The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1913-04-16
them from opprobrium and disgrace.

upon the DOarQ. HIS love! NOt the
remotest idea of succumbing to the at
fractions of Edith Varney ever entered
his head when he attempted the 'des-
perate, the fatal role. At first he had
regarded the Varney house and her.
self as a chessboard and a pawn in
the game. The strength of character
which had enabled him to assume the
unenvtable part he played, because of
his country's need, for his country's
good, and which would have carried
him through the obloquy and scorn
that were sure to be visited upon him
with death at the end-did not stand
him In good stead when 1t came to
thoughts of her. Until he yielded to
his passion, and broke his self-im-
posed vow Of silence, he had fought a
good fight. Now he realized that the
woman who should accept his affec-
tons would compromise herself for
ever IN the eyes of everything she
held dear, even II he succeeded and
lived. which was unlikely.
He had never. 30 he fancied, in the
least and remotest way given her any
evidence that he loved her. In reality,
she had read him like an open book,
as women always do. He had come
there that night to get the message
from Jonas. and then to bid her good
bye forever, without disclosing the
state of his affections. II he succeed
ed in manipulating the telegraph and
carrying out his end of the project. he
could see no chance of escape. Ulti-
mate detection and execution appeared
certain. and any avowal would there
fore be useless. But he had counted
without her. She had shown her feel
ings, and he had fallen. To the tempta-
ton Of her presence and her artless
disclosure, he had not been able to
make adequate resistance.
He was the last man on earth to
blame her or to reproach her for that;
but the fierce. impetuous temperament
Of the man was overwhelming when It
once broke loose. and he felt that he
must tell her or die.
Because Of his iron self-repression
for 30 long he was the less able to
stand the pressure in the end. He
had thrown everything to the winds.
and had told her how he loved her.
Out there in the moonlight In the
rose arbor, the scent OF the flowers,
the southern night wind. the proxim-
fty Of the girl, her eyes shining like
stars out of the shadows In which
they stood. the pallor of her face. the
rise and fall Of her bosom, the flutter-
ing Of her hand as unwittingiy or wit
tingiy. who knows. she touched him.
had intoxicated him, and his love and
kaA u
he had spoken to her and she had an
swered. She loved him. What did
that mean to him nowf
Sometimes womans love makes
duty easy, sometimes II makes It hard.
6ometimes It u the crown which VIC
tors wear. and sometimes II II the
pan that overshadows defeat.
What Edith varney knew or sus-
pected concerning him. he could not
ten. That she knew something, that
she suspected something. had been
evident, but whatever her knowledge
and suspicion. they were not sufficient
~ powerful or telling to prevent her
from returning love for love. kiss for
kiss. But did she love him in spite
of her knowledge and suspicionf Tho
problem was too great for his solu-
ton then.
These things passed through his
mind a. he stood there by the window.
with his hand on his revolver. wait
ing. Il was all he could DO. Some
times even to the most nery and the
most alert Of soldiers comes the con-
viction that there II nothing to DO but
wait. And II he thinks Of n he viii
sympathixe with the women who are
left behind in times Of war, who have
little to do but wait.
The room had suddenly become his
world. the walls his horizon. the cell
ing his sky. At any exit he would md
the way barred Why had they left
him in the room. free. armed. his 70
volver in his handf
None but the bravest would have
entered upon such q career ~ he had
chosen. His nerves were like steel
In the presence of danger. He had
trembled before the woman in the
garden a moment since; the stone
walls of the house were no more rig
idly composed than he in the drawing
room now. 1t came to him that there
was nothing left but one great battle
in that room unless they shot him
from behind door or window or por>
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