The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-10

81 IL Fs "a. . =
two. confronted each other. He
stretched out his hand as he, asked
that last question, almost as ifthe had
offered II to her. She made The best
answer possible to his demand, for be
fore he could divine what she would
be at, she thad seized his hand and
kissed itiald this time was the man
whose knees gave way, = He sank
down In the chair and buried his face
in his hands, i44td - ~ ~
roh, Cod. Oh, God!rthe cried in
his humiliation and shame, IF ] had
only met you, first, or IL my wife had
died as others, die, aud not by my
hand in that awful hour. ! can see
her now, broken. bruised, bleeding,
torn, can hear the report OF that
weapon; her last glance atj me In the
midst OF her indeseribabIet agony was
one OF ithankfnInsssS anGrErhtitudeIS
can't stand It, ] am unworthy even Of
her" i Il 8, .,srf ~ g., - IL
t'But you could not help 1t, It was
not your fault. And you can't help
caring-for me- L.. II I
u ought to help It, ought not love
You, l ought to have known that j
WIS not. At to love any woman, that
II bad no@fight, that 4 was pledged
Ike q monk Il. the past, II have been
weak, b fool Il love you and my hon.
or goes, Hove you and my selfrespect
goes. I. love you and my pride goes,
Would to God II could say I love you
and my life goes and end 1t ALL He
stared .at1her: little space. "There
Is only one way Of satisfaction, In II
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" H3;ss w ~ ~
"And why not?" ti&
Because you do not love me.p:.g
"But l do" said the woman quite
simply as II It were matter of
course not. only that she should love
HIN, but: that she should also tell him
sos VA, ~ ~. Y, I,
z Ehe man stared at her amazed.
sdDh fierce surges Of Joy throbbed
through him as he had not thought
tho human frame could sustain. . This
woman loved him; in asome strange
way he had gained her aifection.i.jlt
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 a 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. = esT9n&- s.,.ss
81 never dreamed, l never hoped
OH" he, exclaimed as II 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" y. =,
You cannot go now; it Is dark,
bark to the storm, tyou would miss
your footing yottiwouidi fall, you would
freeze, you would die
What matters that?'
Il cannot have it,
ut would be better So" n.Sf
, He strove again to wrench himself
away. but she would not be denied.
She chung to him tenaciously. 49,, y
Il 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- EI,
Il tell you that the quicker and
more surely go out Of life, the hap.
pier and better 1t will be for YOU
| And l tell your said ,;thetwoman.
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