The searchlight., 1909-01-08
CHAPTER vII.-continued.

startled. He looked at her in bewil-
derment. What did she mean?"
Yes she said, in feverish excite
ment. he must have known l was ly
ing here It'll. Has he called TO ask
after ne? He cared for me once
al least he once cared: and he must
have been little sorry. Oh, IL could
only think that he had been a little
sorry when he knew how i'll | was!"
But. Olive, can you have forgot
ten" he broke out. in stranglei
voice. He ooIld go no farther. The
words seemed 10 choke him.
She shook her head.
No. | have not forgotten how
cane 10 you full of passionate anger,
log I 81 oke of him bitterly-wildly;
onIr in my heart ! cared for him all
the time, Stephen. Deeper than all
The bitterness, deeper than all my an
ger was still my love-" she cried. with
a tenderness in her voice. a tremu.
lolS vistfuiness about her mouth.
When a woman gives her love as I
gave mine, nothing can kill it, Ste
phen. oh, know he wrote that cruel
lcter to me, but perhaps he didn't
me.n 1T; perhaps he Is sorry now
thai he knows | have been iii. Has
IL hccn or asked after me?" appeal.
'ngly.
he shook his head. The look OF
pain that came into her face made
him vince.
Put he will come when he knows
] have no bitterness left against him.
when he knows that | have forgiven
everything. Oh. tell me you think he
will come. Stephen" she cried. pitt
fully. You shall go TO him from me.
and he will come. I am glad haven't
lost my looks; 7 made the nurse
bring me a glass, | was SO afraid, be
cause he usel to say had the most
beautiful eyes he had ever seen. And
when he comes | want him to see the
conan he used 10 care for"
stephen Ruthen gave a sharp in
drawn breath like sob. The tragic
revelation that had broken upon him
took him by the throat.
Living. Philip Hume had come be.
dead, this man still stood between
them. But it was no, that. Though
he had given to Olive the one supreme
love of his life, a love capable of any
saci itice TO serve on her or spare her
pain. lie had realized three years age
he had realized again when she
came to him with the night and the
storm TO tell him of her wrongs-tha
lie and she were set apart as by fate;
thst his must lie an austere love. Civ
ing ard seeking no return. II was an
other thought, the unconscious reyela
tion of her pitiful appeal, that stirred
Stephen Ruthen by its strangeness.
Not only had he" frenzy of humilia
tion and despair, the fierce sense o
bitterness and wrong at this mans
cruelty, faded into the background %
her memory. but the sense and staii
of that guilt, which In her distransh
state had hardly been guilt, had falier
OF her soul. She had forgotten II a
though IL had not been!
In some proyidential and inexplica
h!c way all recollection OF stealing on
on that night to take wild vengeance
had heen sronged out from her mind
She still thought of Philip Hume a
living; she loved him still-her how
that had been great enough 10 forgive
She still! clun, 10 the dream of win
ming him back to his broken allesi
snce-the man who had died b. he
band, THIS vas the revelation tha
swept In uIo Stephen Rn,hea. H.
had never dreamed OF its possibility
iorsotten.
II Only Olive never remembered
That was Sterhen's prayer. as he iooi
ed Down at the beautiful face. II oni
,he EeTcr remembered, She was still
In the flush OF youth: the grief woul
PASS, her grief and horror when sh
learned of PHI, Hsme's fate-fo
iiEe Is very mereifu! 10 youth. eve
In a great SORROW; that white fac
would yet be radiant again with 10
and laughter. but only so long as tha
sleeping lay unstirred.
She must never know what she ha
done; the knowledge that would suf'
~ drive her TO despair. strike banl
rupt OF hope and happiness all her I,
ture, il he could not guard her froI
II The man she still loved-the ma
she had killed,
stephen. why don't you speak,
He looked down into the wide. p'
fhetic eyes. He had to preyarieate.
..nliye. IL haven't seen Hume fo
weeks. He has been away from hom
ali the time you have been Ill: he
stiIl away" he said, speaking with a
EFFORT. Then. to prevent further que
tions he added. quickly. ! must nc