Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-05

the man.
Il can't he sure | never
could he sure. With his
eyes always closed as they
are. and with that odd habit he has of
lying still, I can't make out half the
time whether he's sleeping or waking. y
"You haven't told him anything yet, 1
suppose
Told him? No. oh. no, l haven't told
him.
The woman shivers perceptibly. and
draws closer To the leapng fire on the
hearth
Of course continues the man. speak
Ing CAUTIOUSLY still you may as well eN-
pain the situation TO him He's too
young to take it to heart, and l know
YOU agree with me that it's going to be
the best thing for him in the end Those
Ghiidiess people. shut in as they are, will
De perfectly devoted to the child His
misfortune is going to be n direct appeal
10 their sympathies. He'll be the great
factor of their Hves-you know that.
machine: While in our lives he would
be but an incident. and a disturbing one
at that. 1t isn't that 1 dislike the little
fellow. He couldn't help being born. and
he couldn't help being blind He couldn't
help having Alexander Cameron for his
rather But | can help having him i'm
my home, Madeline. to remind me of
things l want to forget. You under
stand. don't you? I'm a jealous man.
was made that way. I'd give ten years
or my life to have had you fresh from
your mothers arms-to make YOU see me
and no one else; to live in. your heart
and In your mind alone. The sight of the
boy would be perpetual irritation.
couldn't endure it, Madeline. 1t would
make a sort of monster out Of me-
He leans forward to draw her into his
arms. but she evades him and steals to
the door of All inner room.
Donald. Donald" she calls SOFTLY
There is no movement in the little bed
by the wall. A child's slight form, is
visible there. we'll covered with it's blue
quilt. The light catches his reddish-go
curls and displays a portion of a delicate
profile.
The woman comes back to the fire
Its wonderful" she says moodily.
chow like and how unlike his father he
is
The mans large iowl gives a grotesaue
movement as il his teeth ground hard
upon each other.
But how am 1 to help all that cries
the woman, spreading out her hands.
There's no use Henry in DENYING nv
past. We can't have things as we want
them in this world. We have to take
them as we find them. That's the SEN
sible way.''
The man comes close to her
But l tell YOU" he cries. that / am
going to make you forget it! The thought
of you fills my heart. and l mean to
make you forget everything except the
present And that's 10 be made up of
love. Can't you feel as 1 do Madeline,
that there's nothing else in the world but
that? Why, it's the beginning and end
of my days The thought wakes up with
me. walks with me, breathes with me,
sleeps with me!'
The face of the woman f1ushes deeply
She leans forward till the Iaccs droup
from her white throat on which the man
fixes his eyes greedily.
Well chn yx-hi ti,,ly I ,,rI,t
to be forgiven if / go looking for happi-
mes for a while. If people knew the
whole truth. they'd forgive me, Henry.
wouldn't they?"
People do as they please Madeline!
They take JOY when they can get it. Do
You suppose any other man would have
waited as l have; you've been free four
years I've known for one year. and I've
loved you from the moment my eyes fell
on you. II never occurred to me then
that you were anything but girl, /
tell you. Madeline I'll never forget the
torture of that discovery-the discovery
that you were widow and that Don
aid"
"Oh, Donald" There is poignancy in
the cry. IF 1t were not for Donald"