The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-10

korB eoncomN-cut Of Shs runnfnR.
And somehow with me II humiliates,
because, even II an the sort of girl
who never means to marry, you-youI
attitude seems to take away the pos.
sfbility of my changing my mind. II
dictates to me, giving me no choice. nc
liberty, no personal freedom in the
matter. It's as though you considered
| me somehow utterly out of the ques-
| tion-radlcally unthinkable as a wom-
an. And you assume to take for grant
ed that l also regard you as-as hors
concours. Those are my grievances,
Captain Selwyn. And l don't regard
you 30. And Land 1t troubles me to
be excluded-to be found wanting, in
adequate In anything that q woman
should be. 1 know that you and
have no desire to marry each other,
but-but please don't make the reason
for 1t either your age or my physical
immaturity or intellectual inexperi-
ence."
One Of those weather stained seats
| of Georgia marble stood imbedded
under the trees near where she had
halted, and she seated herself, out
wardly composed and inwardly q little
frightened at what she had said.
AS for Selwyn, he remained where
he had been standing on the lawns
velvet edge, and, raising her eyes
again, her heart misgave her that she
had wantonly strained a friendship
which had been all but perfect, and
now he was moving across the path
toward her, q curious look in his face
which she could not interpret She
looked up rs he approached and
stretched out her hand.
Forgive me, Captain selwyn," she
said. II am a child-a spoiled one
and have proved it to you. VIII you
sit here beside me and tell me very
gently what a fool am to risk strain
ing the friendship dearest to me in the
whole world? And will you fx my
penaneeY'
"You have fixed IT yourself" he said.
"HOwT'
"By the challenge Of your woman
hood"
II did not challenge"
"No; you defended. You are right.
The girl j cared for-the girl who was
there with me on Brier Water-so many,
many centuries ago-the girl who,
years ago, leaned there beside me on
the sundial-has become a memory"
what do you meanT she asked
family.
"Sh0l I foil Won ~
"Yes."
"You will not be unhappy IL tell
your
"N-no.'
"Have you any idea what 1 am
going to say. EileenY
She looked up quickly, frightened al
the tremor in his voice.
"Don't-dOn't say 1t, Captain Sci
wynn
"Will you listen as a penance"
"I-no. L cannot"
He said quietly: 81 was afraid you
could not listen. You see, Eileen, that
after all, a man does know when lie is
done for"
captain Selwynv' She turned and
caught his hands in both Of hers, her
eyes bright with tears. "Is that the
penalty for what I said? Did you
think invited this?'
Invited. No. child" he said gen
tly. II was fool enough to believe III
myself: that is all. 1 have always
been on the edge Of loving you. Only
In dreams did 1 ever dare set foot
across that frontier. Now have
dared. love you. That is all, and il
must not distress you."
But it does not" she said. Il have
always loved you-dearly, dearly. Not
In that way. l don't know how. Nus
it be in that way, Captain Selwyn:
Can we not go on in the other way
that dear way which II have-almost
spoiled? Must we be like other peo
ple-must sentiment turn 1t all to com
monplace? Listen 10 me. do love
you. 1t is perfectly easy and simple
to say 1t. But it is not emotional; II
is not sentimental. Won't you take
me for what am and as l ana girl
still young, devoted to you with all hel
soul, happy with you, believing i'm
plicitly in you, deeply, deeply sensible
of your goodness and sweetness anG
loyalty to her? l am not a woman
l was fool to say so. But you-yor
are so overwhelmingly man that if Il
were in me to love-in that way-it
would be you! Do you understand
me? Or have lost friend? viii
you forgive my foolish boast? Can yOr
still keep me first in your heart, as yor
are in mine, and pardon in me al
that l am not? Can you do these
things because ask you?"
Eyes" he said.