The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-09-16

up this fight against me. You-you
know she was innocent" he said in a
low, unsteady voice.
And why | have hated you, ale?
But what you do not understand is
how could have brought myself to
the point of loving you"
Loving me! Good heaven. woman.
what do you"
Loving you in spite of myself" she
cried, beating upon the table with her
hands. Il have tried to convince my
self that it was lot | but the spirit OF
Matilde that had come to lodge in my
~treacherous body. l hated you for
myself and / loved you for Matilde.
She loved you to the end. She never
hated you. That was 1t. The pure,
deathless love OF Matilde was constant
ly lighting against the hatred | bore
for you. | believe az firmly as l be-
lieve that | am alive that she has been
near me all the time, battling against
my insane desire for vengeance. You
have only to recall to yourself the mo.
~ "HSh yOu "OtS oo NANitiJ tO-
minded of Matilde Valeska. AT those
times am sure that something of Ma
tide was in me. was not myself. You
have looked into my eyes a thousand
times with a question in your own.
Your soul was striving to reach the
soul Of Matilde. All, all these months
/ have known that you loved Matilde-
not me. You loved the Matilde that
was in me-. YOU"
IL have thought of her-always Of
her-when you were in my arms"
Il know how well you loved her."
she declared slowly. 81 know that you
vent to her tomb long after her death
was revealed to you. / know that years
ago you made an effort to find Fever.
ELI. You found his grave, too, and you
could not ask him, man to man, If you
had wronged her. But In spite of all
that you brought up her boy to be sac.
rificed as"
"I-I-good God, am I to believe
you? If he should be my son!" he
cried, starting up, cold with dread.
"He is your SON. He could be no
other mans son. have her dying
word for it. She declared II In the
presence of her God. Wait! Where
are you going?"
II am going down to him!"
mot yet, James. / have still more
to say to you-more to confess. Here!
Tako thio acEao a ~ lattarr Dad
them as you sit beside his bed--not
his deathbed, for | shall restore him
to health, never fear. II he we're to
die, ! should curse myself to the end
Of time, for | and l alone would have
been the cause. Here are her letters
This is her deathbed letter to you. And
this is a letter to her son and yours!
You may some day read 1t to him. And
here-thi5 Is a document requiring me
to share my fortune with her son. 1t
is a pledge that | took before my IA.
Their died a few years ago.. If the boy
ever appeared, he was to have his
mothers share of the estate-and IL Is
not an inconsiderable amount, James.
He is independent of you. He need
ask nothing OF you. ! was taking him
home to his own"
She shrank slightly as he stood over
her. There was more of wonder and
pity In his face than condemnation.
She looked for the anger she had ex.
pected to arouse in him, and was
dumfounded to see that 1t was not re-
vealed in his steady, appraising eyes.
Your plan deserved a better fate
than this Therese. 1t was prodigious!
IL a almost pity you"
"Have--have you no pain-no regret
no grieff" she cried weakly.
"Yes." he said. controlling himself
with difficulty. "Yes. / know all these
and more" He picked up the pack.
age OF letters and glanced at the SUBJ
scription on the outer envelope. Sud-
denly he raised them to his lips and,
with his eyes closed, Kissed the words
that were written there. Her head
dropped, and a sob cane into her
throat. She did not look up until he
began speaking to her again, quietly.
even patiently. But why should you,
even in your longing for revengs-why
should you have planned to humsliate
and degrade him even more than I
could have done? Was it just to your
sisters son hat you should blight La
life, that you should turn him into .
skuiking, sneaking betrayer? What
would you have gained in the end? His
ioathing. his scorn-my God, Therese.
did you not think of all this!"
II have told you that ! thought Of
everything. l was mistaken. did not
stop to think that ] would be taking
him away from happiness In the shape
OF love that he might bear for omeone
else. / did not know that there was Q
Lydia Desmond. When l came to know.
my heart softened and my purpose lost
most Of its force. He would have been
safe with me, but would he have been
happy? l could not give him the kind
OF love that Lydia promised. I could
only, be his mothers sister to him. He
was not In love with me. He has al
ways loved Lydia. 4 fascinated him
Just as I fascinated you. He would not
have scne away with ne. eyen AFTER
you had told him that he war not your