The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-25
What do you mean 1 evaded.

What do you mean | evaded.
Her eyes flashed angrily, but re-
tanned look OF perplexity
You know what mean" she said.
How did | get here? Don't evade. /
was living with my father, and then
was here. What happened in the in
term? Are you responsible or are you
not?"
Don't look at me so angrily, Eve"
said. Il am not responsible for your
coming here-only for your being here
now
Who brought me? didn't fly,
suppose"
You've said 1t, Eve. You did fly.
You came in monoplane, and some
thing happened, and it was wrecked
in the woods near the spring ;.
you don't remember?"
She shook her head.
Tell me that was alone, and driv-
ing the thing" said She
There was a man with you, Eve"
"You?r
NO. l was here living In the cabin;
I'd just finished It, heard what
sounded like all the kindling wood in
the world being broken; but there was
great storm going on, and thought
a tree had come down, and made all
the racket. Next morning, though,
found the wreck OF the mono, and you
You were unconscious. and when you
came to you had lost all your memory.
even OF how to talk; and you became
like my own child to me, and | couldn't
give you up"
sYnl, co{d fhoro woe x,oo r,fty,
me?"
The angry look had gone out Of her
eyes.
There was, Eve. | buried him."
She nodded grayely, as If she under
stood why, and then she startled me
by the question:
Who was hep
For answer fetched the things that
/ had found in his pockets.
She gave them one glance, and knew.
II was going to marry him." she
said simply. But l didn't want to-"
She sighed. "He-he." she said. was
very, very fond of me, and had done
things for papa, that--well that put
it up to me. Yes, was going to marry
him.
She shook her shoulders as IL to free
them from care.
But still" she said, II don't see
you in the picture. 1t seems to me
you've pretty serious business to an.
swer for. You could have taken me
away from here, any of half a dozen
times. But you made me hide myself
from the men In the boat I-some.
how I've formed the habit of looking
up to you, and trusting you. :. !.
And yet what you have done is pretty
awful on the face Of it. You
say was like a child !.
Just like child" l said, with
everything to learn"
And you taught me. ! seem to re.
member wanting to say things that l
couldn't. Was 1t only in speaking that
had to be taught?"
shook my head and smiled.
You had to be taught how to hold
a spoon
Don't let's have details" she said.
II remember more than care to con.
TESS ! should like to forget. It's all
very horrid. IL think you have been
base-base''
And she burst into tears, and flung
her arms about me, and hid her face.
OF all the conclusions which her words
might have led to, this was the one
that had least reason to expect.
Il have been base" cried. wicked
"a cur-but am going to be baser.
| love YOU It's all that life
has in it. have no right 10
tell. -. l have promised myself
and my God that would not tell you.
But have told And it's true.
nj L
say no."
Words appeared here and there
among her tears. And at first l could
not string them together But pres.
emily, as prospector may gather dia.
monds, one here. one there until he
has handful, their collective meaning
shone suddenly like great light in
my heart. She was saying-over and
over:
IF you love met makes all the
difference If you really love
NEAL the difference"
When / learned that Ewes mother
had been dead these many years, the
heaviest blame that could put upon
myself no longer had basis in fact.
| thought somewhat lightly of any
extra anguish that | had caused her
father. First because he was man,
and second because he had been will.
ing to let her marry another man
whom she did not love- But admit
that 1t was with a trembling hand that
| gave my card to the servant at her
fathers door.
Unfortunately for getting at the gen.
uineness of his feeling, my name as a
man of millions was too generally ia.
miliar to have escaped him. He was
prepared, 80 far as know, to forgive
me anything. He touched a little on
his gray hairs, on fathers heart. etc
he blamed me as a man of the world
Tor committing actions liable to mis-
construction. He told me in formal
phrases, but without enthusiasm, what
my exact and proper line of conduct
ought to have been. And he finished
with the old adage that there was no
use crying over spilled milk.
have your word for it." he said.
that Eve Is no worse for her deten.
ton on the island. But, OF course. the
world will give your characters a thor
ough smfrching-but decently and be-
hind your backs. We cannot helm that
And after all, the world in its heart
OF hearts would only really blame you
III 1t kneaD pOSittUeLu that YOU were fall.