Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-04-04
memories, to make such expiationl as

memories to make such expiation as
could, to pray daily for forgiveness,
| came here to the widest, the most
inaccessible, the loneliest, spot in the
range. No one ever would come here
fancied, no pne ever did come but
you. / was happy after fashion, or
at least content / had chosen the
better part. had work, / could read,
write, remember and dream. But you
came and since that time life has
been heaven and hell. Heaven be-
cause / love you, hell because to love
you means disloyalty to the past, to
a woman who loved me. Heaven be.
cause you are here; l can hear your
voice, can see you, your soul Is
spread out before me in its sweetness,
in its purity; hell because | am false
to my determination, to my vow, to
the love of the past"
"And did you love her so much,
then?" asked the girl, now flercely
jealous and frgetful Of other things
for the moment.
TITS not that" said the man. II
was not much more than boy, year
or two out of college. had been in
the mountains year, this woman
lived in mining camp, she was a
fresh, clean healthy girl, her father
/ died and the whole camp fathered her,
looked after her, and all the young
men in the range for miles on either
side were in love with her. sup
posed that l was too and-well, won
her from the rest. We had been mar
ried but few months and part of
| Tie time my business as a mining en-
gineer had called me away from her.
| can remember the day before we
started on the last journey. l was
going alone again, but she was so I'M
happy over my departure; she chung
to me, pleaded with me, implored me
to take her with me, insisted on go
ing wherever / went, would not be
left behind. She couldn't bear me out
CT her sight, it seemed. don't know
what there was in me to have in.
spired such devotion, but must
speak the truth, however it may
sound. She seemed wild, crazy about
me. didn't understand it, frankly
1 didn't know what such love was-then
but took her along. Shall not be
honest with you? In spite of the at
traction physical, had begun to feel
even then that she was not the mate
for me. l don't deserve it, and il
shames me to say it of course, but
waited better mind, a higher soul
That made it harder-what l had to
do, you know"
Eyes, l know"
"The only thing 1 could dc
when came to my senses was
to sacrifice myself to her mem
: ory because she had loved me so; as
It was she gave up her aife for me;
l could do no less than be true and
loyal to the remembrance. 1t wasn't
sacrifice either until you came, but
as soon as you opened your eyes ant
looked into mine in the rain and the
storm upon the rock to which hat
: carried you after had fought for you
I knew that loved you. 1 knew Una
the love that had come into my hear
r was the love of which / had dreamed
! that everything that had gone befor
) was nothing, that had found the on
woman whose soul should mate wit
And Dis before l had said wor,
! to your"
E "what are words? The hear
speaks to the heart, the soul whis
pers to the soul. And so it was wit
: us. / had fought for you, you wer
: mine, mine. My heart sang 1t as
painted and struggled over the rock
carrying you. 1t said the words agai
, and again as laid you down here i
this cabin. 1t repeated them over an
, over: mine, mine! 1t says that ever
: day and hour. And yet honor an
fidelity bid me stay. l am free, ye
:. bound; free to love you. but not t
!. take you. My heart says yes, my col
science no. ! should desplse myse
II were false to the love whic
my wife bore me, and how could
offer you a blood stained hand!"
He had drawn very near her Will
he smoke. she had risen again and lib