The Detroit times., 1913-11-27

I fab en- she ain afeah'd, en- dah's
watah EN- she ain afeah'd. Et's de
thing whut eat de ha'at outen de
breas'-dat whut she afeahd off, II
II were only fire and water that
| threatened her.
She struck her hands together with
an inarticulate cry. She remembered
the laugh In Valiant's eyes as they
had planted the roses. the charact err
istic gesture with which he tossed the
waving hair from his forehead-how
she had named the ducks and the pea
cock and chosen the spots for his
flowers; and she smiled for such mem.
cries. even In the stabbiIfg knowledge
that these dear trivial things could
| mean nothing to her in the future
She tried to realize that he was gone
from her life. that he was the one
man on earth whom to marry would
be TO strike to the heart her love
and loyalty TO her mother. and she
said this over and over to herself In
varying phrases:
You can't! No matter how much
you love him. you can't! His father
deliberately ruined your mothers
life-your own mother, It's bad
| enough to love him--you can't help
that. But you can help marrying
him. You would hate yourself. You
can never kiss him again, or feel his
arms around you. You can't touch
mis- hand. You mustn't even see him
Not II It breaks your heart--as your
mothers heart was broken!'
She had turned into an unbeaten
way that ambled from the road
through track of tall oaks and pines.
scarce more than n bridle-path, wind
Ing aimlessly through bracken-strewn
depths so dense that even the Wild
roses had not found them. In her
childish hurts she had always fled
to the companionship OF the trees.
She had known them every one--the
BLACKBURN and pale dogwood and
gnarled hickory, the prickly-balled
'button-wood, the lowly mulberry
and the majestic red oak and walnut.
They had seemed friendly and pity
ing counselors, standing about her
with arms intertwined Now, with
the rain weeping in soughing gusts
through them. they offered her no
comfort. She suddenly threw herself
face down on the soaked moss.
'Oh, God" she cried Il love him
so. And | had only that one even.
ing. II doesn't seem just. Ii | could
only have him. and suffer some other
way. He's suffering too, and 1t isn't
our fault, We neither of us harm
ed any one, He isn't responsible for
what his father did--why, he hardly
knew him. Oh, God. why must il be
so hard for us? Millions OF other
people love each other and nothing
separates them like this"
Shirley's warm breath made a lit
tie fog against the star-eyed moss.
She was scarcely conscious OF her
wet and clinging clothing, and the
soaked strands OF her hair. She was
SO wrapped in her desolation that she
no longer heard the sound OF the per-
severing rain and the wet swishing OF
the parting now to hur.
ried step that fell almost without
sound on the spongy forest soil. She
started mp suddenly TO see Valiant be-
fore her.
He was in a somewhat battered
walking suit OF brown khaki, with a
leather belt and a felt hat whose brim,
stiff with wet. was curved down visor
wise over his brow. In an instant he
had drawn her upright. and they
stood. looking at each other, drenched
and trembling.
How can YOU" he said with a
roughness that sounded akin TO anger.
Here In this atrocious weather--like
this he laid hand on her arm.
You're wet through
''I--don't mind the rain" she an
swered drawing away, yet feeling
with guilty thrill the masterfulness
OF his tone, as well as It's real con-
Germ. I'm often wet"
His gaze searched her face, feature
by feature. noting her pallor, the blue
black shadows beneath her eyes, the
caught breath. uneven like a child S
from crying. He still held her hands
In his.
Shirley" he said, Il know what
you intended to tell me by those flow
ers-I went to st. Andrews that
night. in the dark. after I read your
letter. Who told you? Your
mother?"
mo, no. she cried. she would
never have told me-
His face lighted. With an irresist-.
ible movement he caught her to him
Shirley" he cried 1T shan't be!
1t shant, tell you, You can't break
our lives in two like this! It's un-
thinkable.
mo, no." she said piteously, push.
ing him from her. You don't under.
stand. You are man, and men
can't"
II do understand" he insisted.
"Oh, my darling, my darling! 1t isn't
right for that spectral thing to come
between us! Why, 1T belonged to a
past geneution! However sad the
outcome Of that duel. II held no dis
honor. I know only too we'll the ruin
It brought my father, It's enough
that 1t wrecked three lives. II shan't
rise again. like Banquo's ghost to
haunt ours. know what you think
Il would love you the more, IL could
love you more. for that sweet loyalty
but it's wrong, dear. It's wrong"
TITS the only way"
Listen. Your mother loves you.
II she knew you loved me. she would
bear anything rather than have YOU
suffer like this. You say she would
not have told you herself. Why, IL
my father"
She tore her hands from his and
faced him with a cry. "Ah, that rs
It! You knew your father so little
He was never to you what she is to
me. Why. I've been all the life she
has had. remember when she
mended my dolls and held me when
had scarlet fever and sang me the
songs the trees sang TO themselves
at night. I said my prayers at her
knee till | was twelve years old. We
were never apart day till went
away TO school.