Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-04-03

midst of her indescribable agony was
one of thankfulness and gratitude. I
can't stand it, am unworthy even of
her."
"But you could not help it, it was
not your fault. And you can't help
caring-for me"
II ought to help it, I ought not love
you, | ought to have known that ]
was not fit to love any woman, that
l had no right, that I was pledged
weak, fool. love you and my hon
or goes, love you and my self-respect
goes, 1 love you and my pride goes.
Would to God 1 could say love you
and my life goes and end it ALL" He
stared at her little space. 'There
is only one way of satisfaction in it
all, one CLEAN of comfort" he added.
"And what is that?"
"You don't know what the suffering
is, you don't understand, you don't
comprehend"
"And why not?"
Because you do not love me-"
but I do" said the woman quite
simply as if it were a matter of
course not only that she should love
him, but that she should also tell him
so.
The man stared at her amazed.
Such fierce surges Of joy throbbed
through him as he had not thought
the human frame could sustain. This
woman loved him, in some strange
way he had gained her affection. 1t
was impossible, yet she had said so!
He had been a blind fool. He could
see that now. She stood before him
and smiled up at him, looking at him
through eyes misted with tears, with
lips parted, with color coming and 60
ing in her cheek and with her bosom
rising and falling. She loved him, he
had but to step nearer to her to take
her in his arms. There was trust,
devotion, surrender, everything, in her
attitude, and between them like that
great gulf which lay between the rich
man and the beggar, that separated
heaven and hell, was that he could
not cross.
Il never dreamed, never hoped
OH he exclaimed as if he got his
death wound, this cannot be borne"
He turned away but in two swift
steps she caught him.
Where do you go?"
"Out, out into the night"
"You cannot go now, it is dark;
bark to the storm, you would miss
your footing you would fall, you would
freeze, you would die"
what matters that?"
II cannot have it,
ct would be better 500
He strove again to wrench himself
away, but she would not be denied.
She chung to him tenaciously
i will not let you go unless you
give me your word Of honor that you
will not leave the plateau, and that
you will come back to me-"
II tell you that the quicker and
more surely I go out of life, the hap
pier and better it will be for you.''
"And 1 tell you," said the woman
resolutely, "that you can never go out
Of my life again, living or dead" She
released him with one hand and laid
it upon her heart. "You are here.''
Enid" cried the man.
'No," she thrust him gently away
with one hand yet detained him with
the other-that was emblematic Of
the situation between them. mot
now, not yet, let me think, but prom
Use me you will do yourself no harm,
you will let nothing imperil your life"
"As you WILL" said the man regret
fully. 81 had purposed to end it now
and forever, but l promise"
''Your word of honor?"
"My word Of honor
Sand you won't break it's
81 never broke it to human being,
much less will l do so to you!"
She released him, he went into the
other room and she heard him cross
the floor and open the door and go
out into the night, into the storm
again.