The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-07-23
CHAPTER xxIll-Continued.


sne' sagely. 1T isn't the way with
men. 1t may not have been love that
ne telt for the physical Yvonne, but it
wasn't Matilde that he held in his
arms. You can't get around that nor
can he. Matilde's soul and Yvorne's
BODY are quite two different"
Cad, you are Analysing 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,
Tor heaven knows how long-you and
j, my mother and your father We
are going to Vienna and in st. Ste.
phen's cathedral-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 1t the refinement of-cruelty?"
:. Cruelty. Lydia? I'd hardly call 1t
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? l hate that word"
Il hate squealer worse" said he.
"But seriously. 1t knocks me all out
whenever ! think Of her. I've hest.
tated about speaking to father, dear.
You see, I'm in rather delicate posi-
zion. Six weeks ago l was madly in.
fatuated with Yvonne. I don't deny
1t-and he knows all about It, Cad,
IA 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 we'll
from me II 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
1t might seem as though didn't care
hang for his personal feelings and"
j. She's his wife, however" said
Lydia. with stubborn pursuing 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"
{ "Ill have talk with him if YOU
think BEST" said he. an eager CLEAN 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 a long period of reflection.
What is to become of herr" asked
Lydia, rather bleakly.
II suppose she'll go away. 1t will
be the end"
Il don't think l could bear it.
Freddy" she said, a 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 was safely out of danger. He
has spoken Of it to me, but, for the
life of me 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 word of thanks or gratitude
or appreciation to her. Pm 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."
Il see what you mean," she said,
with sigh. 81 suppose we just can't
understand things"
you've no idea how beautiful you
are today, Lyddy," he said suddenly,
and she looked up into his glowing
eyes with 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, 1t u.s." she cried, 1T isl"
They might better have said that
It 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
CLEAN in these one-time steady, steel.
like eyes. His voice, too, of late was
pitched In softer key and there was
the ring Of happiness in its every
note. 1t 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.
-appraisement. All his life he had
boarded the motives and designs that
applied to SELF He had laid by
great store of hard things for his old
age; they were being wrested from