The Oakes times., 1909-04-29
E% Chapter 2s

teet on the red path that had pointed
him to the shameful terminus. He had
gambled for Hugh's future, forgetting
that his past remained. a 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 crucifxion.
The words he had once said to Hugh
recurred to him with 4 kind of awe:
PUT myself in your place? wish to
God could!'
Fate-or was 1t God d?-had taken him
at his word. He had been hurled like
stone from catapult into Hugh's
place-to bear his knavery. to suffer his
d1shOnor and to redeem the balefuI rep
utation he had made
A step outside the cell, the turning
Of the key. The door opened, and
Jessica, pale and trembling, stood on
the threshold.
II cannot help It," she said as she
came toward him, though you told
me not to come. I have trusted all the
while and waited and-and prayed
But today ! was afraid. Surely. sure
ly, the man you are protecting has had
time enough. Hasn't hey 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 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 it
meant to him or to her.
"Jessica," he 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. l thought
then that it would all come right. But
something has happened since then-
something that makes difference. l
cannot tell who was the murderer of
Moreau. cannot tell you or any one
else, either now or at any tine.''
She gaZed ut him startled She had
a sudden conception of some element
hitherto unguessed In his makeup
something tnveterate and adamant.
Could 1t be that he 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
ing to take this risk because you think
It brave and noble, because somehow
1t fits your mans gospel. Can't you
see how wicked and selfish 1t is? You
are thinking only Of him and Of your
self, not of me-
"Jessica. Jessicaw he protested. with
groan. But In the self torture Of her
questionings she paid no heed.
"Don't you think I suffer? Haven't
borne enough in the months since
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, Tor she had
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
bare cot, crying passionately:
"Oh, forgive me! Forget what said!
! did not mean 1t. I have forgiven you
thousand times over. never ceased
to love you. love you now more than
al the world"
''It is true" he said, hoarse misery in
his tone. II have wronged you. II
could coin my blood drop by drop to
pay for the past could not set that
right II giving my life over and over
again would save you pain I would
give 1t gladly. But what you ask now
is one thing l cannot do. 1t would
make me a pitiful coward. did not
kill Moreau That is all can say to
you or to those who try me-"
"Your life" she said with dry lips.
'It will mean that. That counts SO
fearfully much to me, more than my
swn life hundred times. Yet there is
something that counts moro than all
that to you."
His face was that of 4 man who
holds his hand in the fire. "Jessica."
he said. at is like this with me. When
you found me here-the day I saw you
on the balcony-I was q man whose
soul had lost its compass and its bear.
ings. My conscience was asleep. You
woke 1t. and 1t is 6ercely 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 1t now and
wipe 1t from the score forever"
She rose slowly to her feet, with Z
dsspairing gesture.
He saved others.'" she quoted IL
j hard voice; "'himself he could not
savey ! once heard minister preach
from that text at home. 1t was your
friend, the Rev. Henry sanderson.
thought It very spiritual sermon
then. That was before I knew what
his companionship had been to you"
''If there were any justice In the uni
verse" she added, ut should be he
lmmolating himself now, not you. But
for him you would never be here. he
ruined your life and mine. and hate
ANA despiss him for selfish hypo-
erite.''
That was what he himself had
seemed to her in those old days. The
edge Of hush touched his forehead
- he said slowly. almost appealingly:
He was not . hypocrite. Jessica.
Whatever he was 1t was not that. At