The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-05-09


alone. l shall wait; and you'll have
to wait, too, poor mani" She looked
scrutinizingly at Aleck "0r are you
perhaps, hungry? I'm not going to talk
to hungry man." she announced.
mot bite till I've heard chapter
| thirty-nine!" said Aleck
In a moment she became serious
again. 9-.'~
Il have lived in England and here In
America" she began, long enough TO
understand that the differences be-
tween your people and mine are more
| than the differences OF language and
climate; they are ingrained In our
habits of thought, our education. our
judgment Of life and of people. My
childhood and youth were wholly DIFF.
ferent from yours, or from what an
American girls could be: and yet
/ think | understand your American
women, though l suppose am not in
| the least like them
But I, on the other hand, have seen
the dark side Of life, and particularly
OF marriage. When | was child
was more important in my own coun,
try than | am now, since 1t seemed
then that my father would succeed to
the throne. / was brought up to feel
That was not woman, but pawn
IN the game Of politics. When ! had
been out of the convent for year or
more, loved youth, and was loved
IN return, but our marriage was
laughed at, put aside, declared impos.
slble, because he was Of a rank In
ferior to my own. My lover disap-
peared, ! know not where or how.
Then affairs changed. My father died,
and 1t transpired that | had been Of
ficlally betrothed since childhood to
Duke Stephens brother, the Count
| Lorenzo. The duke was my guardian,
and there was no one else to whom
could appeal; but the very week set
for the wedding l faced the duke and
declared I would never marry the
count. His Highness ragged and
stormed, but l told him few things
knew about his brother, and l made
him see that was in earnest. The
next day left Krolvetz, and the duke
gave out that was i'll and had gone
to a health resort; that the wedding
was postponed. went to France and
hid myself with my aunt, took one Of
my own middle names and her sur
name, and have been known for some
time, as you know, as Melanie Rey-
nier."
Il know you wish to tell me all
these things, Melanie, but ! DO not
want you to recall painful matters of
the past now" said Aleck gently.
you shall tell me of them at another
time"
The color frightened in Melanie's
face, her eyes glowed.
mo, not another time; you must un-
derstand now, especially because all
this preface leads me to what really
want to say to you. 1t is this: ! do
not now care for the man I loved at
nineteen, nor for any of the other men
of my country who have been pleased
to honor me with their regard. But
ever since those early days have had,
dream of a home-a place different
from Duke Stephens home, different
from the homes of many people of my
rank. My dream has husband in 1t
who is companion, friend, my
equal in love, my superior In
strength" Melanie's eyes lifted to
meet Alexis, and they were full of an
almost tragic passion; but 1t was q
passion for comprehension and love,
not primarily for the man sitting be-
fore her. She added simply: "And
for my dream I'd give all the wealth.
all the love, ! have"
The room was very still. Aleck Van
Camp sat quiet and grave, his fore
head resting on his hand. He looked
up, finally, at Melanie, who was be-
side him. pale and quite worn.
Poor child! You needed me more
than / thought" was what he said.
But Melanie had not quite finished.
"No, that Is not enough, that should
need you. You must also need me,
want what | alone can give you, match
my love with yours. And this,
think, you do not do. You calculate,
you remain cool, you plan your life
like campaign, and am part of your
equipment. You are thousand times
better than Count Lorenzo, but think
your principles of reasoning are the
same. You do not love me enough,
and that is why I can not say yes"
Aleck had taken this last blow
standing. He walked slowly around
and stood before Melanie, much as he
had stood before her when he first
asked her to marry him; and this
time, az he looked down on her fair
ness, there was infinite gentieness and
patience and love In his eyes. He
bent over, lifted Melanie's two hands,
and drew her bodily out OF her seat.
She was impassive. Her quick alert.
ness, her vitality, her passionate seri.
BUSINESS. had slipped away. Aleck put