Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-02-13

t1dl IL was out the b3O1f-
work and resultant OF forces in his
own past He himself had Set Hugh's
feet on the red path that had pointed
him TO the shameful terminus He had
gambled for Hugh's future. forgetting
that his past remained. thing that
must be covered. He had won Hugh's
counters. but his own right to be him
self he had staked and lost long before
that game on the communion table un-
der the painted cruci6xiOn.
: The words he had once said TO Hugh
required to him with kind of awe:
Put myself in your place? wish to
God | couldr'
Fate-or was II God?-had taken him
at his word lie had been buried like
stone from n catapult into Hugh's
place-to bear his knavery. to suffer his
dishonOr and to redeem the baleful rep
utatiOn he had made
a step outside the cell the turning
OF the key. The door opened, aud,
Jessica, pale and trembling. stood on
the threshold.
81 cannot help It," she said as she
came toward him, though you told
me not TO come. | have trusted all the
4 while aud waited and-and prayed
/ But today I was afraid Surely. sure
I ~. the man you are protecting has had
I time enough. Hasn't be? Won't you
! tell them the truth nowT"
He knew not how TO meet the piteous
reproach and terror OF that lock She
had heard the street preachers
/ declaration. be knew. but even II she
had 1t 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 il
meant TO him OF TO her
"Jessica." be said steadily. when
! you came TO me here that first day
and told you not to fear for me did
not mean TO deceive you thought
then that Il would all come right But
( something has happened since then,
/ something that makes n difference
cannot tell who was the murderer OF
Moreau | cannot tell you or any one
else. either now or at any time"
She gazed nc him startled She had
a sudden conception OF some element
( hitherto unguessed In his makeup
l something inveterate and adamant
Could IL be that be 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 VIII notr' she ex-
claimed bitterly You are bent on
| sacrificing yourself. thenT You are 20
ing to take this risk because YOU think
Il brave and noble. because somehow
II hts your mans gospel Can't you
see how wicked and selfish Il Isy You
are thinking only OF him and OF your.
self. not Of me-"
"Jess!ca. Jcssicar' he protested. With
n Eroan But in the self torture OF her
Questionings she paid no heed
| Don't you think suffer- Haven't I
| borne enough I'm the months since
married you for you to want 70 save
toe thisT Do you owe me nothing. me
whom you so wronSed. whose"
She stopped suddenly at the iook on
his face OF mortal pain. for she had
| struck harder than she knew u pierre
Z ed through the fierce resentment 10 her
deepest heart. and all her love aud pity
gushed back upon her in torrent
| She threw herself on her knees 10y the
I hIlt w. AlN hAN>lOulltll
"Oh. forgive me! Forget what I saidi
q l did not mean t. I have forgiven you
a thousand times over / never ceased
! 20 love you. I love you now more than
, all the world"
lit IS true" he said hoarse misery in
his tone u have wronged you II l
could coin my blood drop by drop to
pay for the past could not set that
right II giving my life over and over
4 again would save you lain would
give IL gladly But wha yOu ask now
1 Is one thing | canno; % IL would
make me n pltiful Gov I'D I did not
kill Moreau- That Is ul | can say TO
you or 10 those who try me"
! "Your lifer' she said with dry iIps.
d. 'ItIoHttli smean that lThatirolnts so
I fSarfnhyismuehdto dhan my
own life a hundred 6imSs met thsns, ~
something that counts more than all
+ that TO you"
His face was that OF a man who
holds his hand In the fire "JessIca."
he said. lit is like this with me When
you found me here-the day I saw YOU
on the balcony was a man whose
soul had lost its compass and its bear
ings. My conscience was asleep You
woke IT. and II Is hercely alive now.
And now with my memory has come
back debt OF my past that never
paid Whatever the outcome. for my
souls sake | must settle II now and
wipe II from the score forever
She rose slowly 10 her feet with a
despairing gesture
He saved others" she quoted In
a hard voice; himself he could not
saver | once heard a minister preach
from that text at home. Ii was your
friend. the Rev. Henry Sanderson.
thought Ii very spiritual sermon
then. That was before I knew what
his companiOnship had been 10 you"
IF there were any justice In the uni
verse" she added. lit should be he
immoiatIng himself now. not you. But
sor him you would never be here. He
ruined your life and mine. and | hate
and cespise him for selfish hypo-
critic"