The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-08-01

which illuminate the records of the
past. Paolo had not loved Francesca
more.
Oh, yes, the woman knew he loved
her. 1t was not in the power of NOR.
tai man no matter how iron his re-
straint, how absolute the imposition
of his will, to keep his heart hidden,
his passion undisclosed. No one could
keep such things secret, his love for
her cried aloud in thousand ways,
even his look when he dared to turn
his eyes upon her was eloquent of his
feeling. He never said word, how
ever, he held his lips at least fettered
and bound for he believed that honor
and it's obligations weighed down the
balance upon the contrary side TO
which his inclinations lay.
He was not worthy of this woman.
In the first place all he had to Of
fer her was blood stained hand.
That might have been overcome in
his mind; but pride in his self pun
ishment, his resolution to withdraw
himself from man and woman until
such time as God completed his ex
piation and signified his acceptance OF
the penitent by taking away his life,
held him inexorably.
The dark face of his wife rose be-
fore him. He forced himself to think
upon her, she had loved him, she had
given him all that she could. He re-
membered how she had pleaded with
him that he take her on that last and
most dangerous of journeys, her devo-
ton to him had been so great she
could not let him go out Of her sight
a moment, he thought fatuously And
he killed her. In the queer turmoil OF
his brain he blessed himself for every
thing. He could not be false to his
purpose, false to her memory, un-
worthy of the passion in which he be-
lieved she had held him and which
he believed he had inspired.
If he had gone out in the world,
after her death he might have forgot
ten most of these things, he might
have lived them down. Saner clear
er views would have come to him.
His morbid self reproach and self con-
seriousness would have been changed.
But he had lived with them alone for
five years and now there was no put
ting them aside. Honor and pride.
the only things that may successfully
fight against love, overcome him. He
could not give way. He wanted to,
every time he was in her presence he
longed to sweep her to his heart and
crush her in his arms and bend her
head back and press lips of fire on
her lips.
But honor and pride, held him back.
How long would they continue to ex-
ercise dorlinion over him? Would
the time come when his passion ris-
ing like sea would thunder upon
these artificial embankments of his
soul. beat them down and sweep them
away?
At first the disparity between their
situations, not so much upon account
of family or of property-the treas
ures of the mountains, hidden since
creation he had discovered and let lie
but because of the youth and posi-
ton of the woman compared to his
own maturer years, his desperate ex-
perience. and his social withdrawal
had reinforced his determination to
live and love without sign. But he
had long since got beyond this. Had
he been free he would have taken her
like viking of old, if he had to pluck
her from amid thousand swords and
carry her to beggar's hut which love
would have turned to palace. And
she would have come with him on the
same conditions.
CTo BE CONTINUED)