Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-07-02

swiftly to the table. In another In
slant the work of many months would
have been torn to bits Of waste paper.
But his hand was stayed. Someone
had stopped outside his door. He could
not hear a sound and yet he knew that
a hand was on the heavy latch. He sud-
denly recalled his remark to the old
men. He would have to write the final
chapter after all.
He waited. He knew that she was
out there, collecting all of her strength
for the. coming interview. She was
fortifying herself against the crisis
that was so near at hand. To his own
surprise and distress of mind, he found
himself trembling and suddenly de-
prived of the fierce energy that he had
stored up for the encounter. He won
dered whether he would command the
situation after all. Notwithstanding his
righteous charge against her. She had
wantonly sought to entice Frederic
she had planned to dishonor her hus-
band-she had proved herself unwhole-
some and false and her heart was evil!
And yet he wondered whether he
would be able to stand his ground
against her.
So far she had ruled. At the outset
he had attempted to assert his au-
thority as the master Of the house In
this trying, heart-breaking hour. and
she had calmly waved him aside. His
first thought had been to take his
proper place at the bedside Of his vic
tim and there to remain until the end.
but she had said: You are not to go
in. You have done enough for one day.
II he must die. let 1t be in peace and
not In fear. You are not to 60 in"
and he had crept away to hide! He re-
membered her words later on when
Holder sent for him to come down.
mot in fear" she had said.
On the edge Of the table, where It
had reposed since Doctor Holder
dropped 1t there. was the small photo
graph of Matilde. He had not touched
1t, but he had bent over 1t for many
minutes at time, studying the sweet.
never-to-be-forgotten. and yet curiously
unfamiliar features of that long-ago
loved one. He looked at 1t now as he
waited for the door to open. and his
thoughts leaped back to the last
glimpse he had ever had of that ador-
able face. Then 1t was white with de-
spair and misery-here 1t looked up at
him with smiling eyes and the languor
of unbroken tranquility.
He clenched his strong, lean hands
to keep them from shaking. A new
wonder filed him as he allowed his
eyes to measure the distance. to the
floor and to sweep the strong. powerful
frame that trembled and was cold. He
was a giant in strength and yet he
trembled at the approach Of this slen-
der. frail creature who paused at his
gates to gather courage for the attack!
He was sorely afraid and he could not
understand his fear. With one of his
sinewy hands he could crush the life
out Of her slim, white throat-and yet
he was afraid of her-physically afraid
of her.
Suddenly he realized that the room
was quite dark. He dashed to the win
dow and threw aside the broad, thick
curtains. A stream of afternoon sun
shine rushed into the room. He would
have light this time; he would not be
deceived by the darkness. as he had
been once before. This time he would
see her face plainly. There should be
no sickening illusion. He Strengthened
his tall figure and waited for the door
to open.