The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-08-16

it is past my power. I would sooner
have bitten out my tongue than be-
tray this secret of yours. All this can
not interest you. I tell you, SO that
you may know the punishment is not
all yours. You merely risk losing
what you have gained and cherished
during the past few years. l act with
the certainty that by doing my duty
I must bring ruin and heart-break on
the woman whom love more than l
love my own soul. Is my task easier
than yours"
The utter ardor of his words, COM
bined with the dull lifelessness of his
tone. was almost laughable. Grace
was gazing at him in blank astonish-
ment.
you love me?" she muttered.
81 have told you so,", came the slow
measured answer. You talk much OF
easy to love when love makes one bliss
fully happy. But is your love worthy
to be compared with mine2 With the
love that brings only an eternal gnaw-
ing anguish-the love that can never
hope for one atom of requital and yet
that cannot die-the love that would
sacrifice everything for you and yet
must endure sacrificing-you?"
"You love me?" she repeated; and
her voice had all at once grown won
drous sweet and vibrant. You love
me-Matt?"
She had drawn closer to him as she
spoke. Now she was looking straight
up into his wretched eyes; her own
glowing like mist-haloed stars. So
near to him was she that the chiffon
on her breast touched the harsh tex
ture of his coat Her breath played
lightly on his face. The faint fra
GRANGE of her hair filed the mans
nostrils. The warm magic Of her
presence dazed him.
Matthew Standish stood, his eyes
wide, his breath coming fast, the sweat
beads breaking from his forehead. The
heavy mask On his face twisted itself
into a half-grotesque aspect of pain.
you love me?" she murmured.
"Yes!" he groaned, his big voice
breaking. God help me! Yes!"
And you won't-you can't-destroy
my whole future. You can't, dear!"
"Ah."
1t was the cry of revulsion that
might break from a forest-roamer
who had all but trodden on a rattle
snake. He recoiled a step, with a
shudder as of physical sickness.
WAS this needed" he ragged. WAS
it necessary to def1le my smashed idol
still further? Wasn't it enough that
you long ago taught me to look on all
women as shadows? Why must you
turn misery into nausea by playing
Delilah? My love was tragedy. Why
must you profane it and make it foul?"
He mastered himself with an effort
and fought his way back to the wonted
1ifeless impersonality that had become
to him a second nature.
Mrs. Robertson" he went on in his
customary measured slowness, 1.-The
case stands like this: your father and
husband are seeking to ruin me by
raking up a story OF my past. That
story involves you. You ask me to
protect you. You sink to unspeakable
methods to make me do so. / shall
protect you as far as I can. l shall do
so to the extreme, unless such protec-
ton must involve the welfare of the
people who trust me. l will not stand
by meekly and see my life work
for my country ruined. I will not
betray the trust of millions whose
only hope rests on me. This story
your father has dug up must not
BE- made public. You understand
me? 1t must not be made public! At
any cost to myself or to you. Is that
clear?"
Then" she asked in tired despera-
ton, what do you mean to do?"
Nothing at ALL he returned, so
long as your father and husband keep
this story quiet"
But surely they won't publish it
without knowing my-the Woman's
name?"
That is what I'm beginning to be
afraid of. They may feel so absolutely
certain of learning the name later, that
they will circulate the story on the
floor of the house tonight and in to-
morrow's newspapers. And then, when
they find out who the Woman really is,
it will be too late to suppress it. You
must stop that story. If it gets out l