The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-07-01

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 your In
the quiet of certain lonely, speculative
hours have you not wondered where
you had seen me before-long. long
before the night in London7 In all the
years that you have been trying to
convince yourself that Frederic is not
your son. has there not been the vision
Of"
What are you saying to met Arc
you trying to tell me that you are Ma
tilde?"
"If not Matilde, then who am l..
prayf" she demanded.
He sank back, frowning. "It cannot
be possible. I would know her thou
sand years from now You cannot
trick me into believing But. in
Gods name, who are your" He leaned
forward again. clutching the edge Of
the table. by heaven. | sometimes
think you are a ghost come TO haunt
me. to torture me. What trick. what
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
Matilde valeska, II you will have II so.
Not sent to curse you, but to love you.
That's the pity of II all. swear to
you that II 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. II there have been times
and heaven knows there we're many,
I know-when appeared to love you
for myself. | swear to yoc that l was
moved by the spirit OF Matilde. IL
am as much mystified, as greatly puz
zled as yourself came here to hate
you. and | have loved you-yes there
were moments when / actually loved
you"
Her voice died away into a 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
them.
mo. II is not Matilde who confronts
you now, but one who would not spare
you as she did up to the hour OF hei
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 o.
time. Frederic may see. may feel the
spirit OF his mother. but you-ah. mo-
! You have seen the last of her. Hell
blood is In my veins. her wrongs are II
} my heart. II was she with whom yot
fell In love and It was she you married
: six months ago. but now the curtain Il
r lifted. Don't you know me now. James
, Can your memory carry you bacl
twenty-three years and deliver yol
from doubt and perplexity? Lool
closely, / say. ! was six years oil,
then and"
Brood was glaring at her as on,
stupehed. Suddenly he cried out In
loud voice: Heaven help me, yo,
: are-you are the little sister? Tn,
little Therese?"
She was standing now, leaning fal
: over the table. for he had shrunk dowr
into his chair.
THE little Therese, yes! Now d.
D you begin to see? Now do you begir
I to realize what came here to do? Nov
! do you know why ! married you? Ism
r II. clear to you? Well, | have triet
I to do all these things SO that nigh
break your heart as you broke hers.
I came to make you pay!" She wal
. speaking rapidly. excitedly now Hel
] voice was high-pitched and unnatural
Her eyes seemed to be driving hin
= deeper and deeper into the chair, fore
4 ing him down as though with giants
Q hand. "The little. timid. beart-brokeI
Y Therese who would not speak to you
e nor kiss you. nor say good-by to yo,
y when you took her darling sister awal
\ from the Bristol In the Kartnerrin,
a more than twenty years ago. All. hoy
: I loved her--how loved her! Ant
how hated YOU for taking her ava!
: from me. Shall ever forget that wed
S ding night? Shall ever forget tn,
= grief, the loneliness. the hatred tha
r dwelt In my poor little heart tha
nightl Everyone was happy-th,
a whole world was happy-but was
!. was crushed with grief. You wer
1 taking her away across the awful SCI
A and you we're to make her happy, $,
they said-ai-e. 80 said my beloved
a joyous sister. You stood before tn
a altar In ST. Stephens with her an,
!. promised--promisea every
, thing. ! heard you. sat with m,
4 mother and turned to ice. but | hear,
! you. All Vienna, all Budapest said tha
!, you promised naught but happiness t
!, each other. She was tweIty-one. Sh
= was lovely-ah. far lovelier than tina
wretched nhotoRranh living thara 4,