Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-26
To-DAY's INsTALLMENT.
slxty,fifth chapter-contInued.


sixty,fifth chapter-continued.
Mary he said, Il have always
cared for you. Surely you know that.
BY the saints of God / swear there
has never been any other girl for me,
and now there never viii be. Per-
haps ought to have told you this
before, and | wanted to do so when
I met you in Rome. But it didn't
seem fair, and couldn't bring myself
to do it"
His passionate voice was breaking;
n thought my heart was breaking
also.
IAN could do I did, but 1t came
to nothing; and nom you are here
and are unhappy, and though it is so
late want to help you, to rescue you,
to drag you out of this horrible situ-
alton before go away Let me do
it. Give me the right of one you
care enough for to allow him to speak
in your behalf"
knew what that meant knew
that l was tottering on the very edge
Of a precipice, and to save myself I
tried to think of Father Dan, of Mar
tins mother, of my own mother, and
since could not speak struggled
TO pray
Don't say you can't, If you do
shall go away a sorrowful man. l
shall go at once, too-to- night or to-
morrow morning at latest, for my
heart bleeds to look at you and l
can't stay here any longer to see you
suffer, 1t is not torture to me-it's
hell"
And then the irrepressible, over
whelming, inevitable moment came.
Martin laid hold of my right hand
and said in his tremulous voice:
Mary Mary IL. love
you!".
l could hear no more. I could not
think or pray or resist any longer.
The bitter struggle was at an end.
Before | knew what l was doing /
was dropping my head on to his
breast and he with cry of joy was
gathering me in his arms.
Nothing Else Counted.
was his. He had taken his own.
Nothing counted/ in the presence of
our love To BE only we two to-
gether-that was everything The
world and the worlds laws, the
church and the canons of the church
were blotted out, forgotten. lost.
For some moments ] hardly
breathed. ! was only conscious that
over my head Martin was saying
something that seemed to come to me
with all the deep and wonderful whis-
pers Of his heart.
"Then it's true! It's true that you
love me! Yes, it's true! It's true.
No one shall hurt you again. Never
again No, by the Lord Godl"
And then suddenly-as suddenly as
t. moment of intoxication had come
to mel awoke from my delirium.
Some little thing awakened me- I
hardly know what it was. Perhaps II
was only the striking of the cuckoo
clock in my room.
What are we doihg?" I said.
Everything had rolled back on me
my marriage, Father Dams warn
ing, my promise to Martins mother.
Where are we?' / said.
Hush! Don't speak," said Martin.
Let US think of nothing tonight
except our love"
Don't say that, I answered. eve
are not free to love each other" AMI
then, trying to liberate myself from
his encircling arms, cried:
God help mel God forgive mel"
"Wait!" said Martin, holding me a
moment longer Il know what you
feel and I'm not the man to want a
girl to wrong her conscience. But
there's one question / must ask you.
II you were free, could you love me
then ?"
Don't ask me that. I must not
answer it,"
you must and shall" said Martin.
could you?"
Yes"
That's enough for me-enough for
tonight, anyway Have no fear. All
shall be we'll. Go to your room now"
He raised me to my feet and led
me back to the foot of the balcony,
and there he kissed my hand and let
me go.
Good night" he said, softly.
Good might" answered.
God bless you, my pure, sweet
GIRL"
At the next moment / was in my
room, lying face down on my bed
seeing no hope on any side, and sob
bling my heart out for what might
have been but for the hard law Of my
religion and the cruel tangle OF ny
fate.