The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-03-12

DOM ASK NE dDOuI lndl1 Il Sdh I
think. All | know is that II you had
asked me to DO anything in the world.
! think I'd have said yes"
For me?"
yes, for you. It's the truth It's
all out, at last! There's the whole
story now of John Rawn-all of it, in
black and white! Here's all my story
to you. You must have known"
Yes" she nodded; "of ourse That
vas why. | said, that I've eyaded You
SO long. 1t was very hard to do,
Charley; a hundred times I've been
or the point of sending for you. But
| didn't"
I'm Glad, too" he said simply, see
ing it was 10 be soul facing soul. be-
tween them now. 1--we missed you.
I've never passed such days in my life
as ! have here. There's Grace hating
me, you ought to hate mel ought to
hate you! Oh, Rawn, man! Where
would you have stopped, to get money.
to get power? Oh, e~Xcellent-to set
your wife as a trap for another man!
But it worked! 1t could have been
done!" He looked her frankly in the
face as he finished. 81 love you, Vir-
ginia," he said simply. Il suppose /
have all along. It's cheap, after all
at this price. But for all this, ! new
er could have told you.
But one thing / will say,"-the un-
happy young man added, after a long
timns lie tho nYn thinu Nan claim
for an excuse. My price was love for
you, and good love. 1t was the whole
love Of mar for woman-l never knew
before what that meant! 1t wasn't for
money, but for you. That great, mys-
FERROUS second current-what you
yourself said was the one vast power
of all the universe-that belonged TO
everybody-love-love-I thought that
belonged to me, too. | can't see even
now where that is wrong. | can't
think, | don't know. If it is wrong,
then I've been wrong. We're down in
the mire together! dragged you
there. And once | dreamed of doing
something to lift people up-that was
why | mutinied and tore up the mo.
tors. And had my selfish price.
| can never lift up my head
again. But love you!"
She looked at him, her lips parted,
her bosom agitated now, her eyes
large, her color slowly increasing.
You must not-Stop, we must think!
Charley"
But why didn't your" he demanded
fiercely. why didn't you finish your
work as you p~romised?"
Il never promised. didn't finish 1t
because | knew | could. | told you
lit was-Charley-yes-it was
love!"
For me?"
He half started up now, but she
raised a hand to restrain him.
1.-THE servants!" she whispered. In
deed, eve as she spoke she saw the
livery OF the butler disappearing at
the tall glass doors letting out to the
gallery. She did not know that the
butler had seen much and heard some
what; that being a butler he was wise.
But it's got to be-we've got to go
through now!" he went on savagely.
why did you start this, then? Why
did you let me know"
1T was he who started it in me-
ambition! No. | always had it. From
the day | was born | wanted to climb,
to win. to be rich, to have things in
my hands. All girls want that, | sup
pose. till they know how little it is
So | married him-I tried to, and L did
| knew he had money. But
then there was more | wanted. after
all. l only wanted that something else
too, that any woman wants-what
she's got to have, once In her life, rich
or poor. because she's a woman-some
one who truly loves her for herself as
she Is, because she is what she is
because she's a woman!
"Oh, ! looked all around me here, a
long time after | came here, for what
I'd missed. I've never been happy
here. l didn't have it. | wanted it. Al
last | saw 1t. | wanted It.. Its price is
ruin-for two, you and me. I'm like
you. II it's wrong. | don't know where
the wrong began! | didn't mind. SC
far as | was concerned. Let a woman
love you, and she'll do anything. nc
matter how it hurts-herself. But moi
you-not the man she loves and wants
to respect. Charley
"But-me? am not good enough
for yod!"
"Oh, boy! How sweet that sounds
to me! Say 1T over again to me-
You make me think ] might some day
be worth a mans love. It's got away
from us now. It's all too late. Every
things too late. When he-Mr. Rawr
comes back. we've got to tell him
I've done what | was set to do-but
not the way he thought. not the wa,
any Of us thought"