The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-01
chAPTER XXI.
q Nfhieh l undurnta,a ~ ladv.

Then 1 heard her voice, soft as whis.
per tie breath Of her lips on my
cheek
Yoa VIII not mistudge me; surely
lyou5can not Those words would never
have been uttered in any other cir
eumstances. Not that am afraid. not
that I am ashamed or regretful: but
nothing else could ever have set me
free Now we must know, understand
eaeh other-~e must die with or
hearts open, our souls clean. You real.
" love me2 trust meg believe me 90
beja worthy woman!'
With all my soul L do"
Z oh, / know you do. It is because I
know you Do that Z wish to tell you
my story 1t is my love which makes
me 80 anxious that ron should under.
stand. so when the end comes we can
go together, flowing each other, and not
afraid. Do You recognize me? Have
you ever realized who am?"
could only shake my head, wonder.
ing at the strange question.
No. And yet have known You
ever since that first long talk We had
together IN the cabin. 1t seenrs so
odd, such a strange freak Of destiny,
that yoz should have been associated
in any way with my old life, and yaRt
the very fact that you were, first ere.
ated the BOND that has since drawn us
together. You were no longer mare
sea.adventuTer, but an old-time friend
and equal. From that day all Vns
different ceuld fight it back. hut
could never conquer what that discuv-
cry meant oh, how small this world
Isl Did yon ever hear OF Doris Nuns
low9"
A moment the vague. ,clouded mem
Org eluded me. tantalized me. Tben
In q Hash the revelation came.
Ny sisters ehnm at Wellesley
The tears sprang glfstentng into hHr
eyes her handclhsp tightening.
yes; does 1t seem possible? YGu
never knew me, except by that name
Ny father died during the second year
fof my attendance there; then mother
and / went abroad. and my education
was completed ON the continent. j am
mot finding fault, hut-sbut 1t was all
most unfortunate; St brought me into
real life with a false understanding OF
everything wrong ideals, wrong
standards. We were known to be
wealthy. many considered me !beauti-
{fHl; my mothers one ambition was
ito achieve recognized social standing
ia Europe. and from the first / was
destined to be means to that end.
my education. surroundings. social en-.
lEfronment. were all shaped with this
purpose In view. In spite of myself
sjthe result was accomplished.
Il was merely girl of AZ. desiring
little but good time, and accustomed
al my life to the guidance o. others.
Lord Darlington Joined our party in
Italy, and we joumeyed together for
week through the ttalian Alps, finally
igoing on board his yacht az invited
guests for a cruise In the Nediter-
rAnean. He was most attentive 10 me,
yet / gave It scarcely a thought. I
hardly realized what was taking place
s-Ehat Il all meant, bnt-but one day
we went ashore and-and We we're
married at the British legation in
Athens That day VAS a careless
gifls the next morning found me a
woman, regretfai, aroused from
dream, yet yielding 20 the ineyltable.
( Whatever suffered was borne alone:
mot even my mother ever heard me
cemplaln,"
She sat looking forth over the crests
Of the sea the moonlight rejecting
hack into her face The sail swung
inapd Swallowed ner.
within month we went to Eng
land, to Darlington hall, where every
thing was at my command. and later
to London. during the social season. /
ha6sall that the world seems 10 value at
my feet and at first / managed TO be
happy after a fashion. The excitement
and e1tlilaration kept me alive and In
terested. but in time the glitter and
drtifciatf3y Of It all wearied me; more
and more deeply realized the sordid
manner IN which had been sold, and
\ j grew to hate those things which had
purchased ne 1t was not Lord Oar
lington- S.as more father than hus.
band, humoring me in every way, and
secrstly regreiful for his part in the
transaction. became I'll, begged for
the sea, and We went aboard in his
yacht He was not unwilling, but to
my mother Il proved constant hard.
ship. Only her anxiety 10 prevent any
rupture between Us caused her to go
on board. Yet even when / had re-
covered health would not go back:
that life would have killed me, Out
IN the open could breathe and live;
~ yielded me courage 70 continue as
Twas"
She bent forward, bringing her face
once again into the revealing moon
Eight her eyes frankly open to mine,
only wish could make you re.
allze how drearily lonely that life be.
came. There was no knowledge OF
lcseito complicate the situation. ana al
first j even felt a sense OF gratitude
toward Lord Darlington for many acts
Of kindness and the Consideration
shown me. This changed, however, a.
began slowly to Comprehend the stif.