Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-02
And if she has not / am not one to judge

And if she has not 1 am not one to judge
her.
Events often repeat themselves and
kindred things happen close together. /
have noticed it in my life and | presume
that the lives of others are not different.
The next day when l walked home for
luncheon it was again Seth who admitted
me at the door. and again he was mys-
FERROUS and important.
Another lady to see you, governor,
he said in his favorite loud whisper. land,
like the other one, she wouldn't see YOU
anywhere but here. My. but she's stun
ner. too"
While l had been in doubt about the
identity of my first caller. / knew in
stinctively the second. 1t occurred to me
suddenly that I had known all the time
only waiting for her. My heart beat like
that of boy and I felt all the acute
ness of nervous tension.
shes in the parlor. governor" said
Seth, land she's all in black, too"
/ went into the parlor, closing the door
behind me, and Alicia rose to meet me.
AS Seth truthfuly said. she was all in
black. like a widow though widow she
was none-at least not yet. All, how my
heart leaped at the sight of her dear
| face with the stamp of great sorrow
upon it. but more beautiful to me than
| that of any other woman ever was or
ever could be. What had been my trou-
| bleS to hers. and she woman whom the
| less! / had not seen her in months-sie
whom / wanted most to see every day.
but the first words | said TO her We're
these:
Alicia, I hoped that you would not
! come
| 81 know it, Harry she replied, land
I did not want to come, but / had to do
| so. You have made great sacrifices for
| me. Harry. and now l am going to ask
! you to make the last and grea test one.
| I a husband George
| Grey"
! She stood before me- the earthly and
the spiritual mingled in her. beautiful
| woman. whom / loved, pleading for a
| life. Another beautiful woman had stood
| at the same place and had pleaded for the
! same mans death, but / loved one and l
did not love the other
HE was convicted / said. land con-
victed justly. My duty to the state
| forbidS pardon
There is another and higher duty"
she said. 1T is the duty of the indi-
vidual to himself ! do not admire the
old Roman who condemned his own son
| 20 death. and, Harry, you cannot let this
man die, this man who was most in
your-yOur--
She hesitat ed and flushed n deep red.
not finishing the sentence, but l knew
we'll that it WAS lin your way and We
understood each other perfectly. | could
| read her mind. She knew l loved her.
and she would have me to make this
sacrifice as much for myself as for her
self or Grey-perhaps more--in Il word
she would save me from myself
She came nearer to me. I family felt
her fragrant breath on my face.
You must do it, Harry she said
"Oh. l know all it costs you. but if you
do not your conscience will never feel
| right again. not so long as You live.
Spare him and you spare yourself"
Il can't. l can't. 1 exclaimed
Don't ask me. Alicia
But I do ask YOU she said. land
| it is r,ecause you and 1 and George
Grey are what we are. 1t is because of
the relation in which We stand to one
an Jther that you must do it,
The rapt look which passed over and
beyond earthly affairs was on her face.
which was so often on the face of the
seer. Elias Peabody. | am of the world
i myself confess it always see the
material side of things. but | do not
think that Alicia understood how the
world would take this pardon that she
asked or that the thought how it would
| take it occurred to her. Harry Clarke and
George Grey and the at itudc in which
they stood to one another were alone
| in her mind: j did not blame her for
! it; instead it was a deep joy to me tina
my responsibility. not the world, but
! to God should concern her so much.
She came yet nearer to me and put
| her hand upon my arm. Tears were in
| mine. but in them, nevertheless, shone
the light of perfect confidence.
Harry she said. you will do this
for me-
Il can't. I can't" I repeated help
lessly.
But you WILL she repea ed firmly:
eff you do not you will feel all your
life that you are his murderer and
your accomplice-and for price. Do
you want to have that on your con-
science every day and every night. or
do you want me to have it on mine?'
why do you put it that way? eX-
claimed.
Because it is the right way. We must
keep ourselves white. not before the
world but before ourselves and God
say again that I know all it costs. but you
will do it. Harry"
And lose YOU forever. ! exclaimed In
a sudden passion. of which / was asham-
ed moment later.
You could not win me in such a way,
she SAID repeating the very thought that
had come to me so often. NOR do | think.
Harry, that in yorr best mind YOU would