The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1910-01-01

He gazed at her with eager intent
ness. Outwardly she was little changed.
Time and suffering had carved sharp
lines about his lips and eyes and
touched his temples with gray; while
the woman's opulent beauty seemed
but to have lowered into fuller per-
lection. Her face was unfurrowed:
her eyes as Iustrous as when they had
last met his-but something had gone
out of them.
Tone" he said, IT came as soon as
] decently might-to ask you to for
give me and help me bridge over these
six wasted years."
Forgive you" she interrupted,
why Win. I've wanted always to own
myself in the wrong and to ask you
to forgive mel"
He made a movement toward her,
but something-or the lack of some
thing-in her eyes restrained him.
The fault was wholly mine," she
went on quietly 1T was such a
little thing-but l often think life's
greatest tragedies grow out of trifies.
A word from me would have suffi ced-
but my foolish woman's pride would
not let me speak. If had been-less
uncertain-but it was at a time when
everything was still indefinite. / was
not sure OF you-or even of myself.
Yet l think you must have guessed
that / cared; and / used to fancy
you did love me, WHIP"
Love you! In the years I've spent
away from you I've sounded the
depths OF despair. don't quite under
stand what kept me from being
brute to her; some inherited instinct
OF decency perhaps-my forbears were
gentlemen. LIN told-though had only
myself to blame. She was an acct
dent OF Fate. 1t might have been
any one else. 1 was mad enough for
anything. -"
She drew long, deep breath.
1T would have spared me something
| If / could have made myself believe
that, Will, but l couldn't l kept tell
ing myself that you did not love me,
that you never had and that my fool
ish vanity made me fancy it. When l
heard Of your marriage"
Don't speak of it, dear. ! was des-
perate-half mad. l think. / thought
you had been playing with me. that
you had planned it all to show your
pOwer-ah, what fool, what a mis-
cradle, blind fool was! And then to
drag that innocent girl into my misery
it was brutally unfair to her. But
i don't remember that / thought of
her. Suffering makes men selfish and
! was wild with rage and pain.
married her with some mad idea of
proving that your Wanted powers had
failed--ah, lone, if l alone could have
suffered for my folly! l tried not to
act the cad, lone. Upon my honor
did my best. l tried with all my
strength to keep the truth from her.
but 1 think she guessed almost from
the first"
Poor child" lone said softly, Poor
child"
Lone" he said wistfulIy, have you
no pity for me? 1t is the erring al
ways who need pity-not the inno-
cent"
She turned her eyes upon him.
WILL" she said slowly, 'it would
once have been balm to my hurt to
know that you needed pity-but I'm
past all that now. l used to feel that
could have given you up to her al
most resignedly, If l had been sure
that your heart was mine. But the
time came when l conquered that feel
ing and tried to hope that you loved
her. l think mine was not wholly a
selfish love, Will. All through those
first awful days after l conquered my
bitterness, l kept saying to myself
over and over. He loves her; he is
happy. That should be enough for
me- But it wasn't, VIII. I'm very
human and after little L grew hungry
for the sight of you, for your voice
your smile-why VIII, could willing
ly have been a servant in your house
her servant-Only to be near youi"
Lone" he cried passionately
lone but she stayed him with a
glance.
What l lived through that first
year and the years that followed you
will not care to hear. 1t is not g
pleasant story. But always the
fiercest fame will burn itself out ii
time-the pain spent itself Peace
came to me-the calm of the lotus
eater. At first, a chance word, the cas-
ual mention of your name, brought il
all back to me and made me wretcheC
lOI udyS- bul II Is HOC 50 now Tx
/ fame has burned itself to ashes"
The mans face was drawn and mis-
cradle.
, Il might have known, 1 might have
feared this" he said duly. 81 deserved
nothing less"
She did not seem to hear
WILL" she went on, Il used to tel
! God that if he would let me feel for 1
!: day-for an hour-that you loved me
/ could bear anything that came after
1t seemed to me that if l might fee
the touch of your lips on mine for on'
long moment, l should ask nothin,
more of Fate"
His eyes yearned upon her.
And. now he whispered tenseI,
"now?"