The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-07-15

| hearts open, our souls clean. You real
ly love me? trust me- beliave ME to
be worthy woman"
With all my soul I do"
oh. know you do. II is because |
know you do that | wish TO tell YOU
my story. Il is my love which makes
me so anxious thai you should under
stand. 50 when the end comes We can
go together loving each other. and not
afraid, Do You recognize me? dave
you ever realized who | ann"
I could only shake my head wonder.
ing a, The strange question.
NO? And yel ! have known vol
ever since that first long talk we had
together in the cabin. 1t seemed so
odd, such d strange freak Of destiny,
thai you should have been associated
In any way with my old life, and yer
the very fact that you were, first Gre
/ ated the bond that has since drawn us
together You were no longer a mere
sea adyenturer. but an old-time friend
and equal From that day al was
different l could fight it back. but
could never conquer what that discoV-
cry meant Oh, how small this world
is, Did you ever hear Of Doris Wins
low"
A moment the vague, clouded mem
DRY eludad me, tsnlalized me. Then
in d flash the revelation came
My sisters chum at Wellesley"
frhn tour. SpraDu oil int, bpr
eyes her handclasp tightening.
Yes: does it seem possible? You
never knew me, except by that name.
My father died during the second year
of my attendance there; then mother
and went abroad and my education
was completed on the continent | am
not finding fault, but--but it was all
most unfortunate; il brought me into
real life with a false understanding of
everything - wrong ideals. wrong
standards We were known to be
wealthy, many considered me beauti-
full; my mothers one ambition was
to achieve recognized social standing
in Europe, and from the FIRST | was
destined to be q means to that end
My education surroundings. social en-
Yironment, We're all shaped with this
purpose in view. In spite Of myself
the result was accomplished.
Il was merely a girl of II, desiring
little but a good time, and accustomed
all my life to the guidance of others.
Lord Darlington joined our party in
italy and We iourneyed together for
week through the Italian Alps. finally
going on board his yacht as invited
guests for cruise in the Mediter-
ranean. He was most attentive to me.
yet | gave it scarcely a thought
hardly realized what was taking place
what it all meant but-but one day
we went ashore. and-and we were
married at the British legation in
Athens. That day | was careless
girl; the next morning found me a
woman. regretful aroused from
dream yet yielding 10 the inevitable
Whatever | suffered was borne alone;
not even my mother ever heard me
complain"
She sat looking forth over the crests
of the sea, the moonlight rejecting
back into her face. The sail swung
in and Swallowed her.
Within a month we went to Eng
land, to Darlington hall, where every
thing was at my command. and later
TO London, during the social season. |
had all that the world seems to value at
my feet and at first ! managed to be
happy after a fashion The excitement
and exhilaration kept me alive and in
terested, but in time the glitter and
Artiticiality of it all wearied me: more
and more deeply | realized the sordid
manner in which | had been sold and
| grew to hate those things which had
purchased me. 1t was not Lord Oar
lington-he was more father than hus-
band, humOring me in every way and
secretly regretful for his part in the
transaction. | became i'll, begged for
the sea, and we went aboard in his
yacht, He was not unwilling, but to
my mother it proved a constant hard.
ship. Only her anxiety to prevent any
rupture between us caused her to 90
oH DOdIu let even Wnen l mad re-
covered health | would not go back:
that life would have killed me. Out
in the open | could breathe and live;
1t yielded me courage to continue as
| was"
She bent forward bringing her face
once again into the revealing moon.
light, her eyes frankly open to mine.
Il only wish | could make you re.
alize how drearily lonely that life be.
came. There was no knowledge of
love to cOmplicate the situation, and at
nrst ! even felt sense of gratitude
toward Lord Darlington for many acts
OF kindness and the consideration
shown me. This changed, however, as
| began slowly to comprehend the self.
ishness Of his motives-that his ac-
tons arose merely from a certain
pride in my youthful appearance and
the advantages to be derived from my
wealth My mother soon slienated nv
affections by always allying herself
with him. Finally | had no one to
whom | could turn for comfort or ad.
vice. felt sntirely alone and grew
silent. suspicious and adverse To all