The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-02

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for him alone. L had no thought
of evil in you. I was as sure of
your purity as I was sure Of my own
love, and of it's uselessness, hopeless
ness.
$50 during the long days and weeks
Of your fever I thought Of what
must do. Whatever it cost me, and
God knows the cost would be heavy
your happiness must be attained.
How could it be done? And this was
the result of my thought / asked
myself what would happen if I. were
out of the way. This was the be-
ginning out of which grew our COM
pact. My strength was not equal to
my sense of what was right in view
of my desire for your happiness. L
knew that if I were dead, and you
possessed my wealth, there would
then no longer be any bar to your
happiness. You would be free to
marry whom you pleased. But was
not likely to die unless it was by my
own hand.
''Then, too. the thought of giving
you UP to another was unbearable.
It maddened me to such q degree of
of frenzy that became incapable of
studying the position with a proper
calmness. 1t was the impossibility of
giving you up without a struggle
which eventually suggested the COM
pact to me. When first I married
you believed had lifetime be-
fore me in which to win your love,
and I believed myself capable of win
ming that love. Now I saw that it
was not so. wanted you so that
could not give you up to this man,
and yet I knew that according to my
own lights had no right to keep you
from him. was in fury of jeal-
ousy; life was no longer worth hav-
ing without you. So, after days and
weeks of thought, I brought myself
to a decision which seemed to me
at least fair. I said to myself, I will
demand definite period in which to
win you. If at the end Of that period
you still love this man I will pass
out of your life of my own free will.
If, on the other hand, win your
love, then this man shall adopt the
course which otherwise would have
been mine. Andway one Of us must
die.
+ 81 felt that it was impossible for
me to go on living without you, and
it was the only way in which I could
set you free. AS regarded Chalmer,
| if he should have lost your love. his
| death by his own hand was the toll
demanded in my jealousy. 1t was
| not good that I should demand mis-
Pfc merely to satisfy a frantic jeal-
ousy, but it appealed to me as fair
human bargain, and tell you now.
whichever way you decide will not
forego it. / am a plain man, Mary,
with plain, human feelings. I claim
no lofty thoughts or desires for my
purpose; it will possibly revolt you,
but I love you, and I want you, and
if you are mine, he shall die; if you
are his, them shall die! Choose
between us and give me your an
sWer.'
As the long story proceeded Mary
passed through every shade Of emo
ton. From bitter anger and resent
ment she slowly Gained as he unfold
ed each detail step by step of their
brief married life, and with infinite
care led up to the making of the
compact. And slowly her love for
him rose dominant again as she lis
| tened to, and took in the meaning IF
the motives which drove him to his
savage course. She understood she
love, the jealousy that had stirred
him and sent him headlong in op-
position to his best and highest re-
ligion. Her happiness was his bed
rock, even to his own Remuneration cf
/ her But he had not calculated upon
his own human passions. He loved
her; he had always loved her! And
at the thought world of happin sss
flooded her heart, which had been sc
nearly breaking.
AT the conclusion of the story she
turned upon the man who lad caus-
ed all her trouble. Chalmer looked
into the lovely grey eyes and knew
that once more his schemes had gone
awry. He was beaten.
Her eyes shone with a freezing
light
$50 you lied to me-" she said with
unutterable contempt "You lied Il
me because you are a--coward. ]
might have known" She paused, but
j added almost Immediately, "But still
IL have promised to save your life.'
Then her whole manner underwear,
a change as she addressed her hus-
band. A soft light replaced the cold
contempt in her eyes, but she wa.
thinking swiftly, and her nerves were
at a tension.
/ She must save the man; she want.
ed to now, but not for his own sake
She wanted to save him for her hus
bands sake; she wanted to save hel
husband from the moral crime which
his compact involved him in. Shit
was not really thinking of Guy a