The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-12-02

don't wish the strength for myself
only want it that 1 may help you.
l know you, Esther. know that the
memory of our love cannot be erased
from such a soul as yours. know
that / have turned that beautiful
thing into a wound that hurts. And
l only ask you for the chance to let
me help-help in any way l can.
Because the helping you would do
so much to help me-" The vehe-
mence of his passion subsided as he
saw his pleading having effect. His
voice lowered and he came a step
closer.
1--WE may not be together, Esther"
he said. I'VE may be very far apart.
Once before we were far apart, you
remember, and you said to me then
that you knew it was hard, that often
times it seemed unfair but that II
we loved one another as we thought
we loved, we would fight the hard
ships, shoulder to shoulder. And the
contact of the shoulder Of the loved
one would help so much. Don't you
remember that little girl? Well,
did not fgftt bravely. l did not fight
fairly. l did not fight the mans fight
as you fought the woman's. But l
tried. Esther. / tried. And now
ask of you, beg of you to fight with
me - shoulder to shoulder - your
shoulder against my own"
She felt the soul Of her going out to
this man who seemed, by his very
voice, to be stirring every chord in
her being. She swayed slightly to-
ward him. Then her hand reached
up in half surrender. 1t was no use
fighting. She loved him. She
loved
She shrank away even as she
turned. The light that had famed
high in her eyes died even as she
turned them upon him. For, in the
turning, her eyes had encountered the
hard, expressionless ones Of Alica
Knight, staring impassively at the
scene from beyond the shrubbery.
Lynn followed the direction Of her
eyes and met those Of Alica knight
those eyes which would always come
in between life and the fruition of his
happiness, an ever-present shadow so
dense and thick as to form an impene-
trable barrier.
Esther shrank as he would have
renewed his plea, for he was fighting
for his very life now. He turned help
lessly away. He only wished to be
away-away from the woman who
haunted him with those eyes Of accu'
| sation.
He went to his yacht, curtly direct
ing the astonished captain to put out
Immediately to sea.
1t was only a scant two hours later
that the yacht was hailed by putting
tug that had been trying to overhaul
them the half hour gone. At the
top of the landing stage the captain
waited for the passengers the tug-cap'
tain had told him he wished to board.
His eyes grew round with wonder as
Alica knight moved past him, up the
stairs, across the deck and toward the
cabin. Yet a different Alica Knight
than the girl who had so gayly
Queened 1t over the entire christening
party, a different Alica Knight from
the laughing girl who had come to
the yacht another evening.
He had heard something Of the
scandal and had wondered whether
1t had anything to do with Lynn's al
tered manner. And now he wondered
whether he should not detain the girl
who moved so slowly, so remorselessly
across the deck toward the cabin
stairs. He started forward to detain
her when the owner came heavily
wearily up the stairs. His listless, dull
gaze fell upon the girl and then he
staggered back as from a heavy blow
in the face.
Captain Judd moved away, some i'm
pulse drawing him out of range Of the
sight. For a long time the eyes OF
the pair held, then the passionately
bitter cry of Felix Lynn sounded res
onantly, appealingly over the waters:
For Gods sake, won't you end this
torture? Always those eyes and never
word. Marry me. Be my wife
But end this torment-this hell or
earth you have created for me-"
Something in the voice halted thu
captain.
Marry me, Alica l owe 1t to you
Marry me and"
Captain Judd turned the corner o
the wheel house barely in time tt
see the silent figure of the woman
Then he caught the slow, deliberate
negative shake of her head. For ;
moment something in the attitude o
Lynn held him. Then he sprang for
ward as, with a wild curse, Felix Lynn
snatched a deck chair and darted upol
the woman.
She leaped aside behind anothe
chair and the one in Felix Lynn
failing hands smashed down upon /
with such force it was torn from
his grip. He seized another, that sam
insane series Of cries racking hi
throat, and leaped upon her. closer
closer even as her shrieks Of terro
brought the crew on the run.
Captain Judd leaped at the mad
man, circling him with arms and legs
finding himself being tossed about b
the mans maniacal strength like
pygmy. Others joined him and, unde
tangle Of legs and arms and bodies
Felix Lynn was borne to the deck.
And Alica Knight, trembling lik
runaway horse, stood close an
watched, her eyes luminous now, he
face twitching in sympathy at ever
sound of the madman-the man Sh
hod dTiuou f0 this mass