The Carlisle independent., 1915-07-01
CHAPTER xxlII-continued.


 he felt for the physical Yvonne, but it wasn't Matilde that he held in his arms. You can't get around that, nor can he. Matildes soul and Yvonne's body are quite two different"
 Cad. you are analyzing things!" he exclaimed in amazement.
 But all this is neither here nor there," she said, flushing .The point is this: we are going away tomorrow, for heaven knows how long-you and l, my mother and your father We are going to Vienna and in St. Ste phen's athedral-where your father and mother were married with poor little Therese as one of the witnesses in St. Stephens we are to be married. She will not be there. She is not asked to come with us. She is barred out. Isn't it the refinement of-cruelty?"
 Cruelty, Lydia? I'd hardly call it that. It's the order of destiny, or something of the sort. She gambled with fate and lost out. She's a good loser. She hasn't squealed once"
 Squealed? I hate that word"
 T hate squealer worse," said he But seriously, it knocks me all out whenever I think of her. I've hesi 'tated about speaking to father, dear You see, I'm in rather delicate posi- tion. Six weeks ago I was madly in- fatuated with Yvonne. I don't deny it-and he knows all about it. Cad, I'd give-ten years of my life if she were going along with us tomorrow I'd give more than that to see this whole unhappy business patched up so that they could start off anew. But I'm afraid he wouldn't take it well from me if I asked him to include her in the-er-party. It's his affair, not mine, you see. He'd be justified in considering me selfish in the matter. It might seem as though I didn't care a hang for his personal feelings and"
 She's his wife, however" said Lydia, with stubborn pursing of the lips. "She didn't wrong him and, after all. she's only guilty of-well, she isn't guilty of anything except being a sis ter of the girl he wronged"
 "I'll have a talk with him if you think best" said he, an eager gleam in his eyes.
 And I with Yvonne," she said quickly. You see, it's possible she is the one to be persuaded"
 He'll never ask her." said Frederic, after long period of reflection
 What is to become of herr" asked Lydia, rather bleakly
 q suppose she'll go away. It will be the end"
 1T don't think I could bear it, Freddy" she said. trace of tears in her voice.
 He swallowed hard. Then he cleared his throat briskly. "Of course you've observed that they never see one an other alone. They never meet except when someone else is about He rather resents the high-handed way in which she ordered him to stay away from me until I was safely out of danger He has spoken of it to me, but, for the life of me I can't tell whether he holds 1t up against her or not. He says she saved my life. He says she per formed miracle. But he has never uttered a word of thanks or gratitude or appreciation to her. I'm sure of that, for she has told me so. And she is satisfied to go without his thanks. She rather likes him the better for the way he treats the situation. There's no hypocrisy about him. There's no use shamming, Lyddy."
 q see what you mean" she said, with sigh. T suppose we just cant understand things"
 You've no idea how beautiful you are today, Lyddy," he said suddenly, and she looked up into his glowing eyes with a smile of ineffable happi- ness. Her hand found his and her warm, red lips were pressed to its palm in hot, impassioned kiss. Its great to be alive! Great"
 "Oh, it is,' she cried, it is!'
 They might better have said that 1t is great to be young, for that is what it all came to in the analysis.
 Later on Brood joined them in the courtyard. He stood, with his hand on his sons shoulder, chatting care lessly about the coming voyage, all the while smiling upon the radiant girl to whom he was promising para disc. She adored the gentle, kindly gleam in these oRetime steady. steel like eyes. His #1ice. too, of late was pitched in softer key and there was the ring of happiness in it's every note. It was as if he had discovered something in life that was constantly surprising and pleasing. him. He seemed always to be venturing into fresh fields of exploration and finding there something that was of inesti- mable value to his new estate Every day he was growing richer. happier and yet poorer when it came to self appraisemept. All his life he had hoarded the motives and designs that applied to self. He had laid by a great store of hard things for his old age; they were being wrested from him by this new force that had taken possession of him and he saw how lilly he had invested his powers. He