The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-10-03
CHAPTER XVIII.
The STRENGTH Of the Weak,

bravely enough while he was there,
when she was alone her feart sank
into the DEPTHS as she contemplated
the dreadful and unsolvable dilemma
In which these two lovers found them.
selves so unwittingly and ineXtricably
involved 1t was indeed curious and
bewildering situation. Passionate
alteration for the other rose in each
breast like the surging tide Of Q
mighty sea. and like that tide upon
the shore 1t broke upon conventions,
Ideas, ideals and obligations intangi-
BILE to the naked eye, but as real as
those iron coasts that have withstood
the waves assaults since the worlds
morning.
The man had shaped his life upon a
mistake. He believed absolutely in
the unquestloned devotion OF a WON.
an to whom he had been forced to
mete out death in an unprecedented
and terrible manner. His unwilling
ness to derogate by his own conduct
from the standard Of devotion which
he believed had inhabited his wife's
bosom, made 1t impossible for him to
allow the real love that had come into
his heart for this new woman to have
free course; honor, pride and self.re-
spect scourged him just in proportion
to his passion for Enid Maitland.
The mere he loved her, the more
ashamed he was. BY a curious com
bination of circumstances, Enid Matt
land knew the truth; she knew that
from one point of view the woman had
been entirely unworthy the reverence
in which her husband he'd her men,
Dry. She knew TINT his WIG had not
loved him at all, that her whole heart
had been given to another man, that
what NeWbold had mistaken for a pas.
sionate desire fer his society because
there was no satisfaction in lie for
the wife away from him, was due to a
fear lest without his protection she
should be unable to resist the appeal
OF the other man which her heart
seconded so powerfully. II it were
only that NeTbold would net be false
to the obligation Of the o,hcr woman's
devotion, Enid might have solved the
problem in 4 moment.
1t was not so simple, however. The
fact that Newbold cherished this men,
DRY, the fact that this other woman
had fought so DESPERATELY, had tried
SO hard not to give way, entitled her
to Enid Maitland's admiration and de-
manded her highest consideration as
we'll. Chance, or Providence. had put
her In possession Of this womans Sc.
cret. 1t was as If she had been caught
inadvertently eavesdroppng. She
could not In honor make use of what
she had overheard, as 1t were; she
could not blacken the other wOman's
memory, she could not en.ighten this
man at the expense of his dead wife's
reputation.
Although she longed for him as
much as he longed for her, although
her love for him amazed her by its
depth and intensity, even to bring her
happiness, commensurate with her
feeling, she could not betray her dead
sister, The imposts of honor, how
hard they are to sustain when they
conflict with love and longing.
Enid Maitland was naturally not a
little thrown off her balance by the
situation and the power that was hers.
What she could not do herself she
could net allow anyone else to do.
The obligation upon her must be en-
tended to others. Old l[irkby had no
right to tie woman's secret any more
than she; he must BE- sIcnccd. Arm
strong, TIE only other being who was
privy to the truth, must be silenced
too.
Che thing at least arose OFT of the
sea Of trouble In a Tangible way; she
was done with Armstrong. Even if
she had not so loved Newbold that she
could scarcely give thought to any
other human being, she was done with
Armstrong.
A singular situation! Armstrong
had loved another woman, so had New.
bold; and the latter had even married
this otLer woman. yet she was quite
willing to forgive Newbo.d, she made
every excuse for him, she made none
for Armstrong. She was an emnently
sane, just person, yet as she thought
OF the situation her anger against
Armstrong grew hotter and hotter. II
was safety valve to her feelings, al.
though she did not realize it. After
all, Armstrong; actions rendered her
a cart,!n service; If she could get
over the objection in her soul. if she
could ever satisfy her sense CT honor
ard duty and obligation, she could set.
! tie tie question at once. SIC had
only to SLOW the letters to Newbold
ard to sly: These were written by
the ran CT the picture: it was he, and
not yea, your wife loved" AMI New
bold would take her to Lis heart in
st2.t'v.
Thrsa thoughts were not without a
Certain .oG5Gr. 70 her. All tie COM
tc0c&.cT ii self sacrifice is in its
rea..za; Z. That she cas,d and did