The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-08-26

! MN NAAt AAN ahAhI N1AA AAAR WAAeN AAtA9
happened, / seem to have missed
something"
NO" she said. with sudden gravity
II don't want to be your accuser OF
your confessor; and II you should try
to prevaricate, l should hate you!"
There Is nothing for me to confess
to you, Ardea," he said. soberly stlll
holding the hand she had given him,
You have known the worst OF me, al
ways and all along, l think"
yes, / have known she replied
freeing the imprisoned hand and tura-
ing from him. And have been sorry,
sorry; not less for you than for poor
Nan Bryerson. You know now what
thought-what l had to think-when |
saw you with her this evening"
1t was slowly beating its way into
his brain. Little things, atoms Of sug-
gestlon, were separating themselves
from the mass Of things disregarded to
cluster thickly on this nucleus of re-
vealment: the old story Of his COM
panyng with Nan on the mountain;
his uncle's and Japheths accusation at
the time; and now the cid moonshin-
er's enmlty, Japheth's meaning look
and dlstrustful silence, Mans appear
ance with a child bearing his owa
name, the glances askance In Hargis'
store when he was buying the little
stock Of necessarles for the poor out
cast 1t was all plain enough.
Tell me-" he said, thickly; you
heard this: you believed it. Have I
been misjudging your"
mot more than l mlsjudged Won.
perhaps. But that is all over, now: I
am trusting you again, Tom. Only. as
l said before. you mustn't try me too
hard"
Let me understand" he went on.
still in the same strained tone. know
ing this, or believing it. you could stln
find place in your heart for me-you
could still forgive me, Ardea?"
Il could still be your friend: vesr
she replied. Il believed-others beIIev-
ed-that your punishment would be
great enough; there are all the coming
years foryou TO be sorry in, Tom. But
in the fullness Of time 1 meant TO re-
mind you Of your duty The time has
come; you must play the mans part
now. What have you done with her?"
Walt a moment. l must know one
other thing" he Insisted. You heard
this before you went to Europe?"
Long before"
And it didn't make any difference IN
the way you felt toward me?"
1T did; it made the vastest dIffor-
ence." They were pacing slowly IN
and down the porticO, and she waited
until they had made the turn at ths
Woodlawn end before she went on. 4
thought knew you when we were bov
and giri together and girl-like. 1 sun
pose l had idealized you in some ways
thought knew your wickedness. and
that they were not weaknesses; 500
/. was a miserable shock. But II w,s
not for me to judge you-only as Won
might rise or sink from that despera-e 20
starting point. When came home |
was sure that you had risen; l have
been sure of it ever since until-untl |
.hese few wretched hours to-nignr
rhey are past, and now I'm going 10 |
pc sure of it some more, Tom"
What If I should tell you that Won
ire mistaken"
Don't" she said, softly. THAT vou1d |
,nly be smashing what is left of the
deal l think l couldn't bear that"
And you've been calling this friend
hip! Ardea, girl, It's Lowell"
Ardea shook her head slowly.
NO" she rejoined, gravely. AT one
ime I thought was afraid-that il
night be. But now know it isn't"
How do you know it?"
Because love. as I think of 1t, Is
tronger than the traditions stronger
han anything else in the world. And
he traditions are still with me. / ad-
nit the existence. of the social pale.
nd as long as l live within it have
light to demand certain things of the
IAN who marries me-"
"And love doesn't demand anything"
c said putting the remainder Of the
bought into words for her You are
light. If l could clear myself with
,ord, should not say it."
"Why?"
Because your-loyalty, let us call A.,
too precious to be exchanged for
nything else you could give me IN
lace of it-esteem, respect, and all the
ther well-behaved and virtuous be-
.owals."
But the loyalty is based on the be-
eff that you are trying to earn the
ll-behaved approvals." she contln-
ed.
mo, 1t isn't. 1t exists in spite Of
and not because Of any I
ling. The traditions may try to make
ou stand 1t on the other leg, it's a
ay they have; but the fact remains"
"The traditions are about to send
q into the house, and the principal
'oblem is yet untouched What have
,u done with Nancy?" {
He told her briefly and exactly, add I
g nothing and omittng nothing; and c
n word for 1t was impossible" a
Don't you understand" she object q
. Il may choose to believe that this :
,me making for poor Nan and her :
aif Is merely a bit of tardy justice
your part and honor you for 1t. But !
body else will take that view of it. i
you keep her in that little cabin of L
urs, Mountain View avenue will have e
ft-and very properly"
Il don't see why 1t should" he pro-
sted densely.
Don't you? That's because you are
II so hopelessly primeval People r
mt give you credit for the good mo- p
'e. You must think of some other o
w." n
"Supposing 1 say I don't care c
nf?" :,
"Oh. but you do. You have your -
her and mother and--and me to con- u
Ter, however reckless you may he for s
lrself and Nancy. You mustn't leave
r where she is for single day" r
I can leave her there If like. I've "
d her she may stay as long as she S,
nts to-" h
No. she said decisively, you will n
We a perfect hornets nest about your :,
"a EVnrV unove Vorf rnalga will ha ~