The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-22

a rush of business and left himself no idle time for
oroodng 1t had. therefore, somewhat the effect Of
surprise when he found himself aboard the steamer tbat
was sailing for Antwerp a week later He told L,mscif
tnat he had always intended TO run over for holiday
Mhen @ opportunity offered. II by followed
that because he going Europe he would encounter
Virginia Jackson lie needed a rest
=, Ono night III storm that beat hard against them
through the dragging hours OF the darkness he looked
INTO the eyes of death His life SO little his grasp
OF the mighty whole inadequate What part OF
all that he called himself would have vitality to 90 on
of the waiting waves Nothing but his love Notbinp
at all of HIM but the love he had crushed and cramped
and denied In his soul he reached out his arms 10
Virginia All, how trivial his questioning! There was
no question but this only-whethcr they might stand
together whatever
For the OF the voyage Norton sat near The how ~
the boat deYourng with impatient eyes the space that
still stretched before him. Every moment that Law be-
tween him and Virginia seemed suddenly full of danger
lhiS moment any moment might be tho last that held
grace Tor him and here he was, kept from her by this
impossible illusion of space
When the boat reached Antwerp he found that the
party for which he had inquired had gone on to Schcy-
cninse3 But he could not risk further delay. MAY
Gomez? he tclcGraphcd
Her answer came at last-by mall not by wire "If
you have learned to love me- you may Otherwise
Even in his humility Norton laughed aloud II
he loved her Had not the trouble from the beginning
been that he had loved her in too idcaistica
too lofty? OF his love there could be 10 question:
Certainly the message cryptic, but il seemed to i'm
ply permission, however conditioned He took the
next train
But when Virginia came into the room TO receive him
Norton quite forgot to ask for explanations He forgot
everything except that the universe had somehow ghtcd
itself The sudden lifting OF what had been like ,
physical pressure left him lghthcadcd and he babblcd
inGoherSncics without knowing what they
But Virginia, with woman's superior Seamanshiu
upon the of emotion. held him the chartcd Inc
But, Richard are you SURF"
Sure that cannot live without you? Oh yesl-
yesl"
She shook her head, opposing lifted palm to his
eagcrncss-
No, sure that you know me for real woman-just
mere human woman"
= Norton took hOr-auds- in both ef his and held them
when sec you I know nothing past or present cx-
cept that this is and that have been starving for
the sight. of you for longer than / bear
nlcmberl"
which opened ike door upon the garden She had
stepped inside before she the two i'll the Vir
"Oh, Rose, here is MI. Norton VIII you come iii,
Richard, you must love my sister Rosc-my dear, dear
sister"
There was protection and defense and tenderness in
her tone well in her words, and Norton felt tho
demand upon him which it conveyed before he
how frall apparon this unknown sister was.
Il glad to youl" Rose said, in tones 50
vibrany like Virgnias that they shook him with sud-
den surprise Virginia has told of you She
said surge of red went over her white face and
left 1t white. than before" that YOU friend of
Mr., Warwicks That alone would make you welcome,
If there other reason. She smiled at both with
sweetness that made them ache TO and slipped
away she had come.
Virginia was watching him with keen suspense.
You must blame hcr-not your inmost
thought-ncver for moment she said. brcahlessy.
' You don't know-you can't Understandings that [
blame YOU for not understanding! No one could Blu,
know just how it all was-I was thcre-shc was mol
TO blame, And she has been so unhappy She nearly
died 1t has been hard on hcr-for she was not to
blame, any than he was
Norton felt his thoughts whrl He put out his hand
to hers
IT was your sister-it was your sister Warwick
"Yes," Virginia said
1t was never you at allI
"Oh, no."
But why did you let nc think it was you1"
You misunderstood. that all
But why didn't you sraighten me out at once?'
why at the zery first" said Virginia gently. II
didn't Just what you meant And then when I'M
dcrstood. wasn't going to have you blaming Rose
And HicE ] thought 1t chance TO whether you
really loved merely adorcd me, you know. That
the point"
Virginia Have you, made go through this
agonizng summer for nothing? 1t isn't possible When
it wasn't s-when there nothing to forgive
when the facts were all the other way,
OH she broke in. :" don't make the mistake of
thinking that facts have anything to do with the mat
"No7r he murmurcd, in a dazcd way
ooh. mol It's thc-thc principle that is tho i'm
portant thing. II arc-arc going 10" the words
Swaycd like dizzy bridge. but she went on bravely
over them" going to live lives out together
must not spoil what chances of success might have
by binding ourselves at the beginning 1t is delicate
experiment at best You would have TO know some time
that / merely human and If you 1oonid not see It
now and then TO see it later, you would have felt
defrauded, and would have felt-oh don't you under
stand?"
"Was that what you meant all the time?" he asked
"Why, yes | tried TO make you understand that day
at the lake, but you couldn't sec what meant or how
fundamental it was, And then the first time that you
thought was wrong you bin,ned me. That was what
I had feared. Suppose had been instead OF Rose
1t might have been Suppose should say now that 1t
wasl"
fIc laughed little quccrly should never believe
it That will be the only safe way TO treat your con-
fcssons Virginia would you really have let me stay
away forever"
Z" was afraid TO trust love that would not see me
as was she said praycy could live without you.
/ could not live with you If your love should slip away
"You were rght-perfecy and absolutely ISht-aas,
Of course you would be-" he said humbly Then the
old Richard Norton in him rcasscrted itself for mo-
ment STILL wasn't quite right of you to LET me be-
licvc what wasn't That wasn't really straight
forward" ,a,
Virginia elasped her hands upon her breast and lifted
Then forgive me for that Oh, don't you Sec
dearest? ! don't what you forgive Just 50 thar
you really do forgive me somethinSl'