Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
Purple and Fine Linen
Continued from page
Continued from page 4

never suggest tearing UP the deed of transfer
and f1inging the money back at me as proof OF
how little you are supposed to value the posses
sion of itl'
1t was true' She never had made that sug
gestion she did not even make it now when,
If her appearance went for anything her very
soul was torn with Indignation her heart, her
pride, her womanhood. put to the sword But
whatsoever tempest ragged within her. it found
vent through her twitching lips, and he,
conscious that he had openly insulted her and
flung out at last all the torturing suspicious
that beset him. loathed himself for what he had
said and, manlike, turned the dagger in the
wound.
Don't stop with me, don't want you'll l
don't want anybodys company! don't want
any service that isn't freely gvenl'' he cried.
turning his head on the pio-- and winding
both arms over it. PLEASE don't speak to mel
Please go away! want to be alone! want to
be alone!"
A ND in another moment he was alone. Turn
"A ing without word, she walked away in all
her bravery of rustling silk and sparkling jew
els, opened the door. closed 1T after her, and
passed from sight and sound, and by and by
1essington heard the house door. too close and
knew just when she passed out into the close
warm darkness of the night.
Who is to account for the vagaries of the
human heart. minute ago he had been torn
with self hate, filled with shame. bitten to the
marrow with remorse for the brutal things he
had let his invalid righteousness lead him into
saving to her. now the knowledge that she had
taken him at his word and gone awoke in him
an unreasonable sense of personal injury and
swamped all other feelings in deluge of self
pity.
She need not have been so sharp about taking
him at his world She needn't have gone off like
that, without word, without goodby kiss.
without even look to his creature comfortsi
No. she needn't have done that, if she caredi
1t was all very well for her to say that she did
care; but. after all. actions speak louder than
H. f,-1 IL. ia
care for him and yet leave him like this, night
after night, week after week, as she had been
doing increasingly for almost two yearsl 1t was
al very we'll for her to look indignant at the
suggestion that his turning over his money to
her was at the bottom of it all: but the fact re-
manned that, as he had reminded her. she never
once limited at proving the fallacy of the sug-
gestion by compelling him to take it back. He
wouldn't have consented to it. of course: but
it was such an easy answer to the charge, such
a simple way to set the doubt at rest!
And this was the boosted fidelity of womenl
This was the constancy OF Evel Forsaking
Adam when his strength failed him Not only
forsaking him. poor wretch but causing Others
to forsake him tool That was an added bitter
ness,-that she had driven away those who
would have remained loyal barred the door to
those of his friends who still cared enough to
seek to keep up his acquaintance and did not
look upon him one already dead!
She didn't know he was aware of that. she
didn't know of the letters of reproach he had
written and despatched by OJeebi fifteen
months ago to Trevanion and Harcourt and
Ellerslie and others of his oldtime cronies: nor
did she know of the answers that came back
answers that were all to the one effect, though
couched in different phrases,-that the writers
did not keep away from choice; that they did
not merit his reproaches: that they had called
at the house with the desire to see him and
spend little time with him.-but that Mrs.
Lessington had met them at the threshold and
repulsed their solicitude, been extremely curt
with them, in fact, and had told them it was
the doctors express order that no visitors
should be allowed and not only declined to
allow us to 60 past the threshold of the front
door, dear chap, but gave us to understand
that she would prefer not to call again"
He had said nothing of those letters had
allowed no eye but his to see them. He had
simply torn them into minute fragments and
made Ojeebi throw the scraps into the fire. He
had never replied to them never meant to reply
to them He would not let those fellows know
what a lie it was. what a bitter awakening had
come to him after that bright short love dream
of other days. But sometime he would let her
know of them sometime he would ask her why
she had told his friends that deliberate, that
callous. lie.
FOR it was lie. there other name for
it, a cold calculated, unblushing lie, told
for no other purpose than to keep his friends
from coming to the house, No doctor had said
that thing, No doctor had said that he must
see no visitors receive friends. As a matter