The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-12-17
CHAPTER xxlII-continued.

wasn't Matllde Lnat ne nelQ IN mis-
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
ia 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.
vhens cathedral-where your father
and mother were married with poor
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 it the refinement of-cruelty%
Cruelty, Lydia? I'd hardly call it
that. It's the order of destiny, or
something Of the sort. She gambled
with fate and lost out She's a good
loser. She hasn't sQuealed once"
"SQuealed? l hate that word"
Il hate squealer worse" said he.
But seriously, 1t knocks me all out
whenever l think of her. I've hest.
tated about speaking to father, dear
You see, I'm in rather delicate posi-.
ton. Six weeks ago was madly in
fstuated with YVonne. l don't deny
it-and he knows all about it. Cad,
I'd give ten years Of my life if she
we're going along with us tomorrow.
I'd give more than that to see this
whole unhappy business patched up so
that they could start off anew. But
I'm afraid he wouldn't take it we'll
from me If ! 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 l didn't care
hang for his personal feelings and"
She's his wife, however" said
Lydia, with a stubborn pursuing of the
lips. "She didn't wrong him and, after
all, she's only guilty of-well, she isn't
guilty of anything except being a sis.
ter Of the girl he wronged."
"I'll have a talk with him if you
think best" said he, an eager CLEAN in
bis eyes.
And 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 q long period Of reflection.
What is to become of herr" asked
Lydia, rather bleakly.
Il suppose she'll go away. 1t will
be the end"
I'll don't think ! could bear it,
Freddy" she said, a trace of tears in
her voice.
He swallowed hard. Then he cleared
bis 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
Sne ordered him to stay away from me
until ] was safely out of danger. He
mas spoken of it to me, but, for the
NE OF me ! can't tell whether he holds
II up against her or not. He says she
saved my life. He says she per-
formed a miracle. But he has never
uttered word Of thanks or gratitude
OF appreciation to her. I'm sure Of
mat, for she has told me so. And she
] satisfied to 60 without his thanks.
Sne rather likes him the better for the
way ne treats the situation. There's
no hypocrisy about him. There's no
use shamming, Lyddy."
] see what you mean" she said,
win sigh. 81 suppose we just can't
understand things"
You've no idea how beautiful you
are today, Lyddy," he said suddenly,
ala she looked up into his glowing
syes with a smile of ineffable happi-
ness Her hand found his and her
warm, red lips were pressed to it's
pam In hot, impassioned kiss. TITS
seat to be alive! Great!"
Oh, 1t is" she cried, ut Isl"
they might better have said that
IS great to be young, for that Is
"ass It all came to in the analysis.
Later on Brood joined them in the
Muityard. He stood, with his hand
y MS sons shoulder, chatting care
.sssiy about the coming voyage, all
'as while smiling upon the radiant
sIi 10 whom he was promising para
., se sne adored the gentle, kindly
s,eam IN these one-time steady, steel
aae eyes His voice, too, of late was
r'cled in q softer key and there was
us ring of happiness in its every
Ose It was as if he had discovered
suetning In life that was constantly
Uprising and pleasing him. He
sosLleo always to be venturing into
ussl heids of exploration and finding
80 something that was of inesti-
.auie value to his new estate. Every
~ ne was growing richer, happier
u yet poorer when it came to self.
pplslsement. All his life he had
sOasoed the motives and designs that
pphed to self. He had laid by q
Rleet store of hard thlnua For his cid