Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-08-13
4 Satan 4
.SanderSOn

declaration. be knew, but even II she
had IL would have been to Der only
an echo of the old mooteti likeness. He
had given her comfort once. but this
was no more to be. no matter what 1t
meant 10 him or TO her.
"Jessica." he said steadily. when
you came to me here that FIRST day
and | told you not to fear for me did
not mean TO deceive you ! thought
then that II would all come right. But
something has happened since then
something that makes a difference.
cannot tell who was the murderer OF
Moreau. ! cannot tell you or any one
else. either now or at any time"
She gazed at him startled. She had
sudden conception OF some element
hitherto unguessed In his makeup
something inveterate and adamant.
Could 1t be that he did not intend to
| tell at all2 The very idea was mon
strous. Yet that clearly was his mean
ing. She looked at him with fiashing
eyes.
"You mean you Will not" she ex-
claimed bitterly .'you are bent on
sacrificing yourself. then? You are go
ing to take this risk because you think
1t brave and noble, because somehow
1t fits your mans gospel. Can't you
see how wicked and selfish II is? You
are thinking only of him and of your
self. not of me-
"Jessica. Jessica!" he protested, with
| a groan. But In the self torture OF her
questionings she paid no heed.
Don't you think | suffer- Haven't |
borne enough in the months since
married you for you to want to save
me this? Do you owe me nothing. me
| whom you so wronged. whose
She stopped suddenly at the look on
his face of mortal pain. for she had
struck harder than she knew. 1t pierc-
ed through the fierce resentment TO her
deepest heart. and all her love and pity
| gushed back upon her In a torrent
She threw herself on her knees by the
| bare cot. crying passionately:
"Oh. forgive me! Forget what ! said!
did not mean It, | have forgiven you
| thousand times over. | never ceased
| to love you. | love you now more than
! all the world F"
| ct is true" he said hoarse misery in
his tone II have wronged you. II l
could coin my blood drop by drop to
! pay for the past could not set that
right. If giving my life over and over
again would save you pain ! would
give 1t gladly. But what you ask now
is one thing cannot do II would
make me pitifuI coward did not
kill Moreau. That is all | can say to
you or TO those who try me-
"Your lifer' she said with dry lips.
at will mean that That counts so
fearfully much to me. more than my
own liz i hasalred times Yet there is
something that counts more than all
that to you"
His face was that OF man who
holds his hand In the fire. "Jesslca."
he said. at is like this with me. When
you found me here-the day saw you
on the balcony-I was man whose
soul had lost Its compass and Its bear
ings My conscience was asleep You
woke 1t, and 1t is fierceIy alive now.
And now with my memory has come
back debt OF my past that never
paid Whatever the outcome. for my
souls sake I must settle 1t now and
wipe II from the score forever"
She rose slowly to her feet. with a
despairing gesture.
"'He saved Others" she quoted In
hard voice: "'himself he could not
eax .av npca haar N t,Ipicfor v,raa n \,
from that text at home 1t was your
friend. the Rev. Henry Sanderson.
thought 1t very spiritual sermon
then. That was before / knew what
his companionship had been to you"
IF there were any justice in the uni
verse" she added, lit should be he
imInolating himself now, not you. But
ruined your life and mine. and hate
and despise him for a selfish hypo-
crite''
That was what he himself had
seemed to her In those old days. The
edge of flush touched his forehead
as he said slowly, almost appealingly:
''IIe was not a hypocrite, Jessica.
w BdttftE NC WuS IL WIS uOt tltdt. nj
college he did what be did too openly.
That was his falling, not caring what
others thought. He despised weakness
In others. He thought 1t none OF his
affair. So others were influenced. But
/ after he came to see things differently
from another standpoint-when he
went into the ministry-he would have
given the world to undo it."
MEMS likings are strange" she said.
Because he never had temptations
like yours and has never done what
the law calls wrong you think he Is as
noble as you-noble enough to shield
murderer to his own danger"
"Ah, no. Jessicar he interposed gen
thy. Il only said that In my place he
would do the same"
"But you are shielding a murderer .
she insisted fiercely- You will not adj
NIT 1t, but l know. There can be no