Lower coast gazette., 1913-11-01

"And to me?" she cried shrilly. ITO
the Woman who staked more than
everything? Do you W nothing to
me?"
81 do not want to think what I owe
to YOU" he evaded, his voice shaking
ever so little. Il beg you not to remind
me of it,"
"You won't help me? You put these
miserable constituents and politicians
of yours ahead of me-"
IF you put it that way, yes"
"Oh, most noble statesman" she
Knocked, raging. Embodiment of all
that is perfect and-contemptible! |
didn't marry you because | no longer
loved you and because l wouldn't add
a blasphemous loyeless marriage to
my other sin. II l had become your
wife-even if it ruined both u lives
you would have felt it your duty to
stand by me and defend me against
the entire world. But because I had
the courage to stop before it made US
both miserable for life, you can not
in honor protect me! | wondsr if you
half realize how vile a thing you are!!"
She paused in her furious rambling
talk, for S~tandish's dark face had
grown CHASTITY. Vaguely she wonder
ed why. And as if reading her thoughts.
he spoke. There vas no thrill, ne stir
in the slow lifeless depths of his voice:
~ loved you. | have never loved
any other woman in all my miserable
life. l shall keep on Loving you as
long as I live. / do not want to. But
it is past my power. ! would sooner
have bitten out my tongue than be-
tray this secret Of yours. All this cans
not interest you. 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. act with
the certainty that by doing MY duty
I must bring ruin and heart-break on
the woman whom | love more than !
love my w 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" anne the slow
measured answer You talk much Of
your love for Mark Robertson. It Is
easy to love when love makes Il bliss.
fully happy. But is your love worthy
to be compared with mine? With the
love that brings only an eternal gnaw'
ing anguish-the love that ian never
hope for one atom of requital and yet
that canrot die-the love that would
sacrifice everything for you and yet
must endure sacrific.ng-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! Yess
"And you won't-you can't--destroy
my whole future. You can't. dear!!D
"Ah!!"
1t was the cry OF revulsion that
might break from a forestroamer
who had all but trodden on a rattle
snake. He rrcoiled a step, with z
shudder as of physical sickness.
WAS this needed" he ragged. WAS
it necessary to defle 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 a tragedy. Why
must you profane it and make 1t toui!
He mastered himself with an effort
ana fought his way back to the wontea
~llseless impersonal;ty that had become
to him a second nature.
Mrs. Robertson" he went on in his
customary measured siowness. the
case stands like this: your father and
nuspand are seeking to ruiz ne by
iaking up a story of my past. That
| story Involves vow. You ash me to
protect ECU. You sink to u~nspeakebia
methods to make ne DO 50. shsii
prataS; G as sal IS ] caa. | shall do
50 to the extreme. rnless such preisc
| ton mast involve tic welfare CT tEs
peoyse stio trust ..a ] viii not ssana
rs n.@eslg and see mf he wora
.or my aoQnsry,gsisfea viii net
b.trag taa trust of lni..icss Uhuse
only & Z ss ii re. Til; ste
.ar has ga u b.