The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-03-23

"a man could give a woman.
At the last line her voice shook,
slightly, once 1t faltered.
sweetheart. to kiss the
Crossl"
The last long, quivering note
died away. She turned and arose
to face him. For a long time they
regarded each other unwavering-
ly. 1t had been two years and
more since they had met, these
two whose lives had SO strangely
crossed. They had been constant
ly In each others minds, in each
|other's hearts. Each saw that
the years had wrought changes in
the other.
Every time he had seen her, her
beauty had struck him anew: it
was so different from that of the
few women he knew. But he had
loved best to remember her as he
had last seen her, when she had
come to him in the days of his
sickness. How often, during the
long months. in the secrecy of his
room he had opened the book of
his memory to look upon her
standing there before him, her
startled eyes answering the love in
his! Now, in this sudden meet
ing, the picture he had carried
seemed to him woefully made
quate. She was even more slender
than before, yet less fragile. Her
face was marked by a new gentle
ness, a new patience, and withal
a new strength, that made her, to
Bob's eyes, beautiful beyond
dreams.
She, too, saw change. He was
the same stalwart figure as before,
yet slight stoop had come into
the big shoulders. Streaks of
gray were in his hair. The thin
strongly marked, ascetic face was
the same, and yet not the same;
the bold arrogance, the look of the
|all-eonquering Viking, was gone.
In its place had come the quiet,
matured strength of the man who
has proved himself, and the great
kindness of a strong man who
has suffered without hardening.
Under his steady regard she
trembled. She tried to take her
eyes from his, but could not. She
knew that in that moment of ST.
lence they were saying what must
not be said. She tried to speak,
to break the spell.
Il was singing for him-he
asked me- she said unsteadily.
Il heard you sing that song for
him once before, the nigth when
= He could not go on.
All that is forgotten, Mr.. Nc
Adoo."
He shook his head slowly. eft
can never be forgotten, Mrs. Gil
bert. Every night l dream of it, >"
he answered sadly.
ut tore my heart that night,
your singing" The words fell
slowly. 81 knew that these kind
people had something I had not.
They had learned the lesson. But
l, in my ignorance. could not see
how one could learn to kiss ones
Cross
"Ah!' she answered gently. "I|
knew that something was hurting
you that night. Otherwise"
otherwise | should not havel
been so unspeakably brutal to
your he interrupted forcefully. |
You are generous to find an ex-
cuse for me. But that is not true.
A man such as I was is apt to do
such things, Mrs. Gilbert"
A man such as you are is ant
to be too harsh with himself, Mr..
McAdoo. And" she could not help
to hint of pride in her voice. al
have heard fine things of you. You
have learned to kiss the cross, RI
think"
Again he shook his head. al
fear not. / have not grown SO farl
yet. And" his voice was losing
Its steadiness, seeing you here.
Il realize how heavy my cross
has become"
Continued Tomorrow
There is a charm In baking ~
you use Pyramid Elour t. T.,