The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-13

are not mere 10 nyStlly eaCn OlneE Uut
to"
ITO explain mysteries. that's It, OF
course. You are looking. What do
you see? Are you not sure that you
/ looked into my eyes long, long ago!
/ Are there not moments when my voice
| is familiar to you, when II speaks to
] you out Of"
He sat up. rigid as a block OF stone.
Yes, by heaven. | have felt 1t all
along. Today | was convinced that
the unbelievable had happened. saw
something that" He stopped short,
| his lips parted.
She waved her hand in the direction
OF the Buddha. Have you never petit
/ toned your too solid friend over there
| to unravel the mystery for you? In
the quiet of certain lonely, speculative
hours have you not wondered where
| you had seen me before-long, long
before the night in London? In all the
| years that you have been trying TO
/ convince yourself that Frederic 10 not
your son, has there not been the vision
of"
What are you saying to me? Are
1 you trying to tell me that you are Ma
tilde?"
II not Matilde then who am |,
pray?" she demanded.
He sank back, frowning. 1T cannot
be possible. | would know her thou
sand years from now. You cannot
trick me into believing But, in
Gods name, who are you?" He leaned
forward again, clutchng the edge Of
the table. by heaven, | sometimes
think you are a ghost come 20 haunt
magic is behind all this? Has her
soul, her spirit, her actual being found
a lodging place in YOU and have you
| been sent to curse me for"
She rose halfway out of her chair,
| leaning farther across the table. Yes,
James Brood, represent the spirit OF
Matlde Valeska, if you will have it so.
| Not sent to curse you, but to love you.
| That's the .ity of it all. | swear to
you that it is the spirit of Matilde that
urges me to love you and to spare you
now. II is the spirit of Matilde that
stands between her son and death. But
it is not Matilde who confronts you
| here and now, you may be sure of that.
! Matilde loved you She loves you now,
even in her grave You will never be
able to escape from that wonderful
! love of hers. If there have been times
and heaven knows there were many,
! know-when ! appeared to love you
| for myself | swear TO you that | was
moved by the spirit of Matilde. II
am as much mystiiied, as greatly puz-
zled as yourself I came here to hate
you, and have loved you-yes. there
we're moments when | actually loved
you"
Her voice died away into whisper
For many seconds they sat looking
into each others eyes, neither pos
sessing the power to break the strange
spell of silence that had fallen upon
chem.
mo, 1t is not Matilde who confronts
you now, but one who would not spare
you as she did up to the hour of her
death You are quite safe from ghosts
from this hour on, my friend. You
will never see Matilde again, though
you look into my eyes till the end OF
time. Frederic may see, may feel the
spirit of his mother, but you-ah, no!
You have seen the last Of her Her
blood is in my veins, her wrongs are in
my heart 1t was she with whom you
fell in love and It was she you married
six months ago. but now the curtain is
lifted. Don't you know me now, James?
Can your memory carry you back
twenty-three years and deliver you
from doubt and perpleXity? Look
closely | say. | was six years old
then and"
Brood was glaring at her as one
stupeiied. Suddenly he cried out in a
loud voice: Heaven help me, you
are-you are the little sister? The
| little Therese?'
She was standing now, leaning far
over the table for he had shrunl down
into his chair.
THE little Therese, yes! Now do
you begin to see? Now do you begin
to realize what came here to do? Now
do you know why married you? Isn't
it clear to you? Well. have tried
to do all these things so that | might
break your heart rs you broke hers.
came to make you pay" She was
speaking rapidly, eXcitedly now. Her
voice was highpitched and unnatural
| Her eyes seemed to be driving him
deeper and deeper into the chair, fore
ing him down as though with a giants
hand. The little, timd, heart broken
| Therese who would not speak to you,
nor kiss you, nor say good-by to you
! when you took her darling sister away
from the Bristol in the Kartnerring
more than twenty years ago. All, how
loved her-how | loved her! And
how | hated you for taking her away
from me Shall ever forget that we'd
ding night? Shall | ever forget the
grief. the loneliness, the hatred that
! 1itt1a