Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-02-21
~co away. SOPHIE said Melanie

scrutinizingly at Aleck cor are you.
perhaps, hungry? I'm not going to talk
to hungry man." she announced.
Not bite TIL I've heard chapter
thirty sale Aleci.
In a moment she became serious
again.
Il have lived in England and here in
America" she began. long enough to
understand that the differences be-
tween your people and mine are more
than the differences of language and
climate; they are ingrained in our
habits of thought, our education, our
judgment of life and of people. Ny
childhood and youth we're wholly diff
ferent from yours, or from what an
American girls could be; and yet
think | understand your American
women, though / suppose / am not in
the least like them
"But !, on the other hand, have seen
the dark side Of life, and particularly
OF marriage. When was child l.
was more important in my own coun-
try than / am now. since it seemed
then that my father would succeed to
the throne. was brought up to feel
that was not a woman, but a pawn
in the game of politics. When | had
been out of the convent for a year or
more, loved a youth, and was loved
IN return. but our marriage was
laughed at. put aside, declared impos-
sible, because he was of a rank In
ferior to my own. My lover disap-
peared. know not where or how.
Then affairs changed My father died,
and 1t transpired that | had been Of
icially betrothed since childhood to
Duke Stephens brother, the Count
Lorenzo The duke was my guardian.
and there was no one else to whom l
could appeal; but the very week set
for the wedding l faced the duke and
declared would never marry the
count. His Highness ragged and
stormed, but I told him few things
knew about bis brother, and made
him see that was in earnest The
next day / left Krolvetz, and the duke
gave out that was i'll and had gone
TO a health resort; that the wedding
was postponed. | went to France and
hid myself with my aunt, took one of
my own middle names and her sur
name, and have been known for some
time. as you know. as MeIanie Rey-
nier.p
i know you wish to tell me all |
these things, Melanie, but | do not
want you to recall painful matters of /
the past now" said Aleck gently. |
You shall tell me of them at another
time"
The color frightened in Melanie's /
face, her eyes glowed
No, not another time; you must I'M /
derstand now, especially because all /
this preface leads rue to what really /
want to say to you. 1t is this: / do /
not now care for the man | loved at |
nor for any of the other men
of my country who have been pleased /
10 honor me with their regard But |
ever since those early days have had !
4 dream of home--a place different /
from Duke Stephens home, different |
from the homes of many people of my
rank My dream has a husband in il /
who is a companion, a friend, my
equal in love, my superior in |
strength" Melanie's eyes lifted to /
meet Alexis, and they were full of an /
almost tragic passion; but it was a
passion for comprehension and love. /
not primarily for the man sitting be-
fore her She added simply: "And |
for my dream I'd give all the wealth.
all the love, have"
The room was very still. Aleck Var
Camp sat quiet ard grave. his fore. /
head resting on his hand He looked /
up, finally, at Melanie, who was be- |
side him, pale and quite worn.
Poor childi You needed me more
than thought" was what he said.
But Melanie had not quite finished
NO, that is not enough, that | should I
need you. You must also need me. I
want what atone can give you, match |
my love with yours And this, /
think. you do not do You calculate, /
you remain cool, you plan your life I
like campaign. and am part of your
You are thousand times
better than Count Lorenzo. but think
your principles of reasoning are TIE
same. You do not love me enough
and that is why | can not say yes"
Aleck had taken this last blow
standing. He walked slowly around
and stood before Melanie, much as he
had stood before her when he first
asked her to marry him: and this
time. as he looked down on her fair
ness there was infinite gentleness and
patience and love in his eyes. He
bent over. lifted Melanie's two hands
and drew her bodily out of her seat
She was impressive. Her quick alert
ness. her vitality, her passionate sert
had slipped away. Aleck pu,
his arms around her very tenderly
and kissed her lips; not lovers kiss
exactly, and yet nothing else. Their
he looked into her face.