The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-18

very quietly and with no surprise. almost
in fact, as ii he knew would recognize hi
presence and follow him.
"lou are playing your role well, sal,
he: too well. What was that | hear,
about your marrying
The time had come. was determined
TO meet it with a mans courage. But
found it hard. Felix is no easy man Il
cross, even in small things and this thins
is his life, nay, more-his past, present, and
future existence.
do not know who spoke first. There
was some stammering, few broken words;
then | heard myself saying distinctly, and
with certain hard emphasis born of the
restraint | put upon myself:
Il love her! Lwant to marry her. You
must allow this. Then"
could not proceed. | felt the shock he
had received almost as if it had been com.
inundated to me by contact. Something
that was not of the earth seemed to pass
between us, and | remember raising my
hand as if to shield my face. And then,
whether it was the blowing aside of some
branches which kept the moonlight from
us, or because my eyesight was made clear
er by my emotion, ! caught one glimpse of
his face and became conscious of great
suffering which at first seemed the wrench
ing of my own heart, but in another mo-
ment impressed itself upon me as that of
his, Felix's.
stood appalled,.
My weakness had uprooted the one hope
of his life, or so thought; and that he ex
pressed this by silence made my heart
yearn toward him for the first time since |
recognized him as my brother | tried to
stammer some excuse. ! was glad when
the darkness fell again, for the sight of his
bowed head and set features was insupport-
able to me. 1t seemed to make it easier
for me to talk: for me to dilate upon the
purity, the goodness which had robbed me
of my heart in spite of myself. My heart!
1t seemed a strange word to pass between
us two in reference to Poindexter, but it
was the only one capable of expressing the
feeling | had for this young girl. At last,
driven to frenzy by his continued silence,
which had something strangely moving in
it. cried:
"You have never loved a woman, Felix.
You do not know what the passion is when
it seizes upon man jaded with the hollow
pleasures of an irresponsible life. You can
not Judge; therefore you cannot excuse.
You are made of iron"
"Hush" 1t was the first word he had
spoken since | had opened my heart to him.
you do not know what you are saying, |
Thomas. Like all cyclists, you think your
self alone in experience and suffering. Will
YOU think SO when | tell you that there
vas time in my life when l did not sleep |
or weeks; when the earth, the air, yes
md the heavens were full of nothing but |
Ter name, her face, her voice? When to
AVE held her in my arms, to have breathed
nto her ear one word of love, to have felt
Ter cheek fall against mine in confidence,
n passion, in hope, would have been to
ne the heaven which would have driven
..e devils from my soul forever? Thomas,
will you believe | do not know the utter
most of all you are experiencing, when |
ere declare to you that there has been an
ould have been brought to love me, |
yould have sacrificed Evelyn, my own soul,
ur fathers hope, John Poindexter's pun
,hment, and become the weak thing you
re today, and gloried in it, |, Felix Cad
-alader. the man of iron, who has never
cen known to falter9 But, Thomas, l
vercame that feeling. l crushed down
nat love- and I call upon you to do the
ame on may marry her. but"
What stopped him? His own heart or
" own impetuosity? Both, perhaps, for
!, that moment | fell at his feet, and seiz- .
lg his hand, kissed it as | might wom-
rs. He seemed to grow cold and stiff
nder this embrace, which showed both the
.lirium 1 was laboring under and the re-
# had gotten from his words. When he
ithdrew his hand, | felt that my doom
as about to be spoken, and | was not
rong. 1t came in these words: $
Thomas, have yielded to your impor f
nifty and granted you the satisfaction !
hich under the same circumstances ! C
mid have denied myself. But IL has not il