The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-08

Leicester rose to his feet
Now | have told you what
came TO tell you" he said. 1T WAS
right that you should know, and |
have toll you. That is all, | think;
SO | will go. do not ask you
forgive mel do not cannot expect
that. Goodnight"
lie hesitated a second as though
he expected her to speak, but not
a word escaped her lips. He thought
the look in her eyes hard and repel-
lent As he moved towards the door
he took a last look at her, but she
made no sign, nor spoke a word.
Goodnight, goodbye he said, and
was gone.
She heard him so into the ha'
and open the front door, afterwards
the sound of his footsteps on the
drive reached her; but she did not
move. The mans revelations had
stunned her; she felt incapable Of
acting or thinking All she knew
was that a feeling of utter desola-
ton possessed her.
She was glad her father was out
of the house. for she had great
dread of meeting any one just then.
In a vague way she had longing
to understand the meaning of what
she had heard. For more than an
hour she sat in utter silence. Little
by little the reality of Leicester
story came to her. Leicester was not
Nead He had come back to wreak
his revenge on her.
At first she was angry That he
whom she had driven away should
come back as stranger in order
10 drag her into disgrace, hurt her
pride
But the anger did not long remain.
She reflected that he had renounced
his plan of revenge. Nay, more he
had come to her almost humbly. and
told her that he had learned to be
ashamed of his unworthy designs.
without knowing it, she began to
analyze her feelings. What was to
become of her. Ricordo was gone
there never had been a Ricordo, ex
cept in name. And yet she had loved
him. The night before, when sh
had promised to be his wife, an
felt his lips upon hers, she knew
ii was so. In spite of the fear which
had possessed her. her heart had re.
sponded to his pleadingS Even then
THE thought of it was strange. If
years before, any one had tod her
tlat she would have given hor heart
- a man with Ricordos professed
.ntecedents, she woull have laughed
AT such "A suggestion as impossible.
And yet, in spite of herself. She
had loved him. And yet there was
no Ricordo, there never had been
Then. like a flash, the whole truth
came to her. 1t was Leicester wGom
she had loved all the time. She
realized now why, even at their first
meeting, he had such an influence
over her. 1t was not a stranger with
an Italian name, it was Leicester.
the man who had won her years be
fore, and whom she had sent away
in anger but whom she had neycr
been able to forget Her heart had
thrilled its recognition of the man,
even although she thought him to he
a stranger. 1t was Leicester all the
time. Everything was plain to her
now; there never had been any Sig
nor Rcordo, at most he was only
name, fancy. That was WIN, the
night before, it had seemdl 20 her
that it was Leicester who had kiss
ed her 1t was not a new love a all
IT was but the resurrection of an .
love, the one love of her life.
For a moment she forgot every
thing in this one great thought Lei
cester was still alive, that she still
loved him, and that she had never
loved anyone else She had only
cared about the stranger because
her heart knew it was he.
Then she realized that he was
gone. and with that realization
great blaokness fell upon her. IN
spite of all he had told her. she
loved him still. She might be ang.y
at the revenge of which he had
told her, her anger was lost in her
longing for him. Nevertheless ha
had gone. and left her desolate.
Where was he now? she wondered.
He had meant what he said when
he had told her that he was leaving
her forever. He believed that she
Scorned him now as she had scorned