The Washington times., 1910-01-21

4
way forward, not noting, not
caring whittier my steps led me;
so long as 4 might be somewhere alone,
out OF reach Of interruption. TO think
over this climax O. our disasters
Ny half-sJaSgerinE steps had carried
me into the drawing room before my
stunned recollection Srasped the fact
that the butler had spoken OF comp ny
In there
A figure rose from a chair near the
window and faced me: then (after one
glance al me 81 here i stood revealed IN
the plJliess glare Of the afternoon SUM
burned anEIously forward.
At the sight all the miSLs lifted as
by magic from my brain For the caller
1 ought 10 have gained quick control
Of myself. murmuTed something civil,
&Ic gracefully withdrawn or else I
should have remained and tried 10 make
formal conversation until my mother s
arrival
] know all that Il Is what I should
. have done. II is what I did not do. To
this day don't know why. nor do ex-
At sight Of the dear face, so lighted
with anxiety Tor my haEgard aspect,
my strong wall OF seIf-C0uJroI all ct
once cruubled away
Before ] had realized II 1 had sprung
forward and caught both her little
white hands in my own with a grasp
Ike that of a drowning man who sud
E
Oh Eil1a-' I cried --Hilda-f
/ am afraid there was unuIterabie ap-
peal-alnost unDanly s-pPllcatiOn-in
ny cry What ms face told dare not
Yet she cid not shrink from me: did
not recoI iu dispIsasCra or even in sur
prise Instead she gave me look for
+ look. and I could feel her cool fingers
close about nay own in - pressure as
electrical as IL was light
] had always heard that in every
good wOmaD'S heart something OF the
eternal motherhood Law hidden I think
10 was with the protective instinct Of q
gentle mother who sees a child In dis
tresS. rather than any more equal sen
rLuent. that she exclaimed
Hugh You are I'm terrible trouble
What Is lt. dear Tell me-
And at the touch, the look, the I'M
conscious term OF eU1earDe0- 7 grew
ell at once strong And with strength
returned CaimuCsS and sanity. 7 was
f myself lE5l--
Il am sorry I painted. still shaken
/ by the ground swells Of that moment
: behave like a baby But il was so good
& $50 cUOd-to see you"
II understand, she soothed RE
/ come ard SIT down and tell me all
. about it
Il have no right to speak TO you"
f 7 mU-tered- After such a chiIdEke
You have an the right in the
/ world she C01tT1diCrcd- How little
f you understand q woman HUgl- A
man who could look and speak as You
did at sight Of me pays woman t-a
/ highest compliment ever dreamed Of
FCv ne 81 0vvS he needs her that he
Size checked her-el flushing
+ "I do need You, Hl-ta-' I finished
I coming 10 her rescue ct need YOU
+ mere than yCI can ever know For 7
am IN terrible trouble I would have
/ or c0ml~- 10 whine 10 you for sym
/ UarlE- But YOU caught me of my
/ guard cannot behave today as 7 did
/ when we met in Boston the other
Then IT was acting she excIaim-
/ ed Il knew ir-SouethinC told me Sc.
/ n spite 81 NY pride and all. felt YOU
. were In trouble 80 when father and I
passed through Baltimore today on the
way C. an appointment he has AT Wash
/ iUErOu stopped ever a train Co call on
from her what EotT trf'Eoie was T.
'-Sho knows uOthinE-SuSDeCts nothing
. of it, 7 iGter00Srd hastily And she
mustn't On. Hilda. can't even tell
I Of some one dear TO ue-tO us both
/ Yet there is one thing 7 want to ask
YOU A maudlin. foolishlv sentimeursI
: request, perhaps but one that viii
/ mean much 20 me 20 remember. in the
/ black DAYS that are ahead
/ You have only to ask Il. Hugh 90 she
/ said in a low ovice- you must know
/ that
/ Something in her soft voice thrilled
me uns0ea kabIE- And again I had 10
! fight for lOyalty-f0r sanity. I went
/ Or
/ Soon You VIII hear much that IS eviT
I Of me- TTilda- Our grand old name VIII
/ he dragged into the dirt And partly by
Z my ovn-ziu-''a
I sHueh+'' she Easued-
/ 81 want V0u- when that time comes
I 10 remember me a IS I was when T was
I still an honest CoG-feariu2- man and
z worthy 10 look you in the face I want
I YOU to recall me as 7 was Not as YOU
J viii know 7 am. Il is a light thing
+ 10 ask But It viii be everything to
E me-
Hugh" she broke in. 81 don't un-
] dersraud You. nor one thing YOU have
+ said But this 7 know No faint of dis
J honor or crime can attach itself 70 YOU.
{ sud T would not believe such thing
I IF al the world arose TO ciamor It at
4 me-
! You must believe it. F5ilda.'' Z urged.
( -75serahIy And you must feel shame
/ that YOU have given Your friendship TO
1 such a man But let your judgment be
I tempered by what 7 once Uas-hy what
I the rest Of my dear ones Stiu are
/ Hugh she persisted You are not
/ telling the truth about yourself And