The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-11-29

lesources were his strength, not
"lno out OF body. He made anoth.
most damaging mistake at this
fncture. A''
we are alone here, and am mas.
fr' remember" he said meaning,v
Come, let's make up. Give me a kiss
Pr my pains and"
l have been alone here for q month
Win another man." answered Enid
Ma'tland who was strangely unafrajd
u spite OF this threat. "A gentleman
ne mas never so much as offered to
toucn my hand without my permis-
sion; the contrast is quite to your dis.
advantage" ~
Are you jealous of Louise Rosser?"
asked Armstrong suddenly seeing that
ne was losing ground and casting
about desperately to account for it
and to recover what was escaping him
why. that was nothing, a mere how
ana girl affair" he ran on with spe.
cious good humor as If it were all a
rlhe. The woman was, l hate to
say It, just crazy In love with me. but
! really never cared anything espe.
elally for her; it was just a harmless
sort OF filtration anyway. She after.
Naid married this man Newbold and
mats all there was about it."
4 The truth would not serve him and
n his desperation and desire he stalk.
ed everything on this astounding lie.
The woman he loved looked at him
with her face as rigid as a mask.
You won't hold that against me,
Will you?" pleaded the man. 81 told
YOU that I'd been a man among men,
yes, among women, too. here in this
rough country. and that wasn't
worthy of you; there are lots of things
10 my past that l ought to be ashamed
q and l am, and the more l see you
the more ashamed l grow, but as for
loving any one else, all that I've ever
thought or felt or experienced before
now is just nothing"
And this indeed was true, and even
Enid Maitland with all her prejudice
could realize and understand it. Out
q the same mouth. was said Of old,
Eoceeded blessing and cursing, and
rom these same lips came truth and
ohood but the power of the truth
to influence this woman was as moth.
Ing to the power of falsehood. She
could never have loved him, she now
knew; better man had won her af-
fecticns. a nobler being claimed her
heart; but If he had told the truth re.
garding his relationship to Newbold's
wife and then had completed it with
his passionate avowal of his present
love for her. she would have at least
admired him and respected him.
You have not told me the TRUTH"
she answered directly; you have de.
liberately been false"
Cant you see," protested the man
drawing nearer to her. how much
I've you?"
aOh, that: yes l suppose that is
true: as far as you can love any one
VIII admit that you do love me-"
so far as l can love any one?" he
repeated after her. Give me a chance
and I'll show you"
But you haven't told the truth
about Mrs. Newbold. You have calum.
mated the dead, you have sought to
shelter yourself by throwing the bur-
den of guilty passion upon the weak.
er vessel; it isn't manlike, it isn't
Armstrong was bold fighter, quick
and prompt in his decisions. He made
another effort to set himself right. He
staked his all on another throw of the
dice, which he began to feel were
somehow loaded against him.
you are right" he admitted. won
dering anxiously how much the woman
really knew. 1T wasn't true, 1t was
q towards act, am ashamed Of it.
I'm so mad with love for you that !
scarcely know what I am doing, but
! will make clean breast of it now.
loved Louise Rosser after a fashion
before ever Newbold came on the
scene. We were pledged to each 9TH
er; a foolish quarrel arose. she was
jealous of other girls
And had she no right to be-"
"Oh, suppose so. We broke if of
anyway and then she married New.
bold, out Of pique suppose; or what
you will. | thought was heart-brok'
en- at the time, 1t did hit me pretty
hard; 1t was five or six years ago; !
was a youngster then, ] am a man
now. The woman has been dead long
since; there was some cOck.and.buIl
story about her falling off cliff and
her husband being compelled to shoot
her. | didn't believe it at the time.
and naturally have been waiting to
get even with him. have been hat.
inc aim for five years. but he has
been good to you and we will let by.
cones be bygones. What do ] care
for Louise Rosser. or for him. or for
what he did to her. now! ! am sorry
that said what ! did. but you viii!
have to charge it to my binding pas
sion for you. | can truthfully say that
you are one woman that have ever
craved with all my heart. will Go
anything, be anything. to win you.
Il was very brilliantly done; ne had
...,. ,,o<r,,th. ho had ad.