El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-20
The Truth
A short story.

/ HE only shrugged her shoulders
He came over to the sofa where
/ ~ she was sitting and began to talk
to her eagerly. The heavy blinds al
most shut out the sunlight and in the
| dusk the two people looked almost like
J shadows discussing their lives before
/ they passed away
Both were still young, but they loved
each other passlonatelys rOmantically
and he loved her as paSsiOnately to-
day as he did four years ago. John
was sure that she was less aware OF
the truth than anyone else He had
kept his love secret from the moment
he felt it awakening in his bosom
He remembered it all so distinctly.
1t was cold Wintry day when
Diana walked from the altar down
! through the aisle of the church, on
! the arm Of Count de SOrges. At that
moment john felt that he had been
-obbed of the only thing that made
life worth the living He would never
be able to speak of love to the woman
Z who now had become the wife Of his
best friend
How had it happened that he had
Eeen so bewitched by this girl of II,
so beWitched that even now his feel
iugs made him tremble as he stood
before her? Perhaps his first senI1-
ment had been one of pity for this
sensitive girl who was 50 greatly in
need of love and tender care.
SOrges, her husband. was good
natured. to be sure. but his kindness
vas like that of lion. He was apt
10 crush everything that was frail and
gentle Besides he was impulsive,
jealous and merciless, especially when
he thought Of his pride, wounded
John remembered everything so well
now when he sat in a small reception
room, while Diana was before him.
looking so many years older. All
around We're trunks. open and half
emptied OF their contents Everything
showed a sudden arrival Diana had
returned from Italy John had not
seen her for more than three years
and now he was entreating her to
leave again the same night
Her only answer was an impatient
shrUg Of the shoulders.
She was tired, he was to tell her
husband, tired of the empty, aimless
existence, which she lived with her
husband For some time she had tried
to reconcile herself to il. but in vain
True enough. she did not love her nus
band, she loved another, but this other
was never to suspect It. She had
gone to her husband Of her own free
viii and had confessed everything, but
she had firmly refused to reveal the
name of the man she loved That was
her secret and it must remain so. Her
confession was the best proof of her
innocence. but he made use of il as q
preteNt to send her away. and Obeying
her first impulse, she had left him. full
OF Indignation She had left him with
out considering the result and at the
bottom of her heart she had hoped he
would call her back But he did not,
50 now she must so back uncalled-
She could no longer bear her exile: her
suffering was beyond all endurance /
Her husband might do whatever he
liked she must see once more her lit
tic Marguerite and take her back with
her If she continued this existence
she must have her child.
Diana said all this in a low. pas
sIcnless voice, and all the time it was
as If she suppressed a sigh. her eyes
were closed behind the long lashes, /
she seemed afraid to open them
John suffered dreadfully while she
was speaking SOrges had not told
him the reason Of his divorce and. low
ing Diana as he did. he had not dared /
ask He had tried to soften his I
friends heart to make him call her 4
back, but had met with a firm re-
And then he had brooded and pom
dered. What could she have done
row he knew, she had told him so her 7
But / assure you"
You may as well confess that it is /,
ne who asks YOU to ask me TO leave >
again she interrupted him
NO, no, Diana, I came here on my I
own impulse as soon as SOrges told j
me you were back But you must 20 {
somewhere, II merely for a week. You &
must leave right away Your return 1
was TOO sudden Sorges was not pre-
pared"
Her voice was full of pride. as she
answered. Il do not care to see him I
at all; it is Marguerite I want to take /
with me-
And with broken voice she con-
tinued-
I am so glad you came to me. Your
coming has done me so much good II
IS as If you brought with YOU some OF
the air that my Marguerite breathes-
But II Is not enough. I must have her
myself Don't you see am sick very
sick There are moments when I feel
as II 1 were going mad I have suf-
Tered so dreadfully- I never deserved
% ne treated as my husband has treat
ed me He ought to have let me keep
my child. If she had placed her little I
hand on my heart my secret would
OFTEN does not child protect the
honor of its mOther2" She had spoken
softly almost in a whisper, but sudden
" she burst out.
No, do not need Marguerite's help.
am an honest wife. I do not want
You to doubt il for a moment"
and her eyes, wide open now. stared
a. MN almost with an expression Of
He looked at her long and once more
he saw her before his eyes as she
locked on her wedding day.
Then he spoke to her tenderIy. gent
~ She must go away today. She
E1ust not remain in this house. SOrges
might come He had been so excited
a few hours. and he would try to
soften SorEes's hatred For SOrges
really hated her
But Diana continued to refuse
Ihen servant entered with a let
ter
What is this2T Diana exclaimed
John turned as pale as death and
tiled to prevent her from opening the
after But Diana's eyes ran through
The few lines:
Mount Sorges asks the honor OF
your presence at the funeral of his
laughter. Anne Maria Marguerite, on
Friday"
She dropped the letter and a dread J
-ul smile spread across her face. Then
she opened her arms and screamed:
7 love YOU" r
A nameless horror seized him. [
she went mad"
And she was mad. fndeed-but she
lad told him the truth O
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