The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1913-09-11
CHAPTER xxxIlI.
Alone.

OSWalu Ndu uedTu uOlHllB' StSh
nothing. But he took note of Doris
silence. and turning towards her in
frenzy saw what had happened, and
so was in a measure prepared for the
stern, short sentence which now rang
through the room:
Wait, Miss Scott! you tell my
story badly. Let him listen TO me.
From my mouth only shall he hear
the stern and seemingly unnatural
part / played in this family tragedy"
The face of Oswald hardened
Those plant features-beloved for
their gracious kindliness-set them
selves in lines which altered them al
most beyond recognition; but his
voice was not without some OF its nat
ural sweetness, as, after long and
hollow look at the others composed
countenance, he abruptly exclaimed;
Speak! / am bound to listen; you
are my brother"
Orlando turned towards Doris. She
was slipping away.
Don't co." said he.
But she was gone.
| SLOWLY ne JuTUeu OdCh.
Oswald raised his hand and checked
the words with which he would have
begun his story.
Never mind the beginnings" said
he. Doris has told all that You
saw Miss Challoner in Lenox-ad-
mired her and afterwards wrote her a
threatening letter because she reject
ed you"
at is true. Other men have fol-
lowed Just such unworthy impulses
and been ashamed and sorry after
wards. was sorry and was
ashamed, and as soon as my first
anger was over went to tell her SO.
But she mistook my purpose and"
And what?"
Orlando hesitated. Even his iron
nature trembled before the misery he
saw-a misery he was destined to aug
ment rather than soothe. With pains
altogether out OF keeping with his
character, he sought in the recesses
of his darkened mind for words less
bitter and less abrupt than those
which sprang involuntarily to his lips
But he did not find them. Though he
pitied his brother and wished to show
that he did, nothing but the stern
: language suitable to the stern fact he
wished to impart, would leave his lips
"And ended the pitiful struggle Of
the moment with one quick. UMPIRE
meditated blow" was what he said
There is no other explanation pos
sible for this act, Oswald. Bitter as
it is for me to acknowledge it. I an
thus far guilty of this beloved WON
ans death. But, as God hears me
from the moment l fret saw her, e
the moment | saw her last, / did no
know, nor did for a xnoment dreaC
T. that she was anything to you or Il
any other man OF my stamp and sta
/ ton. I thought she desplsed my coun
try birth, my mechanical attempts, m.
lack of arlstocratic pretensions ant
traditions"
"Edith?"
Now that I know she had othe
q reasons for her contemplated tn
!, words she wrote were in rebuke Z
i the brother rather than to the man
l feel my guilt and deplore my anger
a cannot say more. l should but In
suit your grief by any lengthy expires
sions of regret and sorrow"
y A groan of intolerable anguis
/; from the sick mans lips, and then tn
d quick thrust OF his reawakened int
p ligence rising superior to the ovel
8 throw OF all his hopes.
For a woman of Edith's principl
8 to seek death in a moment of desperi
Q ton, the provocation must have bee
II very great. Tell me IL I'm to hate 20
r. through life-yea through all eternit
= or II must seek in some unimal
g Unable failure OF my own character G
:; conduct the cause of her intolerabl
e despair"
5. Oswald" The tone was controlling
% and yet that of one strong man
10 another. Us 1t for US to read tn
II heart of any woman, least OF all OF
E woman of her susceptibilities an
keen inner life? The wish to end a
comes TO some natures like a ligh
. ming flash from a clear sky. IL come
ID Il goes. often without leaving a sig
u But IL weapon chances to be near
(here It was in hand)-then deaf
TO follows the impulse which, given a
= instant of thought, would have va
T; ished in a back sweep of other EN-
er lions. Chance was the real accessol
as to this death by suicide. Oswald. 1
,! us realize 1t as such and accept o'
sorrow as a mutual burden and tut
10 what remains to us of life an
e- labor. Work is griefs only consol
a. ton. Then let us work"
b. But OF all this Oswald had caug
IT. but the one word.
n xo-,@ mr. f-ooy,rrNsTrUrDN