Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
BOOK IV.-The Victory
CHAPTER XVII.
Eleanor Haldane's Great Problem


tribute manifestos to the newspapers as
far as his copies permitted. 1t did not take
him long to run down to Newspaper Row on
City Hall Park. In every instance he insisted
upon seeing the highest responsible person, the
night editor. Having discharged his errand
with the one copy that he had reserved for
himself he headed for home hitting up a ire
mendous pace he raced along the almost
deserted streets.
Before he had left to warn Gormly, he had in
a few hasty words given his sister an mixing
of what was about to happen. He knew that
she would be waiting the result of his inter-
view with an anxiety not to be measured. In
a short time, therefore, he placed the confession
in her hands. With strainIng eyes and throb-
bing heart the girl devoured the typewriter
pages.
Her feelings were singular compound of
varying emotions. For one thing, there was
relief that it was no worse for another, there
admiration for the boldness and courage
with which the man had grappled with
desperate situation, the deXterity and resource
with which in perfect honor and dignity he had
extricated himself from the dilemma in which
the opposition had sought to plunge him, the
magnificent audacity with which he had faced
the crisis and dominated the interview; lastly,
there was a keen, terrible pang of jealousy and
bitterness toward that other woman. 1t was
this last emotion that was self revealing.
Eleanor Haldane knew that she loved
this man. She realized in this unveiling of her
heart that probably she had loved him all the
time. that the other feelings and emotions he
had stirred in her heart and she had sought to
characterize by different words were now
blended into passion great his own. 1t
had needed this thought-that that possession
in which unconsciously she had luxuriated had
not been always hers, that he had cherished at
lection for some other woman, that in days
gone by he had even pretended or thought that
ne had loved this other-to make her know her
own feelings.
Eleanor wondered, as these thoughts swiftly
raced through her mind, what this other woman
had been like. He had said that she was not
good woman She wondered if he still remem-
bered her. For twenty-five years in New York
he had declared he had known woman so
intimately as he had known her. How far
could recollection carry an ancient image I'M
der such circumstances. Was she, Eleanor
Haldane indeed first in his heart? Would she
always be so9
She sat quite silent, staring at the paper,
reading the lines over and over again. thinking
her thoughts, until her brother, who had abb
sented himself for brief space, came back
into the room.
WE'LL, he said, what are you going to
What am going to do, What have | to
doe"
If your heart doesn't tell you, ! can't"
My hearth"
Yes. The man loves you
He says So.
"Says so! Why, no one could see you to-
gether for minute without knowing it..
Well what them
He is fighting the hardest battle of his life.
His fate's at the touch. His career is to be de-
termned now. He wins or loses tomorrow
morning
Yes, yes, l see all that; but what can l
do7'
" 1t is not for me to tell YOU You should know
what to do