Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-17


helpless. alone, but it must not be.
know you better than you know
yourself. You will not take advantage
Of affection SO unbounded, of weak
ness SO pitiable."
Wa it the wisdom of calculation, or
was it the wisdom of instinct by which
she chose her course? Resistance
would have been un~availing, in weak
ness was her strength.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earthl Yes, that was true.
She knew it now, if never before, and
so did he.
Slowly the mar released her. She
did not even then draw away from
him. She stood with her hand still on
his breast. She could feel the beating
OF his heart beneath her fingers.
I am right" she said softly. ut
kills me to deny you anything. My
hearts yearns toward you. Why should
deny it? 1t is my glory, not my
shame"
There is nothing above love like
ours" he pleaded, wondering what
marvellous mastery she exercised that
she stopped him by a hands touch, a
whispered word, a faith.
mo; love is life, love is God, but
even God himself Is under obligations
Of righteousness. For me to come
to you now, to marry you now, to be
your wife, would be unholy. There
would not be that perfect confidence
between us that must endure in that
revelation. Your honor and mine, your
self respect and mine, would interpose.
If I can't have you with a clear con
science, If you can't come to me in the
same way, we are better apart. AL
though it kills me, although life with
out you seems nothing, l would rather
not live it, we are better apart. l
can't be your wife until"
Until what and until when?" de-
manded Newbold.
I don't know" said the woman, "but
| believe that somewhere, somehow,
we shall find a way out Of our diff
Guilty. There is a way" she said a
little incautiously. II know it."
Show it to me-"
mo, I cannot"
What prevents?"
The same thing which prevents you:
honor, loyalty"
ITO a MANI"
ITO a woman"
Il do not understand"
mo, but you will some day" She
smiled at him. "See," she said,
through my tears / can smile at you,
though my heart is breaking. l know
that in Gods good time this will work
itself out"
4 can't wait for God. l want you
now" persisted the other.
Hush, don't say that" answered the
woman, for a moment laying her hand
on his lips. But l forgive you. I
knoW how you suffer-"
The a could say nothing, do moth
ing. He stared at her a moment and
his hand went to his throat as If he
were choking.
Unworthy" he said hoarsely, "un-
worthy of the past, unworthy Of the
present, unworthy Of the future. May
God forgive me, l never can"
HE will forgive you, never fear"
answered Enid gently.
"And you?" asked her lover. II have
ruined your life"
mo, you have ennobled 1t. Let
nothing ever make you forget that.
Wherever you are and whatever you
do. and whatever you may have been,
l love you, and / shall love you to the
end. Now you must go, 1t is so late,
! can't stand any more. throw my
self on your mercy again, I grow weak
er and weaker before you; as you are
a man, as you are stronger, a v me
from myself. If you were to take me
again in your arms" she went on
steadily, II know not how I could drive
you back. For Gods sake, II you love
me-"
That was the hardest thing he had
ever done, to turn and go out Of the
room, out of her sight, and leave her
standing there with eyes shining, with
pulses throbbing, with breath coming
fast, with bosom painting. Once more.
and at a touch she might have yielded!