The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-14
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close TO him. With the other held under
her chin, he raised her face, but the white
lids fell over the tell-tale eyes. The
color rose from throat to temple.
you are afraid to look at me. Too
late now. Your eyes have betrayed you.
You love me" A ring Of triumph in his
voice. Gin the sight Of God you are
mine, SO you shall be in the sight Of man.
Elba, swear it. .
| He felt the slender form tremble in his
embrace, drawing herself away, she said
firmly, Mr.. Lawrence, have given you
your answer, eau never be your wife. !"
The color faded from her face. Her lips
were blue.
(" You think 80 now but time will tell
a different story. IN never cease to
hope, while you are unmarried I shall
never cease to try to win you. In time
love will triumph. Such devotion viii
be rewarded. -
Devotion! Was greater devotion ev-
er known than he gave me7 Years of
worship, such as few women ever know,
and what was his reward9 Indifference
that was criminal. Oh, that @ life OF
penance could atone" She bowed her
head in her hands and sobbed.
A new light broke over the man 3 face.
A He smiled. Is this false idea Of atone
ment what is keeping you from mel
Would you sacrifice your happiness, and
mine to whim which would stamp you
i fanatic7o He removed her HANDS
from her face and held them between
his own.
cit is no whim. A sense of duty
prompts me to make what little rcpara-
ton yet lies in my power. If I tailed
in my duty while he was living, I can
respect his memory"
ssIs it a sense of duty, or fanati
cism, that prompts the Hindoo woman &c
immediate herself on her husband 3 fun
eral pyref What does she know Of
duty7''
"That is her religion, she
1 Religion Bah! It is simply a Gus
tom as senseless as barbarous. You have
not even custom to sustain you.
True, but dirty -
ssraat duty ended when he died, = tn
man interrupted.
aNo, had / done my duty, remorst
would not now stand between Inc ano
happiness Had met and loved you
after the death of my husband, 1 would
have found pleasure in yielding to your
pleadings, and the cry of my own heart.
Springing into life as our love did it
was wicked. For it to now eliminate IN
marriage would seem a crime.
elbow like woman you reason.
He smiled. 81 believe I IN as honorable
as most men. I was shocked and regret
| full when / found that the woman low
ed was the wife of another man. did
all any man could do. left you with
out ole thought of self. Had your hus-
4 band lived, would never have tempted
my honor by meeting you again. ]
would have accepted my fate like man.
4 Your husband is dead and it is no long
er wrong for me to love you shall
never give you up until you convince me
that you care nothing for me-"
That air of possession was sweet to
the lonely woman, as it ever is to any
woman, in the man whom she has ac-
knowledged king. His tenderness did
not lessen the pain of parting, when she
thought Of the future without love
"Do not say such things please. II
makes it so hard for me to do right. We
must help each other. We must turn
our backs upon temptation and keep our
faces toward duty. y
eff you are the temptation, I shall
not turn my back, shall think of you
as duty, and keep my face in that direc
ton. Elba, ] have loved you too long
and for years, hopelessly, to give Ut
easily, now that l have running chance
of winning you. For years I've worr
your pictured face near my heart be
cause it was all had. 1t no Longer
satisfies, i must have the original.
She looked at him, with surprise in hel
face. He laughed, and said,
Little woman, have you never guess
edo knew you the moment saw you.
He drew out his watch, opened it, ant
held before her astonished eyes her own
pictured face. Slowly the truth filter
ed through her brain. A little cry ros
to her lips.
"My poor little picture. To you On
cle Simon sold it. So often have ] won
dered about the fate of the little waif. :
"To that picture I swore allegiance
From my heart it has crowded every 9th
er woman. Elba, you were intended to
me- / bought that picture with the in
tention of seeking, and, if possible, win
ming you. ! was completely crushed
when the old man told me you were t
ha married. T never slept one win