Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
An Old CrY Again.

an via SIy AGAIN.
My return to the capital was without
event, our march over the mountains be-
ing attended throughout by good weather
Both Harrison and Conner were with the
returning column. At one time ! MAD
had a malicious thought to assign Harrf-
son to duty with the company that stay
ed behind. but I soon dismissed 1t as un-
worthy. However. saw little Of either
him or Conner on the journey home. and,
when stopped Off at Frankfort. they
vent on to Louisville.
came back to the capital a different
man. and what Is more strange / knew OF
the change at the time. I suppose that a
certain number OF crises occur in the life
Of every one Of US. and another had Ger.
tainly arisen in mine. A large measure
of the content that 1 had felt with my
self and my career was gone The past
would come back. It had come with
great vividness and force in the person
the first glance, for what I was. and who
had never taken me for anything else.
Long after l was gone from the noun
tains his words 1.-The longer you carry
your, burden. Charlie the heavier it will
grow echoed in my ears. and could
see his burning eyes and earnest face
Absent. he was still as much the seer and
prophet as he had been, present. Did he
know more about me than l knew about
myself? The question came to my mind
again and again, and / began to feel that
the answer was yes.
Alicia was gone from the apital to her
mothers house near Carlton. but | re-
ceived a note OF congratuiation from her
over my success with the feud. She wrote
briefly and simply, as IL she we're writing
to g. near relative. whose career she wish
ed to advance.
The letter troubled me. wished TO
appear we'll in the eyes OF myself. in the
eyes Of the public and in the eyes of
Alicia. but she, despite herself must
think less we'll OF me- disgraced. known
and expelled from my high Office. What
mattered ii that I had suffered innocently
and to protect her good name? The
opinion Of the public is terrible thing, it
acts upon US increasingly, 1t rnoids u.s. de-
spite ourselves, however strong We may
be. and even the best woman In the world
could not resist it always. I had too
much to lose, the governors mansion. my
position honored among my fellows were
very dear to me. The press was filed with
praise OF me because / had taken the
Kent and Horner feud in hand at once
and with the proper mixture Of stern
justice and moral suasiOn had ended 1t
forever. 1 confess that this praise was
sweet in my ears and did not like to
have 1t turned to amazed Indignation and
contempt. -. :
had time now for leisure and for
thought Of my own affairs. The summer
had come warm and bright and social life
in Frankfort flowed in a thin and slow
stream. Throughout the state an unusua
quietness reigned. The mountaineers con.
tmued to smoke the pipe Of peace. county
treasurers kept their hands in their own
pockets. the railroads attended to their
own affairs. and the governor wondered
that people could be SO good.
In July I ran down to Carlton to see
Uncle Paul and Aunt Jane. and they re-
ceived me with joy. but with tho new
note OF Difference that / did not like In
them. but which I made up my mind to
bear as best l could. because they chung
to 1t obstinately. despite anything that !
could say or do. Yet saw how intensely
proud they were OF me. and it would be
bitter thing to me and to them to de-
stroy this pride.
I stayed only ten days at home. but In
that time saw Alicia twice. I.called a;
their house in formal way and then
asked them to dinner at our house., an in.
vttatton that Alicia accepted for both hel
mother and herself. She seemed to me
observing her on each occasion. to be yet
in state OF quiet. and If / may say it.
pleasing melancholy. Her wonderful
spiritual beauty was unchanged Her
eyes were those Of one who had known
long and bitter grief. but who at last had
found peace. In her cheeks bloomed the
had yearned over her. and had longed to
cherish and protect her. when she was in
the power of that brute, her husband, and
1t yearned over her yet Her mother,
could see. with all her cold purpose and
will. was afraid Of her. and rarely op-
nnae6 M vric Va
sages had occurred between them 1 did
not know, but judged that henceforward
Mrs. Warren would not have much to do
with shaping her daughters life. =
Ours was a dinner in the afternoon and
they were to return home in the twilight
I asked leave to take them back in a
two-seated rig of my own. requesting
Aunt Jane to bear us company for the
drive both ways. Alicia promptly ac-
cepted despite her mothers slight frown
me while the two older women sat behind.
1t. was not long drive. but it was in the
cool Of the evening with all the plea SAINT
odors of the woods and fields about u.s.
and the woman whom loved sitting close
to me- her dress touching me- and her
cheek not far away. But I never. forgot
for moment that. she was the wife OF
another man. forever shut from me by
that invisible but impossible barrier
reared by the Law and the Church. The
watching me. as knew both were. could
see nothing in any of my actions that
would indicate in the remotest degree for
getfulness of Alicia's position and mine.
But we two should have been there alone,
without the two older women. and inside
the forti6cations of the Law and Church.
had never felt more intensely that We
were intended for each other and that
fate had been either blind or cruel when
she decreed otherwise.
We left them at their door. Alicia hos
pitably asked us to stay and take supper
with them but We pleaded the necessity
Of quick return and drove away. Alicia
stood for a few moments on the doorstep
and waved friendly hand to US as We
disappeared in the deepening twilight. l
saw her, because / looked back and be-
held a white hand raisd as if reckoning
In the dusk. Despite myself I uttered a
sigh and Aunt Jane. who was now pro-
sadly but with the deepest human SYM
pathy for me:
"Ah, Harry. 1t should have BEEN
Neither Of US spoke again until we
reached home. ] felt that she yearned
over me as a mother yearns over her son
ferent kind OF love from tina: I bore
Alicia, but it had it's own depth and ten
derness.
1 asked Aunt Jane the next day what
she had heard about George Grey lately.
and she told me that it was very little:
she had heard rumors in Carlton that he
was coming back to Kentucky in the
summer.
But he has lost his wife forever she
said grimly.
l nodded, but the truth was only half a
pleasure. What ons man loses another
may not always find.
returned to Frankfort resumed my