The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-06
mot again. Alike"

Om your acc0unfE
~On your own. What DO, earef-
Il didn't know. They say
'TWhat9' he asked sharply.
"a rumor-I heard it-others speak
OF it-perhaps to be disagreeable to
me"
-FWhat have you heardF"
~That-that you might marry
again"
~well. you can nan that lie" he said
hotiy.
-Then Il In NOT truef"
True! Do you think ia take that
chance again. even II felt free to do
ftp"
~Freer' she faltered But you are
free. Philr'
Il am not" Re said 6ercely. NO
man is free to marry twice under such
conditions It's Jest at decency and
a slap In the face Of civilization, I'm
done for-finished I had my chance
and failed Do you think consider
myself free to try again. with the
chance Of further bespattering my
familyT'
~wait until you really love-" she
said tremulOusly.
BE laughed incredulousiy.
81 am glad that II In not true. I am
glad" she said ''Oh. Phil. Phil. for
a single one Of the chances we had
again and again and again! And we
did not know-we did not knows And
yet-there were moments"-
Dry Tipped be looked at her. and dry
Of eye and lip she raised ber head and
stared at him. through him. far be-
yond at the tw.- ghosts floating under
the tropic stars iorkpd fast in their
flrst embrace.
Then she rose. blindly. covering her
face with her hands. and he stum-
bled to his feet. shrinking back from
her-becauBe dead fires were flicker
ing again, and the ashes OF dead roses
stirred above the scented embera-
and the magic of all the east was de-
the phantom OF the past drew nearer.
smiling. wide armed. crowned with
living blossoms.
The tide rose. swaying here where
she stood Her hands fell from her
face Between them the grave they
had dug seemed almost filled with
flowers now. was filling fast, and
across it they looked at one another as
though stunned. Then his face paled.
and he stepped back. staring at her
from stern eyes.
Phil" she faltered. bewildered by
the mirage. lis it only a bad dream,
after alp And as the false magic
glowed into binding splendor to en-
gulf them. ''Oh, boy. boy. is it hell or
heaven where we've falleng"
There came loud rapping at the
door.
Phil" she wrote, 81 am q little
frightened. Do you suppose Boots sus-
pected who it was? l must have been
perfectly mad to go to your rooms that
night, and We both were-to leave the
door unlocked with the chance of some
body walking in. But, Phil. how could
l know it was the fashion for your
, friends to bang like that and then
come in without the excuse of a re-
sponse from you?
II have been so worried, SO anxious.
hoping from day to day that you would
write to reassure me that Boots did
not recognize me with my back turned
to him and my muff across my eyes.
But scared and humiliated as ! am
l realize that it was well that he
knocked. Even as l write to you here
In my own room, behind locked doors,
| am burning with the shame of it.
But / am not that kind of woman.
Phil. Truly. truly l am not When
the foolish impulse seized me I had no
clear idea Of what wanted except to
see you and learn for myself what you
thought about Gerald's playing at my
house after I had promised not to let
him.
-'Of course l understood what | risk
ed in going. I realized what common
Interpretation might be put upon what
l was doing But, ugly as it might ap-
pear to anybody except you. my mo-
tive. you see. must have been quite
innocent, else / should have gone about
it in very different manner
II wanted to see you; that is abso-
lutely all. ] was lonely for a word.
even a harsh one, from the sort Of
man you are. l wanted you to believe
it was in spite of me that Gerald
came and played that night.
He came without my knowledge. I
did not know he was invited. And
when he appeared did everything to
prevent him from playing. You will
never know what took place, what l
submitted to-
II am trying to be truthful, Phil. l
want to lay my heart bare for you. but
there are things woman cannot Who'll
ly confess. Believe me. | did what I
could
Il remember what you said about
an anchorage ! am trying to clear
these haunted eyes Of mine and steer
clear of phantoms for the honor of
what We once were to each other be-
fore the world. But steering a ghost
ship through endless tempests is hard
labor. Phil. SO be a little kind. a little
more than patjent If NV hand RroWs