Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25
BY EDITH MACVANE

O.1er protection and maintenance, an act OF dis
interested friendship; and then, act of friendship
on your part beg to lend her your social influence
and offer you the opportunity of marriage with her
SOM"
shook my head. NO, unless gave my word of
honor to marry Victor and to get Aunt Elizabeth to
present her at Court, there not question of
my entering her door. But then was stranger to
Henry interrupted me trumphantly. "You see!
All the qualities of contract in their purest FORM
That is the special action each side be made
wholly conditional on the performance of certain
specified action the other Unless you rendered her
payment by entering her house. by giving her the dis
posa of your person, name, and social influence, and
by marrying her son, she not obliged to spend
single dollar YOU And you, your side, unless she
paid you by giving you your maintenance,-that is
your board clothing pocket money, travelling expenses
etc-you not to be obliged"
"But OH cried, "she has!' In spite of my agony
at the admission the necessity of telling the
truth tore the words from "She has! She's kept
her word to the last letter of it, and more Look! These
pearls, this satin dress, she gave She gave me my
home here, my beautiful home, the automobiles that
| 60 out in, the money in my purse, the very oppor-
tunity to meet you-you and your dear mother! She's
kept nothing back, not even her only son, which she
thinks the finest present of all' Beneath the tortured
touch of my fingers felt my little lace handkerchief
(another present from Mrs Cobb; value a hundred
francs) dissolving its fne-spun meshes into shreds
"Oh" cried with tears, "when she has kept her part
of the compact to the very letter. how refuse
perform mine?"
"For that very reason, answered Henry with nten-
sity. Because the very fact that in return for what
you have received from her. yourself have pledged
duty to perform, proves the existence of contract;
and contract made in such circumstances this one
is legally contract at ALL fact, in and of itself
grave ofense against the laws of this land. Darling
don't you understand? The promise that held you is
promise at ALL Your delicate scruples that do you
so much honor absolutely without basis in fact
You are free Dearest Don't you understand you are
free?"
stood stupidity, still with the great silver and tur-
quoise ornament dangling from my hand. This then
the endo The stranging mesh that had held me-
1o<1
all? Here then was the goal toward which for many
sad weeks and by many tortuous ways l had been
travelng After all the philosophy and the struggles
and the tears this what had been waiting for me
all the time-just Henry with his arms oustretched?
let the precious lump of silver go crash to the floor,
and held out my two hands to him with little cry.
for me to speak that way, before he had said it. But
couldn't help it, it was the truth "Oh, love you, l
love you SOL" heard myself gasping, over and over
again.
HENRY glanced quickly round. In the long room
were alone together. The next instant felt his
there icy water crawling between u.s. nothing to
keep us apart any more For moment he held me
close-so Close it seemed that my heart had stopped
beating, and my lips were no longer mine, but his
Then with a long sigh that seemed to tear all the
breath from his body, he released me. "My beauty
he said "my precious, my own, my very own! Then it
is settled this other miserable business and done
with, and you marry me?'
Whether it the law he had just expounded to me-
just the wordless influence of his lips, which tinged
through my body like strange drug, tell you
But will power from the scruples that this
afternoon had seemed important longer
than ancient prejudice already outgrown and
forgotten In my whole being there was room for no
than one gigantic fact-I was Henrys and he
mne My very arms knew him for mine, my very lips
claimed him! Therefore was not any idea that might
keep apart from him intrnscally wrong and false?
But did not think all this | only felt it. When we
very happy find that we do not think. And was
happy at last. Oh, divine revelation! Oh, wild and
tender moment when Henry stood there beside with
the love in his eyes and bent my will to his own!
u iii, say, I've been little fool'!"
give been little fool repeated breathlesslY; then