Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-15
Septina1s:
By WILLIAM J.LOCKE
Copyright. 1908. By the PAillips Publish
Ing Company
Copyright. 1902 BY John Lane Company


| timus' and speak Of him In that tone
you'll drive me mad. It's you that are
| wicked and heartless and selfish
'I?" cried Fora, aghast.
Yes, you. You accept the love and
alteration Of the noblest gentleman that
God ever put into the world. and you
| treat him and talk Of him as II he were
creature Of no account. II you were
| worthy Of being loved by him I shouldn't
be jealous But you're not. You've been
so wrapped up in your own magnificence
| that you've not even cOndescended to no
! tice that he loved you. And even now.
when l tell You. you laugh. as il it were
preposterous that poor Septimus could
ever dare to love you. You drive me
mad"
Fora drew herself up angrily. To make
allowances for a silly girls jealousy was
one thing: 1t was another to be accused
| in this vehement fashion. Conscious OF
her innocence, she said:
| Your attack on me is entirely unjusti-
| fable, Emmy. / have done nothing.
| That's why retorted Emmy, quickly.
You've done nothing. Men are sacrific-
ing their lives and fortunes for you. and
you do nothing"
| Lives and fortunes? What do you
mean?"
Il mean what say" cried Emmy. des-
perately. "Septimus has done everything
short of laying down his life for you, and
tldt lie WOULD nave OOne IL necessary. anO
you haven't even taken the trouble to
see the soul in the man that was capable
| OF 1t. And now that something has hap
pened which you can't help seeing you
come in your grand way to put 1t all to
rights in minute. You think I've turned
him out because he's a good-natured
worry like Bobbie, the bob-tailed sheep
dog. and you say, Poor fellow, see how
pitifully he's wagging his tail. It's cruel
of you not to let him in That's the
xIyQyy Of nd 7 oov,'f
stand it and | won't. 1 love him as
never dreamed a woman could love q
man. 1 could tear myself into little
pieces for him bit by bit. And I can't
as the stars in heaven. You could never
understand. 1 pray every night to God
| to forgive me. and to work a miracle and
bring him to me. But miracles don't
can't come to me. While you have been
patronizing him. patting him on the head,
| playing Lady Bountiful to him-as you
| are doing to the other man who has given
| up fortune this very morning just be-
cause he loves you-while you've been do
ing this and despising him-yes. you know
you do in your heart. for a simple. good
| natured. half-witted creature who amuses
himself with crazy inventions, he has
done thing to save you from pain and
shame and Sorrow-you. not me-because
he loved you. And now 1 love him. I
would give all I have in life for the
miracle to happen. But 1t can't. Don't
you understand? 1t can't!'
She stood painting in front Of Fora, q
passionate woman obeying elemental
laws: and when passionate women obey
elemental laws they are reckless in speech
and overwhelming in assertion and de-
Fora had encountered. She was be-
wildered by the storm of words and could
Fonly say. rather stupidity:
why can't it?''
The notion had come again. The tempta-
ton was Irresistible. Fora should know.
having brought 1t on herself. She opened
the doom.
Mime. Bolivard!" she cried. And when
the Frenchwoman appeared she pointed
to the bassinette.
GTake baby into the bedroom. 1t will
be better for him there
'Bien, madame" said Nine. Bolivard,
taking up the child. And when the door
and said:
That's why
Fora started forward. horror stricken.
Emmy. what do you mean?'
''Tll tell you. l couldn't with him in
the room. I should always fancy that he
had heard me. and want him to respect
and love his mother
Emmy" cried Fora. Emmy! What
you-if he knew-do you mean ?"
Yes" said Emmy. Il do-Septimus
went through the marriage ceremony
with me and gave us his name. That's
why we are living apart. Now You
know"
"My Godw said Zora-
do you remember the last night was
at Nunsmere?"
Yes. You tainted"
Il had seen the announcement Of the
mans marriage in the newspaper"
She told her story briefly and defiantly,
asking for no sympathy. proclatming 1t
all ad majorem Septimi giorian. Fora
sat looking at her paralyzed with help
lessness. like one who having gone light
ly forth to shoot rabbits. suddenly comes
upon lion.
"Why didn't you tell meat the time
before?"
"Did you ever encourage me to give
you my confidence? You patted me on
the head. too and never concerned your
self about my affairs. I was afraid Of
you-deadly afraid Of you. It sounds
Fora made no protest against the accu-
sation. She sat quite still. her eyes fixed
on the foot Of the bassinette. adjusting
her soul to new and startling conceptions.
She said. in q whisper:
my God, what q fool I've been!"
The words fingered a haunting echo in
her ears. They were mockingly familiar.
Where had she heard them recently?
her head and glanced at Emmy in any
thing but proud way.
You said something just now about
Glenn Sypher having sacrificed a fortune
for me. What was It? had better hear
everything"
Emmy sat on the fender stool. as she
had done when Septimus had told her the
story and repeated 1T for Zora's benefit
= You say he sent for Septimus this
morning." said Fora. in a low voice. do
you think he knows-about you-two?"
1T is possible that he guesses.'' replied
Emmy. to whom Hegisippe Cruchot's in
discretion had been reported. "Septimus
has not told him.
II ask" said Fora, because, since my
return. he has seemed to look on Septi- |
mus as a sort Of inspired creature. I be-
gin to see things I never saw before"
There was silence. Emmy gripped the
mantelpiece and, head on arm, looked
into the fire. Fora sat lost I'm her ex-
panding vision. Presently Emmy said, |
without turning round: !
You mustn't turn away from me now
for SeDtimus' sake. He loves the boy as |
if he We're his own. Whatever wrong
I've done I've suffered for it. Once I was
frivolous, unbalanced, unprincipled lit |
tie fool. I'm a woman now-and a good |
woman. thanks to him. To live in the |
same atmosphere as that exquisite deli |
cacy of soul is enough to make one good !
No other man on earth could have done |
what he has done and In the way he has |
done it. I can't help loving him. / can't |
help eating my heart out for him. That's |
my punishment
This time the succeeding silence was