The San Francisco call., 1910-09-25

had been the point of finger Be
lieve me, that is nonsense. 1t was
who convicted myself
/ turned toward him. 1 would have
given anything, in that moment, TOT
glimpse of his face.
IF you did anything at all toward
that end he went on steadily, re-
member you only helped me toward
what I really wanted to do
kept my eyes fixed on that space
of darkness from which his voice came:
IF you wanted to convict yourselI
then why did YOU try to escape?
There was quite an interval while
waited. trembling on the brink of the
mystery When at last he spoke his
voice sounded a note Of reserve. Ine
unconscious intimateness was gone
Whatever my motive in conVtctnS
myself has been. let me assure you IL
has put me so far away from you that
1 am hardly worthy even 10 speak 10
YOU But 1 feared you had been
troubled about giving your evidence,
and l am glad of this one chance 10
tell you that you have helped rather
than hurt me. But now 1T is ali over
you will not have to worry or think
about it any more. for what I am going
to do now will put me quite out or
your sight
He said Ii with such a sad, reckless
gayety, and it sounded so final that IL
seemed to me the world had come TO
an end with it; and without any un-
derstandine Of how or why it happened,
I found myself crying, with my face in
my hands. My ears were filed with
the sound of my own sobs, but through
them I could hear him begging me to
STOP and, though he did not touch me,
I could feel him now close beside me
on the same seat and bending above
me.
The thing isn't worth it." I heard
him say, II deserve it all-everythtng
You are too good to waste any pity on
me, But I love you for it. L have
loved you since the moment / saw you
staring at me as if I were the devil.
I loved you when you came to the
prison and pointed me out for what l
was, the man with the pistol. 1 will
never forget you
At that I cried all the harder. but
now there was a curious feeling OF
comfort in it, All the misery L had
shut up in my thoughts for so many
weeks seemed to be running out with
my tears.
What can I do to make you feel
differently about it?' He was plead
ing.
Don't do what you are going to do"
/ whispered. muffied up in my hand
kerchief
He made a queer little sound in his
THROAT = amusement or despair.
couldn't tell which. Don't you know
1 can't stay here? Whether I shot the
man or not I am forfeit. have to go.
But before I do want to tell you one
thing. You won't believe it, but here
IL isl didn't shoot Roodt
great weight seemed to slip
from my heart. I dropped my hands
and looked up. and instead Of darkness
there was his face above me, great,
shadowy hollows for the eyes. and a
soft, gray shadow for the mouth. His
hat was thrown aside and I could see
a faint light on his forehead.
1t seemed like miracle in the first,
wondering moment. The next I un-
derstood what had happened. The
quarter moon was rising. and every
thing was filmed with her dim silver.
For little 1 looked up at him quite
contentedly, with a feeling OF peace
at my heart that I had not felt since
I had first seen him. "Of course I
believe you I said. II was only so
frightened because in the court you
wouldn't speak, and no one would
speak for you and explain how IT hap
pened. It made it seem as IL you were
the one. That was why every one
thought So"
He smiled rather grimly. Yes. that
is what I supposed"
But now you will go back. you
you will be proved innocent?
II can't be proved innocent" he an
sYered harshly. There is nothing
here for me-" Yet all the while he
looked at me so wistfully that it was
hard to understand.
But there is t. I said. Doesn't 1T
matter to you that I care?'
He did not move or speak, only kept
looking down at me with those dark
hollows of his eyes. Not a glimmer OF
light moved in them that I could see.
and, listening to the deep come and go
of his breathing l felt frightened.
mo, never thought. I never dreamed
such a thing was possible" he said at
last, In a queer shocked, half-awed
voice. You don't know what you are
talking about, child" and he leaned
forward, resting his elbow on his knee
and his forehead in his hand.
But 1 do know 1 care terribly All
these days when I haven't known what