Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-19
THE SACRIFICE.

OF hand luggage, were jostling each other
in their endeavors to secure the exclusive
services of the nearest porter. A tail,
fair haired woman, wrapped in a hand
some mantle of Russian sable, stepped
out of a first-cass compartment closely
followed by her maid For a moment she
/ stood irresolute looking about her, then
suddenly her eyes caught sight of a man
pressing through the agitated throng of
passengers towards her. She stepped
forward eagerly, then stopped, looking
| embarrassed, a soft flush, beautiful but
trapsitory, tinging her face with a
youthfulness it did not usually possess.
The man took off his hat, holding it in
his hand in the foreign manner. He kept
his eyes fixed on her face anxiously, and
in spite of his conventional smile of
greeting his own looked troubled and
worried. She returned the look bravely,
yet with certain yearning tenderness.
Their hands met in pressure which
involuntarily on her part was close and
lingering.
you got my letter. he asked anxious
ly.
Yes"
you do not despise me? Hate me?'
"Why should ~ she said gently.
The color had faded from her face, the
light from her eyes. She turned and
walked towards the hotel.
1T is hardly necessary for us to wait
here" she said "Angele will follow us
with the luggage. Have you seen my
husband since he came up to town.
He ignored her question entirely, and
together they walked side by side to-
wards the hotel, he trying to protect her
from the crowd of passengers and lug
gage, she needless of the present, only
shrinking from what was to come with
an unavailing dread.
The woman threw off her furs and sat
down beside the tea table trying to post
pone the moment which she knew was
inevitable by ordinary conversation.
"Wlll you have some tea?" she asked
her companion.
He was standing with his back to the
fire contemplating her anxiously Their
eyes met as she held out the cup towards
him. Something in the strained expires
sion OF his face-in it's utter hopelessness
shook her hardly held composure be-
You'd power OF control. Her hands trem-
bled violently, and setting the teapot
down unsteadily she rose to her feet and
confronted him.
Forgive me-" she cried, and there were
tears in her eyes. Forgive me; it was
my fault
Your fault that you do not carer"
Il ought never to have let you get to
this. 1t was all my fault. 1t is always
the woman's fault. A man sometimes
falls in love-even against a woman's
will. But she should never let him get
to that point if
"She doesn't care" he added somewhat
bitterly.
She stretched out her hands to him as
she spoke.
My caring would only make matters
worse she said
He paced up and down the room some
moment in silence, then he stopped
abruptly before the mantelpiece, leaning
| his head heavily upon his hand
"Of course" he went ON bitterly, II
knew all along that / was nothing to
| you, that / never should be-that all our
happy time together was to you merely
a quasi-romantic little episode on which
later YOU would look back with smile"
She made as if to contradict him, but re-
fapsed again into silence. You have
youth, and hope, and your child. / am
old and lonely, and across my page of
life | have long ago written the word,
| Alas "
She could not answer him; she dare
not. She sat with her hands clenched
in her lap, and because they were
strangely cold she presently fell to rub
bling them softly together.
But no one knows better than you
| how | love you," he continued sadly,
that | have always loved you. l have
not a right to, l know, but ] can't help
| it.. | have tried to be square" She put
out her hands to stop him.
Il am leaving England tomorrow" he
said quietly,
| They had hardly uttered word for
some time, and the deepening obscurity
of the room had become intense.
| Il don't suppose / shall ever see you
! again, he continued, but in any case |
shall have the comfort of knowing that
you do not care Perhaps, too, in year
who knows II shall have slipped into
the limbo of forgotten things, or worse
still, the things that are but half remem-
| bered."
In the darkness she shivered little.
Then she looked up at him for moment
| piteously.
| 1tats were III leI eyes.
| Don't cry, little woman" he whisp-
cred softly, 1T is hard luck on us both.
After keeping silent so long 1 ought
never to have written to you. l ought
to have gone quite away without utter
| ing word, without seeing you"
| "You-are- leaving 49, England" she
whispered hoarsely, punctuating each
word as if to realize its full meaning
You are going out of my life" she
went on with growing excitement. "out
of my life! l shall never see you again,
ever-as-long-a s-I-liveg"
Il suppose there is nothing else but
| that"
Never IA $ -- long 49, as-I--live," she
| echoed to herself
Suddenly she stopped and rose to her
feet. For one long moment they looked
into each others eyes.
| Then" she cried, ''waiti-waitl Now.
just before we say goodbye for the last
I II LII III