The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-09-16
ae was ,oya, TO Lysi. ana 70

nfn- ae was ioyAi to Lyei. ana 70
himself"
And what did he think Of your" de-
manded Brood scornfully.
IF you had not come upon US here,
he would have known me for who I am
and he would have forgiven me. ! had
asked him to go away with me. He re-
fused. Then was about to tell him
the whole story Of my life, of his life
and OF yours. Do you think he would
have refused forgiveness to me? No!
He would have understood"
But up to that hour he thought of
you as IA what shat say?"
"A bad woman? Perhaps. ] did not
care. 1t was part of the price / was to
pay II advance. | would have told him
everything as soon as the ship on
which we sailed was outside the har.
Dor wonder. That vas my intention.
and | know you believe me when | say
that-there was nothing more in my
mind. Time would have Strengthened
everything out for him. He could have
had his Lydia, even though he went
away with me. Once away from here,
do you think that he would ever re-
turn? No! Even though he knew you
to be his father, he would not forget
that he has never been your SOL. You
have hurt him since he was a babe.
Do you understand? do not hate You
now. 1t is something to know hat you
have w~orshiped her all these years.
You were true to her. What you did
long, long ago was not your fault. You
believed that she had wronged you.
But you went on loving her. That is
what weakened my resolve. You loved
her to the end, she loved you to the
end. Well, in the face of that, could !
go on hating you? You must have
been worthy of her love. She knew you
better than all the world. You came
to me with love for her in your heart.
You took me, and you loved hersall the
time. / am not sure, James, that you
are not entitled to this miserable, UNI
happy love | have come to feel for you
my own love, not Matilde's."
"You-you are saying this so that !
may refrain from throwing you out in
TO the street.
mol" she cried, coming to her feet.
Il shall ask nothing of you. II l am
to go it shall be because l have failed.
| have been a blind, vain-glorious fool.
The trap has caught me instead Of you,
and l shall take the consequences. l
have lost-everything!"
Eyes, you have lost everything" said
he steadily.
You despise met"
II cannot ask you to stay here
after this"
But / shall not go. ] have a duty
to perform before | leave this house. l
intend to ave the life of that poor boy
downstairs, so that he may not die be-
lieving me to be an evil woman, a
faithless wife. Thank God, / have &C.
complished something! You know that
he is your 0 You know that my sis
ter was as puTe as snow. You know
that you killed her and that she loved
you in spite of the death you brought
to her. That is something. That"
Brood dropped into the chair and
buried his face OF his quivering arms.
In muffled tones came the cry from his
soul. They've all said that he is like
me. / have seer it at times, but l would
not believe. / fought against 1t, reso-
lutely, madly, cruelty! Now it Is too
late and | see! see, / feel! Damn you
oh, damn you-you have driven me
to the killing of my own SOM"
She stood over him, silent for a long
time, her hand lowering above his
head.
"He is not going to die" she said at
last, when she was sure that she had
full command of her voice. Il can
promise you that, James. / shall no
go from this house until he is we'll. |
shall nurse him back to health and
give him back to you and Matilde, for
now l know that he belongs to both of
you and not to her alone. Now, James,
| you may go down to him. He is not
conscious. He will not hear you pray
ing at his bedside. He"
A knock came at the door-a sharp,
imperative knock. 1t was repeated sew
eral times before either of them could
summon the courage to call out. They
were petrifed with the dread of some
thing that awaited them beyond the
closed door. II was she who finally
called out: Come in"
Doctor Holder, coatless and bare
armed, came into the room.
CHAPTER XXI.