The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1914-06-12

L 004YN4 - A1tsa 49, $500 -
apekea - anyone slss?~
\ wouldn't put that past Alderman
whea he's drunk. u he'd talk TO me.
~ wosjd 70 others. And you know
| perfectly well that when talk begins
about 3 woman. II never stopss~
No. that 10 the cruel part Of H.
Her voics trsmbled Just enough. hes
syes became Just snficicntiy and dis.
crsstiy moist: she choked little. Just
suficisntly.
II u cruel" she said. with . pa
thetic little sigh. but the hand Of ~.
cry man seems 10 BE- against woman
Did you ever stop to think. Mr.. Rawn.
hsw helpless. how hopeless. We really
are. W women
He lung himself closer upon the
couch beside her, his face troubled. -
she went on with her gentle protest.
IAN my life i've done right NJ near.
" - knew. Mr.. Rawn. Perhaps
was wrong In coming to trust 30 much
to you-to depend on you 10 much. II
all seemed 10 natural. that I've Just
Let matters 70 on. almost without any
thought. rye only been anxious to
do my work-that was all. But this
cruel talk about us--well-it can have
but one end. I must Co."
Got Leave me, You'll do nothins
Of the sort! ri take care Of this thing
myself. ! say-f'll stand between YOU
and oil that sort Of talk
"Mr. Rawn. | don't understand you
They sat close together on this bro
caded couch among many other bro
caded couches. Crystal and color and
gilt and ivory were all about them:
pictures. works Of art in bronze and
marble and costly porcelains The air
was heavy with fragrance. dripping
with soft melody and music. She was
beautiful. . beautiful young woman.
He caught one glance into her wide,
pathetic eyes ere she turned and bent
her head. He caught the fragrance OF
her hair-that strange fragrance Of
woman's hair. Detected. dropping a.
she sat. her hands clasped loosely In
her lap. he could see the bent column
Of her beautiful white neck. the curve
OF her beautiful shoulders. white. naw.
less.
The flower on her bosom rose and
fell In her emotion. She Was . WON.
an. She was beautiful She was
young. Something subtle. powerful.
mysterious. stole into the air.
She vas Q woman!
Suddenly this thought came to John
Rawn like sudden blow in the face.
II came In . sense hitherto unknown
to him in all his life. Now he under
stood what life might be. saw what de.
light might be! He saw now that all
along he had admired this girl and
only been unconscious Of his admira.
ton. God! what had he lost. all these
years, He. John Rawn. had lived all
these years. and had not loved!
He reached out timidly and touched
her round. white arm. to attract her
attention. She fiinched from him q
tribe. and he also from her. Fire ran
through her veins A. from . cup OF
wine. heady and strong. He was q
boy. . young man discovering life.
The glory Of life. the reason. had been
here all this time and he had not sus-
pected II. What deed for pity had been
wrought! He. John Rawn. never be-
fore had known what love might be!
He was the last man on Manhattan to
20 mad over Virginia Delaware.
She drew back from him. seeing the
flush upon his face. color rising to her
own. Indeed. the power of the man.
his sudden, vast passion. were not lost
upon her. different as he was from the
idol Of young girls dreams. But Vir-
ginia Delaware saw more than tbs
physical image Of this man beside her.
She knew what he had to share. what
power, what wealth. what station. She
knew well enough what John Rawn
could do: and she gagged her own value
to Him BY the nush on his face. the
glitter In his eye.
For one moment she paused. For
one moment heredity. the way Of her
own people. had its way. For one
moment she saw another face. differ.
ent from this flushed and corded one
bent near. II was for but a moment:
then ambition once more took charge
Of her soul and her body alike.
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