The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1914-08-07

- q ~ wsgessn sjty; 1T ylalssy
~ neveg - 0aay investD1oea, had
watched ~ naSksts little: and row.
isolated Ct orsystons Hall alnost -
nuch - though upon . desert island.
and TOO much distuTbed md Distracted
II hi own mind 70 nnd any definite In.
tercst IN businesp matters. was hardly
conscious Of the storm that rassd. He
simply waited on. unhappily. II seemed
70 him there was no place for him In
al tho world. Why did Virginia re-
main aloof?
Rawn. absent, In New York. imag.
ined his wife engaged continuously In
the struggle Of persuading Charles
Halsey to see the light Of reason. al.
though he did not know Halsey was
living under the same roof with her.
Al . matter Of fact. Halsey and she
met but rarely. Virginia breakfasted
for the most part in her own rooms,
and found. or pretended TO ind. some
thing to occupy her for tho most part
OF the day. Not once did she ash bis
attendance. not once did she speak
with him. when by chance she saw
him, upon any but casual or conven-
tional matters. She seemed always to
evade him; and because she did this.
he. rebeiling. sought her out al the
more. even while continually resolv.
Ing to take his departure. and never
again 10 see this place. or her, again.
He wondered at her reticence, her
avoidance of him. He wondered why
she was 30 pale. He loitered about.
unhappily. In this or that common
meeting ground Of tho great mansion
house. waiting to hear the rustle OF
. gown upon the stair. the sound OF a
light foot on 4 floor, the touch OF q
white hand. the sound Of . voice--all
things belonging. not to his wife. but
to his young stepmother by Law.
Yes. Without his wish. In spite Of
her wish. these had become things de-
sired. the only things desirable any
more In his distracted life. He lived
under the same roof with two women.
saw either rarely, and rarely thought
Of but one-the wrong one. To atone.
Halsey lavished all his time and care
on his little hunchback daughter. and
had her with him a. much % the nurse
and doctor would allow. The child,
undersized. pale. deformed. silent and
wistful. and pathetic always. now was
listless and weak. obviously very seri.
ously III. II wrung her fathers heart
to see her. But Charles Halsey want.
cd II wrung. He wanted TO do bitter.
est penance for what be now knew
was his secret sin. So the ways OF
inordinate power. tho consequences
for this one or that one. which follow
on inordinate greed. worked them.
selves out toward their sure and log.
ical ending. the mill Of fate grinding
those primarily. secondarily. even Incl,
dentally guilty.
At this time. had Virginia Rawn
asked Of him TO recant. to rslent. "a
change. there 10 likelihood he would
have done %. John Rawn, cuckold
was right In his despicable reasoning
There are many prices which purchase
principles. The weakness which had
prompted Halsey to remain at Gray
stone hall on such . tenure-whtch
held him there now. waiting for q
voice. listening for footfall-was the
ancient weakness Of youth befoss
youth. Of strength before beauty. Of
the empty heart before one Offering
love. of the mind Hnding perfect echo
In another mind.
With al his starved heart. all his -
pressed soul. all his mutinous body
Charles Halsey loved virginia Rawn-