Lower coast gazette., 1913-12-13

would never have forgiven me. You
know yol wouldn't. II I've wzonged
you-".
II you had loved me as a true won
en- loves, you would hare told me
Tou would have had to. You could moi
have deceived me like this. Love
doesn't feed on lies. 1t fYas my right
to know everything, SO that | could
doc;ee my cSa course. Instead. you
have led me into this trap. There is
10 escape now. And 1t Is too late to
rsnrcach .you or to try to make you
resli.e what you have done. You say
your love for me kept you from tell.
ing: Believe that. if It Is any CON
fort to you. Il"
"ycr say / don't know what true
love U.s.. she laughed bitterly. I'm
afraid ! can never learn it from you.
So your love has died? Love can't
die. any more than God can &c. You
have never loved me"
H."
Never. I see. now that you didn't.
For you don't know what love means.
I lived for you. Every thought and
word and act Of mine was shaped fol
you. And for you alone. ! knew you.
I knew your faults. your %follies. your
| brute sayagery. And ! loved you for
them cs we'll as for the good that was
In you. But what was it you loved?
The woman you mayried-or o snow.
white sanity reputation? If you cared
| only for tho reputation-that is gone
forever. But II you loved me-the
woman I aM-then I've been every
thing you thought | was and wanted
mo to be-eyer since the first moment
you had the right to think of me at all.
/ gave you my life. from that time on
and forever. And It has been all yours.
Before then, 1t was NINE"
And yet you lot me believe It was
everytllng-your whole life-ysour
arst love.
"Tt was. All that was worth the
giving. All that had ever been worth
tbs giving. 1t was my self. Oh. can't
you, SEQ that a woman's body and
heart and soul belong not to her FIRST
lover but to her FIRST love? No woman
can even guess what love is until she
has found it. And I found It only
when ] knew you. ! gave you every
thing.
Tm trying to make it easy. We've
never had q real quarrel, you and !.
Mark. SO don't let US wind UP our
married life with one, now. You are
IN the right. I nm hopelessly In the
wrong. / have cheated you. admit
1t. and I'll accept the consequences. Il
is IN the blood. There is much il
heredity. NY father is a-politician
| don't know who my grandfather was
And II he had been worth knowing
ebout, I'd know. There IS q bad strain
running through, the family. It cropped
on. in me. Yes, I have cheated you
You had the right to demand IN oul
bargain the hard-andfast terms tho
world has decreed: All Of a wise's life
III exchange for q frayed and battered
remnant of her husbands. CAM
meet those terms. though ! tried te
foo! you into believing | could. So
must meelly give up The love whose
Price ! can't pay. Don't let's ma i
harder By having q scene over it
Good night. I'll stay with father until
yor can decide just what you want t.
do and ca what basis we're to sepa
rate. II it would do any good to ash
yous forgiveness I'd ask It. That's
Ell. Good night, Marx
She held out her hand With a shy
-wistfulness. He was staring straish'
into her tortured eyes and did not set
the gesture. The hand dropped bacl
Imply to her side, and she moved K
rejoin Blake.
But at the first step. Mark barred
her way. She looked at him In tiret
wonder. His face was set and hard
He made no move to touch her. Hi
voice, when he spoke, grated like
file, as he forced It between his IN
willing lips.
Grace" he began. I've tolo you n,
IN. ~ cor4;nued.