Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-02

A step outside the cell, the turning
of the key. The door opened, and
Jessica. pale and trembling. stood on
the threshold.
81 cannot help it," she said rs she
came toward him, though you told
me not to come / have trusted all the
while and waited and-and prayed.
But today ! was afraid. Surely. sure
~. the man you are protecting has had
time enough. Hasn't he? Won't you
tell them the truth now?''
He knew not how to meet the piteous
reproach and terror of that look. She
had not heard the street preachers
declaration. he knew, but even if she
had ii would have been TO her only
an echo of the old mooted likeness. He
had given her comfort once. but this
was no more to be- no matter what 1t
| meant to him or to her.
"JcSsica." he said steadily. when
| you came to me here that first day
ard told You not to fear for me l did
not Eean to deceive you. l thought
| then that 1t would all come right. But
something has happened since then
something that makes a difference. /
cannot tell who was the murderer Of
Moreau. l cannot tell you or any one
else. either now or at any time"
She gaZed at him startled She had
u sudden conception of some element
hitherto ungHessed lin his makeup
something inveterate and adamant.
! Could it be that lie did not intend to
tell at all? The very idea was mon
strous. Yet that clearly was his mean
ing she looked at him with flashing
eyes.
| You mean you will mott" she ex-
claimed bitterly. You are bent on
sacrificing yourself. then? You are GO
I ing to take this risk because you think
| it brave and noble, because somehow
F., it fits your mans gospel. Can't you
see how wicked and selfish 1t is? You
arc thinking only of him and of your
self, not of me-"
"Jessica. Jessica" he protested. with
groan. But In the self torture of her
4 questionings she paid no heed.
Don't you think suffer? Haven't
borne enough in the months since l
married you for you to want to save
me this? Do you owe me- nothing. me
| whom you SO wronged. whose
She stopped suddenly at the look on
his face of mortal pain. for she had
4 struck harder than she knew. 1t pierc-
ed through the fierce resentment to her
deepest heart and all her love and pity
gushed back upon her in a torrent
| Che tbraxy bnrSaf nv, boy. l.paoc nv fhl
bare cot, crying passionately:
"Oh. forgive me! Forget what said
did not mean It. have forgiven you
a thousand times over. | never ceased
:: to love you. / love you now more than
all the world"
ut is true" he said. hoarse misery ir
! his tone. 81 have wronged you. If
5 could coin my blood drop by drop. tt
pay for the past could not set thai
right. If giving my life over and ovel
again would save you pain l. would
, give it gladly. But what you ask now
e is one thing l cannot do, 1t would
: make me a pitiful coward. I did no
kill Moreau. That is all l can say Il
you or TO those Who try re.''
$ "Your life.' she said With dry lips
st will mean that. That counts s,
fcarfully much to me. more than m!
t own life hundred times. Yet there Il
something that counts more than al
!. that to you" ts@
nj His face was that of Il man VIII,
holds his hand in the fire. t'Jessica.'
: he said. cit is like this with me. Whei
E you found me here-the day saw yol
; on the balcony-I was q man who's
o soul had lost its compass and its bear
> ings My conscience was asleep. Yol
y And now with my memory has com
back 4 debt of my past that neve
: paid. Whatever the outcome. for m,
. souls sake I must settle it now ant
d wipe 1t from the score forever"
e She rose slowly to her feet, with
: despairing gesture
: "'He saved Others" SHE quoted u
/. nard voice; himself he could NJ
! saver 1 once heard minister preac
@ / from that text at home. 1t was yoI
: friend, the Rev. Henry Sanderson
thought it a very spiritual sermo
then. That was before / knew whs
his companionship had been to you"
IF there were any justice in the un
verse;" she added, .'it should be L
immolating himself now, not you. BI
ell for him you would never be here. n
f ruined your life and mine, and 1 hat
n and despise him for selfish hyp
al critic"
I'll That was what he himself ha
l. seemed to her in those old days. tt
IS edge Of flush touched his forehea
s as he said slowly, almost appealingly
d HE was not a hypocrite. Jessie
d Whatever he was it was NOT that. 4
G college he did what he did too openl
It: That was his falling. not caring wh.
s others thought He despised weakne!
J. in others. He thought it none Of b
e affair. So others were influenced B,
n after he came to see things different
from another standpoint when j
h went into the ministry would hal
e: given the world to undo It."
to MEMS iikingS are strange" she sal
n