Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-15
once headstrong wooer.

over him waning her sense OF loss
grew and grew as he failed to answer
to her half spoken appeal.
Womanlke, she capitulated ut last.
! What matter If he stayed here where
! his hopes were conferred? This life in
| the north Ind claimed him. and she
would wait until he came for her But
still he did not respond. and it was not
| long until she had persuaded herself
, that his battle with the wilderness had
! put red blood into his veins and his
conduct had been no worse than that
Of other men. Finally she tried to
voice these thoughts. but she only led
| him to n stiff denial Of the charges she
! wished to forgive. AS she saw him
slipping further away from her she
! summoned all her arts TO rekindlc the
| flame which had burncd 50 steadily
and when these failed she surrendered
every prejudice. 1t was his love she
wanted. Al else was secondary. At
! last she knew herself. She could hive
cried at the sudden realization that he
. had not kissed her since their parting
i'll Chicago. and when she saw he had
no will to do SO the memory of his last
| embrace arose to torture her. She was
almost glad when Il launch bringing
/ her father came from the shore and
| the old man Joined them.
The two men bore themselves with
| unbending fortnalty. unable as yet to
/ forget their mutual wrongs. The in
/ corruption gave Boyd the opportunity
he had not been brave enough to make.
and he babe them both goodby. for the
! tide was at it's food. and the hour OF
their departure was at hand.
There were meaningless exchange
Of words ard Il handshake in the glare
from. the cabin light that showed Mil
drci's palld lips and frightened eyes.
Then Emerson wont over the side, and
the darkness swallowed him up.
The girl clutcheG at her fathers
arm. standing as II frozen while the
crcak of rowlocks grew fainter and
fainter and died away. Then she
turned
you soc, he came she said.
The old man saw the agony that
|
gently:
YES. daughter" lie struggled with
himself And if you wish it he may
come again"
But he won't come again. That is
what makes it so hard; lie will never
come back
She turned away. but not quickly
enough to keep him from seeing that
her eyes were wet Wayne Wayland
beheld what he would have given half
his I1ighty fortune to prevent. He
cried out angriy. but she anticipated
his thought.
mo. no, you must never injure him
again. for he was right and we were
wrong. You see I-couldn't under.
stand
He left her staring into the night
and walked heavily below
Emerson felt a great sense of relief
and doliverance as he leaned against
his oars. His heart sang TO the muir
muir Of the waters oversize. For the
first time in many months he felt
young and free How blind he had
been and how narrow had been his
escape from life that could lead TO
but one result The girl was sweet
and good and wonderful in many
ways, but three years had altered him
more than he had realized. He had
begun to understand himself that
very afternoon. when Cherry had told
him her own unhappy secret. The
shock Of her disclosure had reused him
from his dream. and once he began to
see himself as he really was the rest
had come quickly. lie had been
doubtful even when he went out to
the yacht. but what happened there
certainty. He knew that for him
there was but one woman in all the
world. 1t was no easy battle he had
fought with himself. lie had been
reared to respect tho conventions, and
he knew that Chorry's life mad not
been all he could wish. But he front
cd the issue sQuaroly and tried to
throttle his inbred prejudice. Al
though he had felt the truth OF Fra.
ser's arguments and of Chcrry's own
words, he had still refused 70 yield
until his love for tho girl swept over
him In all It's power: then he made his
choice.
The one thing he found most din
cult to accept was her conduct with
billiard. Those other charges against
the gil! We're vague aAd shHGoWy, but
this was concrete. and he WAS familiar
with every miserable detail of it, II
took all his courage to face 1t. but he
swore savagely that If the conditions
had been reversed Cherry would not
have faltCrcd for an instant. More
over, what she had done had been
done for love of him II was worse
than vile to hesitate. Her past was
her own, and all he could rightfully
claim was her future. He shut his
teeth and laid his course resOlutely for
her landing, striving to leave behind
this one hideous memory. ceniering his
mind upon the girl herself and shut
ting out her past. II was the bitter
est fight he had ever waged. But
when he reached the shore and tied
his skiff he was exalted By the knowl
edge that he had triumphed; that this
painful episode was locked away with
all the others.
Now that he had conquered he was
filled with q consuming eagerncSS. As