The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-06-09

his father d1d--why, he hardly knew
him! Oh, God, why must it be SO
hard for us? Millions of other people
love each other and nothing separates
them like thisi"
Shirley's warm breath made a little
fog against the star-eyed moss. She
was scarcely conscious of her wet and
cfnging clothing, and the soaked
strands of her hair. She was SO
wrapped in her desolation that she no
longer heard the sound of the perse-
! vering rain and the wet swishing of
the bushes-parting now to a hurried
step that fell almost without sound on
the spongy forest soil. She started
up suddenly TO see Valiant before her.
/ He was in a somewhat battered
walking suit of brown khaki, with
/ leather belt and felt hat whose brim,
stiff with the wet, was curved down
visor-wise over his brow. In an in
slant he had drawn her upright, and
/ they stood, looking at each other,
] drenched and trembling.
How can your" he said with
roughness that sounded akin to anger.
Here in this atrocious weather-like
this!" he laid hand on her arm.
You're wet through"
II don't mind the rain," she an
swered, drawing away, yet feeling
with guilty thrill the masterfulness
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 childs
from crying. He still held her hands
in his.
Shirley" he said, 81 know what you
intended to tell me by those flowers
l went to st. Andrews that night, in
the dark, after 1 read your letter.
Who told you? Your-mother?"
mo. not" she cried. "She would
never have told mel"
His face lighted. With an irresist-
ible movement he caught her to him.
Shirley" he cried at shan't be!
1t shan't, tell you! You can't break
our lives in two like thisI It's I'M
thinkable."
mo, moi" she said piteously, push
ing him from her. "You don't under
stand. You are man, and men
can't"
Il do understand he insisted. ooh,
my darling, my darling! 1t isn't right
for that spectral thing to come be-
tween us! Why, it belonged to past
generation! However sad the out
come of that duel, it held no dishonor.
l know only too well the ruin it
brought my father! It's enough that
it wrecked three lives 1t shan't rise
again, like Banquo's ghost to haunt
oursi l know what you think
would love you the more, if 1 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
If she knew you loved me, she would
bear anything rather than have you
suffer like this. You say she wouldn't
have told you herself. Why, if my
father
She tore her hands from his and
, faced him with cry. "Ah, that is 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. 1 remember when she mendet
my dolls, and held me when l haG
scarlet fever, and sang me the songs
the trees sang to themselves at night
1 said my prayers at her knee till
was twelve years old We were never
apart day till went away to school.
She paused, GREATNESS.
Doesn't that prove what 1 say p
, he said, bending toward her. "Sh,
loves you far better than herself. Sh,
wants your happiness
, Gould that mean hers?" she de
manded, her bosom heaving. To Sc
us together = always = alwaysi II
: be reminded in verything-the line
of your face-the tones of your voice
! maybe-of that! Oh, you don't know
. how women feel-how they remembe
how they grieve! I've gone over al
= you can say till my soul cries out, bu
it can't change it. 1t can't!
:, Valiant felt as though he were ba
- tering with bruised knuckles at ston
= wall. A helpless anger simmered i
:, him. Suppose" he said bitterly, ''tha
:, your mother one day, perhaps afte
= long years, learns of your sacrif1c,
= She is likely to guess in the end,
y think. Will it add to her pleasure, d
you fancy, to discover that out of thi
+. conception Of filial loyalty-for it
u !. that, 1 suppose!-you have spoile
= your own life?"
= She shuddered +'She will neve
~ learn" she said brokenly. "Oh,