The Washington herald., 1914-12-20
lCoHnEht, lell.O
Copyright. lslIl
7ERSiS walked to the window idly
and stared out into the street.
= She fell back With a gasp. "Oh,


they saw me!-they saw mel"
''Who?-who saw your"
Alice Neff and Stowe Webb just
drove up. They waved to me. They're
coming here. Good Lord of heaven,
at such a timep
The door bell rang in confirmation,
and Crofts shuffied down the hall He
glancea .timidly at Persis, and she nod
ded her head.
you can't see thera now," Forbes
protested; tell the man not to let them
in"
1t wouldn't do any good. Besides,
they saw me. Now.of all times | must
keep up a bold front Wait in the Ii
brary, Harvey. I'll get rid of them as
soon as l can" He was hardly gone
before Alice came running, crying, ''Oh,
here you are" and seizing the hand that
Persis thrust at her absent-mindedly.
Stowe Webb seized her other hand and
clung to it as Alice ratified on: ave
had the narrowest escaped Just as our
taxi drew up to your door my awful
mother and Winifred drove away
without seeing us!"
And do you poor children still have
to meet in secret, toop Persis asked
with dreary sympathy.
Indeed we have to-" Webb replied,
and always shall Her mother won't
let me in the house! And l am doing
year. But Alice's mother still calls me
a pauper. Our only hope is a runaway
marriage. But Alice always remem-
bers what YOU told her. l wish you
could advise her differently now, for We
are hopelessly unhappy. We couldn't
he more miserable even if We were mar
ried."
IF you don't marry the one you love
You miss everything that makes life
worth while. If you don't sacrifice
everything that love asks. why, love
robs YOU of all your delight in The
things you have kept Your mother
will forgive you, Alice. But what if
she doesn't? 1t is better to lack the
forgiveness of some one else-Of every
never. never forgive yourself. That is
he most horrible thing in life, not to
forgive yourself.
But you talk so differently now!"
Alice interposed; and Persis explained
II diSmally enough:
81 know more now than | did then.
]
hand, SAYING: You must be a very
good woman to give such noble advice.
Come along, Alice, remember your
prOmise!"
When they had gone and Forbes came
back TO her she was mumblIng in a
strange delight: Il don't believe any
one ever before called me good. 1t
has rather pleasant sound" She was
L. Ill
some good in the world at last
Il don't believe | ever truly loved
YOU till now" Forbes said. He had
played eavesdropper to her counsel, and
II had endeared her to him magically
lie took her in his arms and she kissed
him, and there was a moment of peace
full oblivion. Then the habit of stealth
resumed control of PerSis. She began
anew to hear footsteps everywhere and
to imagine eyes gazing from all sides.
You mustn't stay minute longer,
she whispered. willie is at home. You
telephoned you had something awfully
important to tell me-"
Yes You've got to help me make
the most important decision of my life.
Can't it waltz
NO. l must decide today My leave
of absence has been withdrawn. and I've
been ordered back to my cavalry regl-
ment at once"
So disaster followed disaster.
Isn't there any way out of ii: she
asked, weakly.
Il tried TO get the order recalled but
there is some influence against me at
Washington"
Some woman know! It's Willie's
,,,C+ber Che has Cen RranScOmhe I'M
der her thumb"
But that would mean that she sus-
pected u.s."
a woman always suspects the worst.
Nnd she's always right. Well, what are
We to do
That is for YOU to decide. Persis,"
Forbes said. Il have two letters here,
two requests" He produced two for
midablc official envelopes. 81 have in
fiuencc enough to get either of them
granted
What are they she asked, terrified
hy the documents,
"Thi, i an acknowledgment of the
order and statement that | take the
train tomorrow for New Mexico
New Mexioo! PersiS gasped. Il
shouldn't see you again for long, long
while
Never
Then choose that you send the
other letter, of course" she spoke al
most gaily. What is it"
NV resignation from the service.
Your resignation" she gasped. why
should you resign?"
To avoid court-martial for the crime
of stealing another mans wife. Either
YOU go away with me where your hus-
band can't follow. or l go away where
YOU can't follow"
You don't mean to force a choice
like that on me-" she protested. He
nodded griTlly.
But her frantic soul was incapable
of decision; it fed from the effort. The
memory of her humiliation before Mrs
Neff and Winifred swept back over her
with intolerable shame; she began to
stride along the floor again, gnashing
her teeth IN rage:
What can | do to silence those
women? Harvey, you must help me.
Think up some neat lie that will look
like the truth
He was so tired of deception that he
groaned aloud She whirled on him in
raucous fury: do you suppose I'm
going to give in to a couple of frumps
like those two? Do you think I'll let
an old hen and an old maid down me?-
now! Well, hardly! I'm no quitter,
Harvey. l never was a gutter, was II
But what can l do? No story would
II. Al