The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-12-23
CHAPTER XI.

speak or the agony or winch
was u witness that night in the
apartment OF my friends INC Mime.
Brossard's. went with reluctance,
but there was no choice Keredec had
sent for me.
Keredec bad told his tragic ward too
little The latter had understood but
vaguely the nature OF the catastrophe
which overriding hix return to France.
and now that II was indeed concrete
and definite the guardian was forced
into fuller disclosures. every word
making the anguish Of the listener
more intolerabie. 10 him 1t seemed
taat be was being forced to suffer for
the sins of another man.
do you think that you can make
me believe did this" he cried-"that
I made life unbearable for her. drove
her from me and took this hideous.
painted old woman I'm her place? It's
a lie! You can't make me believe such
a monstrous lie as that! You can't!
You can't.n'
He threw himself violently upon the
couch. face downward, shuddering
from head to foot.
MY poor boy, it is the TRUTH" said
Keredec. kneeling beside him and put
Ting great arm across his shoulders.
1T is what a thousand men are doing
this night. Nothing is more common
or more unexplaina ble-or more simple,
Ut all the nations it Is the same, wher-
ever life has become artificial and the
poor foolish young men have too
much money and nothing to do. You
DO not understand it, but our friend
here, and |, we understand because we
remember what we have been seeing
all our lives. You say Ii In not you
who did such crazy, horrible things.
and you are right. When this poor
woman who is so painted and greasy
nrst caught you. when you began to
give your money and your time and
your life to her. when she got you
INTO this horrible marriage with her.
you were blind-you went staggering
Id bad dream. Your soul hid away.
Lar down inside you, with its hands
over its face. If it could have once
STOOD straight. If the eyes of your body
ouid have once been clean for it To
iook through. IL you could have once
peen as you are today or as you were
wnen you We're little child. you would
nave cry out with horror both of her
anu OF yourself. as you do now, and
you would have run away from her
ana from everything you had put IN
your life. But In your suffering you
must rejoice. The triumph is that
your mind hates that old life az great
~ aS your sou! hates It. You are a.
sood as Ii you had never been the wild
leiiow-yes. the wicked fellow-that
you were. For man who shakes Off
nlS sin Is clean. He stands as pure
as LII Inc had never Sinned."
Inc desperate young man ON the
couca answered only with the sobbing
broken hearted child.
came back to my pavilion after
"iuniGht. but did not sleep. though
~ upon my bed until dawn. Then
went for long. hard walk, break
lasted at Dives and begged ride back
Mime. Brossard's in a peasants
'art which was going that way.
! found George Ward waiting for
,ue on the little veranda OF the pavil-
iou' looking handsomer and more pros
perousiy distinguished and distinguish
sy prosperous and generally well con-
uiloned than ever. as ! told him.
have some news for you" he
49, AFTER the hearty greetIng-"An
announcement, in fact. Elizabeth's go-
s q marry Cresson lngle."
mat is the news-the announce
~ent-you spoke orr"
les, that iS it."
NM save iny life could not have told
- that moment what else | had ex-
pected or feared that LIZ might say.
1ut certainly took deep breath Of
ss'iei. "l am very Eiad." said. -lt
suouid Us A happy alliance"
On the whole. ! think IL will be, w
returned thoughttully. ''lnglr'S
we a. share OF hard living. and d
Once had a notion"-he glanced sEiii-
nsiy nc Newell. | dare say you
Ano~ my notion. But IL A. good