The Cairo bulletin., 1914-03-15

IuNss.s hers. MS heart said 10 her. II
love eu. love you. No matter What
Is l.i - en- u. / shall always love
you"
Il - wurdlesa. Aea-t-whisper that
only love itself could hear. and he
could read 10 answer In the deep.
coils OF her eyes. heavy now with IN
she'd tears But IN some subtle way
his yoieeless greeting conforted and
lightened BY ! little the weight OF
dumb impotence that he had borne.
IN the library. lighted so brightly By
The sunlight. yet grave With the hush
Of that solemn presence. the major
looked into the face OF the woman for
whose coming be had waited so anx-
iously.
It's all-up. Judith, he said family.
I've come TO the jump.ng-oa place"
She looked at him Whitley. Monty
Monty" she cried. Don't leave ma
This way ! always thought
he guessed what she would haze
said. Heaven knows you're needed
more than me. Judith. After all. !
reckon when my time had TO come I'd
1 have chosen the quick way His
voice trailed OUT ana he struggled for
breath.
~Jerry's in the hall Monty. He asked
me TO give you his love-
Poor old nirgeri He-used to tote
me on his back when | was little
shaver There was silence. Don't
kneel. Judith, he said al length. You
| will be so tired
! She rose obediently and drew up q
chair. Monty" she faltered tremu-
lousy. shall | say q prayer, I've new.
err prayed much-my prayers never
seemed to get above the ceiling. some-
how. But lll--try."
He smiled wanly Il wouldn't want
any better than yours, Judith. hut
seems as if Id been prayed over
enough reckon God Almlghty's like
! anybody else, and doesn't want to ba
ding-donged all the time"
He seemed to have been gathering
his resolution, and presently his hand
| fumbled over his breast. My wallet
give Il to me-" She drew 1t from the
pocket and the uncertain fingers took
out key. 1T opens a tin box In my
trunk Theresa letter In it for YOU"
He paused a moment. painting; "Ju-
dlth," he said. I've got to tell you. but
it's mighty hard. The letter !.
it's one Valiant gave me for you--thau
morning, after the duel. | never gava
it to you"
II she had been white before, she
grew like marble now Her slim fins
gers clutched the little cane till it rats
tied against the chair. and the lace at
her throat shook with her breathing.
Yes Monty"
He lifted his hand with difficulty and
put the key into hers The seals still
unbroken. Judith" he said, but iva
kept It these thirty years"
She was holding the key In her
hands, looking down upon 1t. There
was strained half-fearTul wonder in
her face. For an instant she seemed
| cutie to have forgotten him in the
: grip OF some swift and painful emo
| ton
4 loved you. Judith" he stam-
mered in anguished appeal. From
the time we were boy and girl togeth-
err, loved you. You never cared for
me-Sassoon and Valiant had the In
side track on might have loved me.
but | had no chance with either OF
them. Then came the duel. There was
only Valiant then. overheard his
promise to you that night. Judith. He
had broken that! II you cared more
: for him than for Sassoon. YOU might
have forgiven him. and | should have
:, lost youi | didn't want You to call
him back, Judith, wanted my
chance! And SOL took t. That's
: the reason, dear. lists a bad one,
int it,"
A SILVER went over her set face
like h.cs IA OF wind over tall grass
= and she seemed to come back from an
infinite distance to place and moment
Between the curtains white butter
fly lowered an instant. and in the yard
:, she heard the sound of some winged
thing futtering. The thought darted
to her that it was the sound OF hel
own dead heart awaking She looked
" at the key and all at once put hant
to her mouth as though 10 still words
clamoring there.
Judith" he said TREMENDOUSLY. be
tween short struggles for breath. cal
these years, after found there wa.
no chance for me. ! reckon I've
prayed only one prayer. God, let i
be Sassoon that she lovedi' And Nv,
prayed that mighty near every day
The thought that maybe il was valian
has haunted me like ghost. Yo,
never told-and never dared ask you
Judith"
Her face was still averted. and whel
she did not speak he turned his heat
from her on the pillow. with q breatl
that was almost a mean. She started
: looking at him an instant in piteout
hesitation, then swiftly kissed The lit
tie key and closed her hand tight upol
it, Truth? she saw only the PILLOW
. and the craving face upon II. Shl
= threw herself on her knees BY tn,
;, couch and laid her nps Oh the painC
, forehead
: lit was Sassoon Monty chs
har rptaa h~nka an tha fipai