Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-07-16
CHAPTER xxIlI-continued.

CHAPTER xxIli-continued.
IS
And I'm not SO sure of that" said
she. sagely. 1T isn't the way with
men. 1t may not have been love that
he felt for the physical Yvonne, but II
wasn't Matilde that he held in his
arms. You can't get around that, nor
can he. Matilde's soul and Yvonne'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. 1.-The point
II this: we are going away tomorrow
for heaven knows how long-you and
]. 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 Door
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 II
that. It's the order of destiny, or
something of the sort. She gambled
with fate and lost out. She's q good
loser. She hasn't squealed once"
"SQuealed? 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 a delicate posi-.
ton. Six weeks ago I was madly in.
fstuated with Yvonne. / don't deny
1t--and he knows all about It. Cad,
I'd give ten years of my life II 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 OF anew. But
I'm afraid he wouldn't take 1t well
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 I didn't care
hang for his personal feelings and"
r She's his wife, however," said
Lydia. with q stubborn pursuing of the
Nps. "She didn't wrong him and, after
al. she's only guilty dwell. she isn't
guilty of anything except being a sis
ter Of the girl he wronged."
"In have q talk with him II 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 long period Of reflection.
what IL to become of herr" asked
Lydia, rather bleakly.
81 suppose she'll 60 away. II will
be the end"
IL don't think could bear It,
Freddy" she said. q 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 1t 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 q miracle. But he has never
uttered q word of thanks or gratitude
or appreciation to her. I'm sure of
that. for she has told me so. And she
10 satisfied to 90 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 q sigh. II 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 q smile of ineffable happi-
ness. Her hand found his and her
warm, red lips were pressed to its
palm in a hot. impassioned kiss. IT'S
great to be alive! Greatl"
oh, It is" she cried, ut isl"
They might better have said that
1t IL great to be young. for that is
what 1t 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 a softer key and there was
the ring Of happiness In its every
note. It was as II 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 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
lily he had invested his powers. He
appraised himself very lowly and with
an ever-increasing shame. Rich. how