Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-01-27

first time In many months he feit
young and free. How blind he had
been and how narrow had been his
escape from life that could lead to
but one result! The girl was sweet
and good and wonderful in many
ways. but three years had altered him
more than he had realized. He had
begun to understand himself that
very afternoon. when Cherry had told
him her own unhappy secret The
shock of her disclosure had reused him
from his dream and once he began to
see himself as he really was the rest
had come quickly. He had been
doubtful even when he went out to
the yacht. but what happened there
had destroyed the last trace of I'M
certainty. He knew that for him
there was but one woman In all the
world. 1t was no easy battle he had
fought with himself. He had been
reared to respect the conventions. and
he knew that Chcrry's life had not
been all he could wish. But he front
ed the issue squarcly and tried to
throttle his inbred prejudice. Al
though he had felt the truth of Fra
ser's arguments and of Cherry's own
words, he had still refused to yield
until his love for the girl swept over
him in all it's power: then he made his
choice.
The one thing he found most diff
cult to accept was her conduct with
Hiliard Those other charges against
the girl were vague and shadowy. but
this was concrete. and he was familiar
with every miserable detail of it. 1t
took all his courage to face it. but he
swore savagely that if the conditions
had been reversed Cherry would not
have faltered for an instant. More
over. what she had done had been
done for love of him. 1t was worse
than vile 10 hesitate. Her past was
her own. and all he could rightfully
claim was her future. He shut his
teeth and laid his course resolutcly for
her landing. striving to leave behind
this one hideous memory. centerinS his
mind upon the girl herself and shut
ting out her past. 1t was the bitter
est fight he had ever wagcd But
when he reached the shore and tied
his skiff he was exalted by the knowl-
edge that he had triumphed: that this
painful episode was locked away with
all the others.
Now that he had conquered he was
filled with Il consuming cagerness. As
he stole up through the shadows he
heard her playing. and when he drew
nearer he recognized the notes of that
song that had baniShed his own black
dcsolation on the night of their first
meeting He paused outside the open
window and saw by the shaded lamp
light that she was playing from mem
ory, her fingers wandering over the
keyboard without conscious effort
Then she took up the words with all
the throbbinS tenderness that lives in
a deep contralto voice:
Last night | was dreaming of thee. love
was dreaming;
dreamed thou didst promise
Cherry paused as if entranccd. for
she thought she heard another voice
Join with hers. Then she bowed her
head and sobbed in utter wretched.
ness. knowing it for nothing more than
her own fancy. Too many times. as
In other twilights past. she had heard
that mellow voice blend with hers.
only to find that her ears had played
her false and she was alone with q
memory that would never die.
or all the days of her life this was
the saddest. this hour the loneliest.
and the tears she had withheld so
bravely as long as there was work t"