The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-04-14

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their brillianoy. IF that is the case.
your only cure is marriage.
He said nothing and she went o.
swiftly: 1T will be a tremendous
shock to your friends. You know
your tragic.eyed lady is divorced ani
YOU have exploited your ideas Oh
divorce so frequently that it's become
rather a joke
A momentary sensation Of sickn
at the heart stined him, and in a fea
minutes he rose and said goodnight
For a week Trescott avoided AR
Fox. Finally, she sent a note baseoc
Ing him to come. With a half r.
uctance he went. She looked as loya
lv in her soft clinging gown of whit
creme as the beautiful Bermuda lille
.gassed on the piano He made som
foolish excuses and sank into the con-
Portable chair that she had pushed fer
ward. realizing at each minute the pie
ful truth of Mrs. Catherwood's pitiies
confidence.
Are you in troube?" she asked,
shade of ANXIETY sweeping over her
delicate features.
NO" he replied with a forced laugh
Il am tired and somewhat despondent
Won't you sing?'
She went slowly to the piano, and
as she passed the breath Of rare per,
fume she affected heated to his nos.
trils. He did net watch her, as had
been his custom, but looked steadily
in the blue light Of the fire. once
before he had passed through a similar
experience, AT least, he had found
himself in an unpleasant position. The
girl was desperately in love, declaring
he had encouraged her, while he had
never given her anything but frank
comradeship He remembered dis
tinctly it had not affected him in the
slightest Now it was different, and
why? Involuntarily, he sighed, The
woman heard it and instantly arose.
He was not aware that she had fin
ished until he felt her hand, caressing
in it's tenderness, on his shoulder, and
her warm lips against his forehead.
Tell me-" she pleaded piteously;
tell me what is wrong"
He almost shook her away Her
beauty the perfume Of lilies, the whole
truth of her love vitally plain, angered
him more at each moment
Watt" he cried sharply. I'VE have
made a horrible mistake Perhaps
am more to blame, but never
dreamed you thought of me in such a
light. | do not love YOU He was
fully aware that his tone and attitude
were brutal, but he knew he must
finish. u did not intend it, / craved
your friendship so that | was utterly
blind to consequences. Forgive me-
and if / go with your forgiveness, l
won't feel the coward that am"
The woman was leaning YEARLY
against the chair She looked every
year of her true age, but there was a
pitiful sadness about her mouth and in
her wide. startled eyes.
ut was a mistake she said calmly,
yet her breath came fast and hard,
and as though to master herself, she
placed her frail hand to her breast. Il
did not intend to let it go on, but l
could not prevent it, l love you" she
raised burning, hungering eyes
He buried his face in his hands and
stammered some inarticulate words,
which were drowned in his throat.
"Ah, but listen, dear one she bent
forwaiNl. wild ring in her voice. l
love you as another loves a child, for
you are my child"
He sprang to his feet, his face white
and drawn, the perspiration standing
out boldly on his forehead,
1T is not worth while to go over the
miserable story. He told you when
you were old enough TO ask for me
that he divorced me because he
thought me an unworthy wife and
nl9ther, and he compelled me to re-
linquish all rights to you, my own
boy. He poisoned your mind against
me until you finally forgot in some
part of the world | existed-that is the
word; life isn't much when all the
sweetness is taken away. | waited all
these years until I heard Of his mar
riage and residence abroad, then
came, for my poor heart was hungry,
starving for a sight Of you. So
slipped quietly into your life to learn
the nature of your feelings towards a
mother you had never known. You
could not help believing what you did.
can forgive you, dear, all that, and
20 away with the sweet satisfaction of
having experienced the only breath OF
happiness I've known since ! gave you
birth"
For the brevity of second a weird
sensation of creepiness stole through
him. Then he looked at her standing
before him, wondrously lovely with a
moistness in her gray eyes and an in.
iured sadness quivering at her mouth.
"Mother!" he said, with great
hungering joy, and he clasped her to
his heart and kissed her trembling
lips.