The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-08-29
CHAPTER XIX.
Angela's Confession


There is nothing I would not for
give you" and shading his eyes
from the candies flicker, he read.
II have deceived you horribly:
did not mean to, did not plan
Jock. Because you were called
Bawbee Jock. I must have fallen
in love with you because I heard
you called that You looked so
lonely that time you came into
the hall. You remember? The
day ! arrived-and FlOssie and
Captain de Burgh began to chaff.
And-and that was the begin
ming. IL was Bawbee Jock"
There was something written
and scratched out.
Dearest: My head is so tired
and stupid that l cannot write
sense. But you remember, we
played bridge that night. and
did not tell a fib; but when | lost
my money you thought IL meant
dreadfuy things to me. and | let
YOU think that. Just for fun at
first. because IL amused me; and
then-oh, then, after that, things
went on so quick that . could not
stop them. / could not bear the
idea of losing you-and-I mar
ried you. Yet, I made you marry
me. You loved me. I knew that;
but you thought that | was poor
and friendless, and that you were
going to protect me, and work for
me. And l let you thing It. moth
ing else. IL was all a lie. I'm not
poor. MISUNDERSTANDING
rich.
You never found me out; all
kinds of things seemed to happen
on purpose to help me keep my
secret. When / told Flossie that
wanted to marry yon without
telling you the truth about my
self-he scoffed at the ridiculous
ness of such a silly joke; and then
when he found that l was i'm ear
nest, he was very angry. He said
you would never forgive me. Ii
was horrid of me, and / know
made Flossie miserable; but
told him that he could not seold
me into obeying him, because I
was not a little girl any longer,
and | could do as I pleased.
| could. He was my guardian IN
til l was twenty-one, but after
that my money was my every own
to do just what I liked with.
My father made a very funny will.
Flossie said he never heard of a
woman being given such a free
hand; that l might make ducks
and brakes of it without any one
being a bit the wiser.
''Oh, you will think me such a
shameful fraud. And It's so long
since my father died. and the
money has been rolling itself up
all these years.
"How l hate myself when I
look back and remember my mean
little deceits and the things
made you believe. I never i'm
tended to keep it up--really I
didn't. And | thought you would
find out. / was always going to
tell you = often my conscience
pricked me.
THAT day you came back from
Glenmoira and brought me the
flowers, and you were SO sad and
unhappy about your people, I
felt I could not deceive you so.
And then the post bag came in,
and there was that letter from
Alister, and / hardened my heart.
Dearest. forgive me. I thought
that l was doing right that If l
told you then, the money would
make misery between us, because
of Alister.
81 did not want to help him. I
cannot bear to think of all the
ungenerous thoughts which came
into my mind. It was only when
saw your face, after DIR. Angus
had told you about Alister, that I
realized what had done to you.
When you said, I ought never to
have deserted him. That showed
me myself-that my love for you
had been all selfishness. l ought
to have trusted you. We might
have saved Alister. do not
know how. but together we could
have found out q way. Dearest.
IL you knew what these days and
nights have been since you left
me. I cannot sleep. am like a
poor. unhappy ghost that wants
to confess q secret which will not
let Il rest, and Il wanders and
wanders and can find not one to
4
The writing had become faint.
He dropped the sheet OF paper
and stood up. His lips moved.
my darling. forgive you. There
is nothing I would not forgive
you. l only love you more dear
/ ly."
He left the room. and stole
noiselessly mp the stair. At the top
the door of Angela's room stood
open, and he crept near, and
looked in.
The light was dim, and 1t was
on Christmas figure that his eyes
| fell. A table was drawn up to
the foot of the bed. and she was
leaning her folded arms on It. and
on her folded arms dropped her
bowed head.
| On the great carved bed lay q
little, still, white figure. The dark
hair made n dusky shadow on the
pillow, and the long lashes show