The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-06-18
A NOVEL
A w EEK

me he would" Isabel stammered
You shall not read Il, FIayia
Roset 1t is for memo one must
see it."
Very quietly Flavia disengaged
her arm from the grasp holding
it.
For whom is the letter, my
cousin or me?" she asked the
bearer.
Il guess there amt any an
swer; | don't know" avowed Ru-
pert, troubled and hesitant. II
was sent out to report to Miss
Rose
but you. yourself. for whom
did you suppose it,"
Il amt certain I did any sup
posing. Mr.. Gerard began il
after Mr. Rose had been with him,
yesterday, and IL took from then
till tonight to finish. -
1T is mine," Isabel reiterated
passionately.
The scene was utterly impos-
sible, not to be prolonged.
Pray give the letter to my
eausin." Flavia requested, her
calm never more perfect. CT am
sorry to have confused so simple
matter. She will of course
recognize for which of us 1t is in
tended"
Flavia crossed to a chair near a
small table and sat down, taking
up a book.
Isabels shaking fingers shred
ded the envelope in extracting the
ahaaf nf hnr- "A
the page avidly. The result was
unanticipated; as savagely as she
had claimed the letter she sprang
to thrust it into Flavia's lap.
II cant do it! Flavia, | can't
see him can't bear it! Tell him
no-to go away - it's sall over,
now"
Flavia caught the letter. 81
am to read this?" she demanded.
Yes; read it, help me-"
Isabel had seen and still
claimed as hers the message. Fla
via was physically giddy as she
unfolded the page.
The letter commenced abrupt
ly, without superseription.
''I think you will know
how hard it is for me to
speak to you calmly, even
this way, across this distance,
remembering how we last
met. To you 1 can confess
what | could to no one else,
since there is now an end OF
concealment between us;
that is, that Allan Gerard is
so weak as to feel shame at
being a cripple. So much so,
that the idea is intolerable of
first remeeting you amidst
your households plying cur
iosity.
Il never used to know I
had a personal vanity; I
fancy it is not quite that,
but rather the humiliation of
the man who has always
been well-dressed and who
suddenly finds himself sent
into public sight in a shabby,
tattered garment, / do not
say this in reproach to any
one or to affect you. I say
IL only to excuse my very
| great presumption in asking
you to drive with Corrie to
the little railway station, to-
1
leave of him-and to tell me
whether l am to come back.
| want you to see me as am
| now, before you determine.
| Perhaps, left to my own
impulse of shielding you,
| would have gone in silence,
but justice is higher than
sentiment; you have the right
to hear what | must say and
to answer it as you will.
| Il am going to do my best
for Corrie, whatever hap
pens. Please trust me so
far, and IL | have offended
or seemed to fail in this let
ter. remember my past
months in excuse.
ALLAN GERARD"
Flavia laid down the sheet of
paper. In that moment she suf-
| fered less from the destruction of
her own happiness than from the
destruction of Gerard's. This cry
out of his anguish to the one for
whom alone he had broken the
stoical muteness in which he had
wrapped his endured pain of mind
and body, drew from her an out
rush of maternal protectiveness
that rolled its flood above per-
sonal grief.
You know what Mr.. Gerard
wishes to say to you, tomorrow"