The Monte Vista journal., 1915-05-29
torture.

1
to the steps. pressing the bell rapidly.
| his very back indicating his fear Of
that silent woman on the walk below.
The butler deferentially opened the
door. his face expressing the perfect
mixture Of complacency and defer
| ence always to be found upon the
ideal servants countenance. Some
thing very like surprise crossed his
face as he saw who waited. then he
quickly closed the door, almost
slammed 1t In the mans face.
Felix Lynn's shoulders slumped
again as he half turned. He dreaded
crossing the dead icy light in the
eyes of the woman who waited below.
For months now she had tortured
him in this fashion. For months she
had appeared always beside him, star
ing, staring at him from those accus-
ing eyes, and never q word-never a
word from those lips that had last
hurled at him the epithet-"thief."
Like haunted. hunted beast he
looked toward the garden. then. in
some swift impulse. as his eyes
caught glimpse of Esther seated on
bench there, he moved hurriedly In
her direction.
She shrank away as she saw who
had caused the quick crunch of
gravel, but something on the face Of
the man made her stop. He held
out his arms to her, not arms that
would embrace but arms that pleaded
for help. a little comfort, and. yes,
little protection.
For a moment he did not speak.
could not speak, then all the flood
gates were loosened, all the restraint
was shattered and the suffering, torn
and lacerated soul of the man stood
before her, unabashed at Its naked
ness, only asking the balm OF forgive
ness.
mo, not even forgiveness, Esther"
he pleaded brokenly. II only wish
the chance to try and help. l have
sinned, Esther, but God knows,
have paid, am paying and shall pay
until the memory Of that sin is wiped
away from all our minds. From our
hearts 1t can never go. love YOU
but we will not speak of that. l only
ask one little word-one little word of
comfort And 1t will make me strong.
I don't wish the strength for myself.
l only want 1t that l may help you.
] know you, Esther. l know that the
memory of our love cannot be erased
from such a soul as yours. 1 know
. that l have turned that beautiful
thing into wound that hurts. And
| only ask you for the chance to let
me help-help in any way can.
Because the helping you would do
SO much to help me-" The vehe-
mence OF his passion subsidized as he
saw his pleading having effect. His
voice lowered and he came q step
closer.
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 1t was hard, that often
times 1t 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, I
did not fight bravely. ] did not fight
fairly. did not fight the mans fight
as you fought the womans. But l
tried, Esther. / tried. And now l
ask Of you, l beg of you to fight with
me - shoulder to shoulder y 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 Alika
Knight, staring impassively at the
scene from beyond the shrubbery.
Lynn followed the direction of her
eyes and met those OF Alicia 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