The Washington times., 1913-12-20

SH-t ehS VIII Sou SiNG ilfS ,dISO,
Tor the words j shall utter?"
Yes" she faltered. 1t was the first
word she had uttered. She did not look
at him when she spoke IT,
Had she done so, she would have seen
that he was suddenly white to the lips.
She would have discovered that he was
controlling himself only by a great ef-
fort. and that he was maintaining that
respectful distance between them solely
by sheer will power. Within HIM there
was a condition of fear such as he had
never known in meeting the actual dan
gers that he had faced
Il have told you that love you." he
said, slowly. Il told you, Also that I
hated yod while 1 loved you. That lat
ter statement WAS untrue, although !
did not think it was when / said it,
She shook her head, as IL she had
Known all along that it was not true.
Il think. ] believe, now that the seed
OF my love for You was planted In my
soul at the moment when I first looked
INTO your eyes and heard the sound of
your voice-I believe that ii found fruit
ful SOIL that it took root, and sprouted.
my knowledge" -. - S---N .
Again she bowed her head affirma-
lively, as if she thoroughly understood.
Sometimes I realized. in part. that
there was new and strange develop
ment going Ion inside of me, but in
evitably pulled down a mental curtain
between II and me, and shut it away
r9rGl0iy ris;a6 perhlaalps, lalp, fro from my clearer
you see, Katharine, L must have
realized all the time how utterly impos-
sible 1t was that such a thing could
be-and-until I started to leave You, a
moment ago, it never even remotely oc-
CURED to me that you cared.
Qrrf fhat, n Iar
and swells, unexpected and unseen until
1t Is upon you and sweeps everything
before 1t, l. saw. and / understood. I
knew. And now / must go far away
from you: and must carry with me the
added pain of knowing that, even
though unwittingly, have called down
suffering upon your gentle heart.
Help me to be brave. Katharine. For
am not brave in the face of such a
thing as this Help me to be brave, for
/ am a coward when / face this ex
tremity. Yet I am only stronger than
most men. Help me to play the man.
Won't your .r.
She started to her feet Her hands
fell from before her eyes. She stood be-
side the chair. with one hand resting
upon the back of ii, steadfastly facing
him.
There were traces of tears still in evil
dence, but her eyes were clear and they
shone like stars upon him.
He kept his distance with an effort,
for he saw then in her eyes that great
est of all truths which no man ever
sees more than once in a lifetime and
which few men ever discover at all
TT is love, Katharine he said SIM
ply. I'VE both know It. Why need we
deny II, even though ii may not be full
filled?" Then his whole manner changed
to sternness, and he added bitterly:
And to think that but for Rushton and
the system II might have been"
Bingham" she spoke his name in a
tone so low that it barely reached him.
have you thought that if 1t had not
been for Lieutenant Rushton and the
system that made him what he is we
might never have seen and known each
other at all?''
'T don't believe that" he answered
her 1--WE would have been brought to-
gether somehow. Nothing could have
kept US apart always.
Nothing should keep us apart-now-
should there?'' she faltered; and lowered
her eyes, while the quick red blood
mounted to her cheeks and brow.
For a moment he stared at her speech
IessIy; and in that moment the knowI-
edge Of all that he would be compelled
to face in the future rushed over him.
Again his manner changed to stern
ness Again the frown gathered upon
his frow, the sotHress forsook his voice
the muscles fieXe1 beneath his skin.
something does keep us apart" he
asserted, bitterly. "Rushton does. The
lie InaI he Hls.uuidFluTtu uots. ne
false evidence that he created does
And Rushton is responsible for II all.
Rushton, Always Rushtoni Don't you
see"-he bent forward toward her-'that
j have got 20 kill him?"
Then. indeed. when you have done
tat. Bingham, something will keep us
anart, forever and ever; in this world
and in the world TO come-for all time
and all eternity. Then. then indeed, We
will be kept apart
'weIl"-he straishtened his tall form
agarn-'is there sny recourse? Is there
that one of "a cIng the bare facts? Is
there? Can you think Of one?
She shook her head slowly.
Detection fell upon Harvard again
Once more the flerceness went out OF
him.
"You are wonderful woman. Kath-
crime" he said, with slow emphasis
"All women are 3onderful when they
really love, ! suppose, but ii seems now
Il me that you are the greatest wonder
OF ALL"
Why she gazed>steadfastIy into his
eyes.
because you do love me- Because
believe that you would marry me, be-
come my wife. the ccTs"rt of an out
cast, the sharer Of n criminal future
the partner OF a feIon's life. If / should
ask il Of yCu-if ] would permit il.
Katharine's hand frightened upon the
back of the chair where she grasped il.
and she bowed her head in silent as
sent.
How could you?''be cried. "If It
were othes'Tis~. te:SyeeH iust ourselves
il might be diffeTeDt-thougb even then
it would still 5e impos -ible.''
what do rou near!as' she dennand-d
"YcE would conseDt t. he INV wife.
You wuud marry m. Ypr would 20
away with me. and live with me, and
share all my viclssitisdes and misfor-