Putnam patriot., 1915-03-19

.A-s you afrsId te spsak to n,sf- che
 asked. pisadinsiy.
 on the tiller. Suddenly. with swift thrill which sent my blood leaping. felt the ssft touch of hsr finxsrs.
 Are you afraid to speak to meT she asked pIeadingiy. Surely have said nothing to anger you"
 No. it Is not that" 1 returned in confusion. not knowing how to express the cause of my hesitancy.
 "I am sorry yes" very slowly. but perhaps not as you suppose It Is hard to think of him as dead killed so sud denly. without opportunity to think or make any preImrstion He-he was my husband under the law. That was all He was no more 1 do not believe 1 ever loved him My marriage was but the adventure of romantic girl. bur if l onc.. did his subsequent abuse of me, his life of dissipation. oblit- erated long since every recollection of that love He Is to me scarcely more than name. an unhappy memory 1 told you that frankly when l believed him still alive We were friends then. you and l. and ! cannot conceive why his death should sever our friendship'
 Don't" l burst forth impetuously. You talk of friendship when all my hope centers about another term. Surely you understand. am man sorely tempted and dare not yield to temptation
 hx. k..r I,,tad nun clasp. yet the very movement seemed to express regret,
 And We are to be friends no longer! Is that your nieaningi'
 You must answer that question" l replied gravely flor it is beyond my power to decide"
 Her head was again uplifted. and knew she was endeavoring to see my face through the gloom
 T am woman." she said. and we like to pretend to misunderstood, but am not going to yield to that inclina tion. 1 do understand and will answer frankly We can never be friends as we were before
 My heart sank, and I felt choke
 
 ''l was afraid it would be so
 Yes" and both her hands were upon mine. .'in our position we cannot afford to play at cross purposes. You have been loyal to me even when every in ducemeut was offered elsewhere. permitted myself to come south with you. Knowing your purpose to be an Illegal one placed myself in false position In doing this ] was actuated by two purposes. one was to gave this property which had been will cd to my husband by his father. Dv you guess the othery"
 "No." 1 said. iinprcesed by the ear nestDess with which she was spea king "You will tell msY'
 ''l mean to; the time has come when l should. It was that 1 might save you from a crime. You had been kind to me. sympathetic. l-l liked you very much. and 1 knew you did not understands; that you were being mis- led. could not determine then where the fraud was. but 1 knew there was fraud and that you would eventually become it's victim"
 You cared that much for me?''
 Yes" she confessed frankly. "I did 1 would never have told you so under ordinary conditions. But l can now. here. where we are-aIone together in this boat" She paused. as though en- deavoring to choose the proper words We both realize the changed relations between us"
 drew a Qnick. startled breath.
 ''That-that 1 love your the excia- nation left my fipa before was aware. "Yes." she satd cnimiy. .l could not hsip that. At nss never deemed surh . resmit of our friendship pos sibie. l was Philip Henley's wife, and 1 gave this possible danger scarceiy . thought. Indeed. it d1d not seem . danger. whiis h b true hs was hus- hand In name only. yet l was wife forever That is my religion Now the conditions ars all changed. instant ly changed. Dy his death-'
 You believe. then. be h deadr
 -I am sure of 1t as though l had seen his body. feel it to be true. Do you understand now why because of the fact we can no longer remain friendsy'
 Yes" 1 burst forth. because you know how 1 have grown to feel to- ward you. You-you resent
 Have 1 said soy'
 No. not in words. That was not necessary. but understand"
 .no vau iuffoodSu
 l stared toward her, puzzled. bewil- dered. yet conscious that the hot blood was surging through my veins.
 You cannot mean the otherY questioned. "That-that you love meY' And why not! Am l so different from other wopenT
 l held the tiiier still with one hand. but the other arm was free. and 1 reached ont and drew her toward me. There was no resistance. no effort to break away. could see her face up- lifted. the wide open eyes.
 Dean,s Rheumatic PiIis for Rheu- 2 ~~f~