The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19
By LILY A. LONG

| fore. somewhat the effect Of surprise
when he found himself aboard the
steamer that was sailing for Antwerp
| Il week later He told himself that lie
had always intended 20 run over for a
holiday when opportunity offered. II
! by no means followed that because he
was going to Europe he would en-
counter Virginia Jackson. He needed
N rest.
Ono night in storm that beat hard
against them through the dragging
hours of the darkness. he looked into
the ewes of death. His life was so
little, his grasp Of the mighty whole
was so inadequate. What part of all
that he called himself would have
vitality 10 90 on into that beyond
which Jay Just over the blue threshold
his love. Nothing at all OF him but
The love he had crushed and cramped
and denied. in his soul he reached out
! his arms 80 Virginia. All. how trivial
his questioning! There was no ques-
tion but this only-whethcr they might
stand together. whatever came.
For the rest of the voyage Norton
sat near the bow of the boat, dcvour-
ing with impatient eyes the space Tint
still stretched before him Every mo-
ment that lay between him and Nir
ginia seemed suddenly fun Of danger.
! This moment, any moment, might be
the last that held grace for him, and
here he was, kept from her by this inn
passable illusion Of space!
When the boat reached Antwerp, he
found that the party for which he had
inquired had gone on 10 Schcvcniugcn.
But he could not risk further delay
| May | comet lie telcgraphcd
Her answer came at last-by mail
not by wire. ''lf YOU have learned TO
| love me. you may come. Otherwise,
what is tho usc?'
laughed aloud. If he loved ber' Had
moi the trouble from the beginning
been that he had loved her III cXcess3
too Realistically. too loftily! OF
his love there could be no question:
Certainly the message was cryptic, but
is seemed to imply n permission, how
ever conditioned. He took The next
train.
But when Virginia came into the
room to receive him, Norton quite for
GOT TO ask for explanations, He for
got everything except that the universe
had somehow rightcd itself, The sud
den lifting Of what had been like Il
! physical pressure left him light headed, i,
and he babblcd incoherencics without
knowing what they were.
But Virginia, with woman s su.
emotion. held him TO. tho chartcd line.
"But, Richard, are you surc?i'
'Surc that | cannot live without
youl Oh. vest yes! -
Sho shook her head. opposing lifted
palm TO his cagcrncss.
Ono, sure that you know me for a
yoal woman-.iust nero human
woman?'
Norton took her hands in both of his
aud held them fast.
''When ] sec you. ] know nothing
past or present except that this is You.
and that ] have been starving for tho
sight of YOU for longer than ] can bear
to remember
a woman s form appeared at the
French window, which opened like a
door upon the garden, She had stepped
inside before She saw the two IN the
room Virginia started forward.
"Ob, Rose, hero is Mr.. Norton. VIII
Won como in7 Richard YOU must love
my sister Rose-my dear, dear, sister -
There was protection and defense and
tenderness in her tone as we'll rs in
her words, and Norton felt the demand
upon him which IL conveyed, even be
fore he saw how frail an appariton this
unknown sister was.
81 am glad to see you,' Rose said.
in tones 81 vjbrantly like Virginia 5
that they shook him with sudden sur
prise. "Virginia has told me Of you.
She said y surge of rcd went over
her white facc and left it whittier than
before that You were friend of
Mr.. Warwick s That alone would
make you welcome. if there were no
other reason She smiled at both with
sweetness that made them ache to
see. and slipped away as She had come.
Virginia was watching him with a
Keen suspense,
"Nou must never blame bcr-uot in
your inmost ihought-ncvcr for one
moment, she said. breathlcssly. ~ on
don know-you can't understand
not that | blame YOU for not under
standing, No one could. But I know
Just how it AL Was-I was there-sbe
was not to blame. And she has been
SO unhappy She nearly died. II has