you fear. Il
still have some manhood left in me; |
l will try to show the world how a
man can bear the punishment he has
justly deserved
bat you SAID IL, you said 1t, she }
cried, clinging to his arm and looking
up into his face. 1T was in your
mind"
1T was moments madness" he |
repeated. 'It was only thought, and
am still strong enough to control
myself"
Yet you will grow weaker" she con-
tinued. Day by day you will grow
weaker. The darkness and the lone
illness will sap your strength. You
will brood ovVr your misfortunes and
over all you have lost. The long,
dreary days will leave their mark up
on your brain. You will cry out. and
no one will answer you AT last you
will give way
1T is not a pleasant picture said
Shll calmly. Yet he knew well enough
that it was not overdrawn
yet all this might be changed" she
pleaded. with someone to love you
and look after you. and cheer you
up, 1t might all be so different. I i'm
plore you, Jack, to keep your word to
IL. |