Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-10-09

no other woman in the past, the pres
ent or the future, and, realizing this
taking in to the fun what her affection
and her trust might be to him in
those fearsome days to come, he so
dreaded rebuh-he. who had been
the courted of women and the admired
of men ever since he could remember
that he failed to respond to her well
come and the simple congratulations
she felt forced to repeat He could
neither speak the commonplace, nor
listen TO it. This was his crucial
hour He must find support here, or
yield hopelcssly TO the maelstrom in
whose whirl he was caught
She saw his excitement and faltered
back a step--a move which she regret
ted the~next minute, for he took adj
vantage Of it to enter and close behind
him the door which she would never
have shut of her own accord Then
he spoke, abruptly. passionately, but
In these golden tones which no emo
ton could render other than alluring;
81 am an unhappy man, Miss Scott.
I see that my presence here is not
welcome. yet am sure that 1t would be
so ii it we're not for prejudice
which your generous nature should
be the first to cast aside, In face of the
outspoken confidence of my brother
Oswald Doris, little Doris, love you.
have loved you from the moment of
orr first meeting. Not to many men
Is it given to find his heart SO late,
and when he does, it is for his whole
life; no second passion can follow 1t.
! know that am premature in saying
this; that you are not prepared to
hear such words from me and that 1t
might be wiser for me to withhold
them, but ] must leave Derby soon,
and cannot 90 until Snow whether
there is the least hope that you will
yet lend light to my career or
whether that career must burn Itself
to ashes at your feet Oswald--nay,
hear me out-~0swald lives in his
memories; but ! must have an active
hopea tangible expectation--if am
to be the man / was meant to be. VIII
you, then, colby dismiss me, or will
you let my whole future life prove to
you the innocence OF my past? will
not hasten anything; all ask is some
Indulgence. Time win 90 the rest"
Impossible" she murmured
But that was word for which he
had no car. He saw that she was
moved Unexpectedly So that while
her eyes wandered restIessly at times
towards the door, they ever came back
ln'girlish wonder. If not fascination, TO
his face, emboldening him SO that he
ventured at last, to add:
Doris, little Doris, will teach you
marvellous lesson. II you will only
turn your dainty ear my way Love
such as mine carries Infinite treasure
with IT, VIII you have that treasure
heaped, piled before your feet? Your
lips say no, but your eyes-the truest
eyes / ever saw--whisper a different
language The day will come when
you viii find your Joy In the breast of
him you are now afraid to trust" And
not waiting for disclaimer or even q
glance Of reproach from the eyes he
had so wilfully misredd, he withdrew
with movement as abrupt as that
with which be had entered.
Why, then, with the memory Of this
exultant hour to fend off all shadows,
did the midnight find him in his soil
tary hangar in the moonlit woods, a
deeply responding figure again. Be-
side him swung the huge machine
which represented life of power and
luxury; but he no longer saw It, 1t
called to him with many creak and
quiet anap-sounds to start his blood
and fire his eye a weekday, a day
ago. But be was deaf to this music
now; the call went unheeded; the fu-
ture had no further meaning for him.
nor did he know or think whether he
sat In light or In darkness; whether
the woods we're silent about him. or
painting with life and sound His
demon had gripped him again and the
final battle was on. There would new
er be another. Mighty as he felt him
self to be. there we're limits even to
his capacity for endurance. He could
sustain no further conflict How then
would 1t end? He never haG doubt
himselfl Yet he sat there.
Around him In the forest, the night
owls screeched and innumerable small
things without name, skurried from
lair to lair.
He heard them not.
Above, the moon rode. feoking the
deepest shadows with the silver from
her half-turned urn, but none of the
soft and healing drops fell upon him.
Nature was no longer goddess, but
an avenger; light a revealer. not a
solace. Darkness the only boon.
Nor had time q meaning. From
early eve to early morn he sat there
and knew not If it were one hour or
twelve Earth was his no longer He
reused, when tne sun made everything
light about him, but he did not think
about It, He rose, but was not con-
scious that he rose. He unlocked the
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