Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-05-05

uo"oN0A AneApHcaDle IL might seem to
MIN, excused all her apparent faith
lessness and instability Of character
and purpose. He couldn't look upon
this girl and listen to her voice and be-
lleve that she wasn't at heart as sound
and sweet and tender and loyal as any
that ever breathed!
A wave of tenderness and compass
sion swept his heart, and he realized
that he didn't matter, that nothing
mattered SO long as she was spared
one slightest pang Of self-reproach.
He said very gently: 81 wouldn't
have you distress yourself on my ac-
count, Miss Shannon. / quite under
stand there must be things I can't I'M
derstand-that you must have had
you. reasons for acting as you did"
YES" she said evenly, but again
with eyes averted-"I had; but they're
not easy, they're impossible to explain
to YOU
l. "Yet-when alPs said and done-I've
no right to exact any explanation"
| ,"Ah. but how can you say that, re-
membering what we've been through
| together?"
"You owe me nothing" he insisted.
| whereas / owe you everything, even
unquestioning faith. Even though /
fail, have this to thank you for-this
one not ignoble impulse my life has
known"
you mustn't say that; you mustn't
think it. l don't deserve it. You
wouldn't say tiff you knew"
Perhaps l can guess enough to sat
isfy myself"
She gave him swift, sidelong look
of challenge, instinctively on the de-
fensive
why" she almost gasped, what do
you think"
Does it matter what think?"
ut does, to me. I wish to know!"
Well" he conceded reluctantly, II
think that, when you had chance to
think things over calmly. while you
waited for me there in the garden, you
decided it would be better TOTO use
your best Judgment and-extricate
yourself from an embarrassing en-
tanglement-"
But you were wrong!" she pro-
tested vehemently - quite, quite
wrong! / ran away from myself-not
from you-and with another motive,
, too-one that can't explain"
"You ran away from yourself-not
from me?" he repeated, puzzled.
Don't you understand? Why make
- CO bard For MOP Whv mako me- saw
outright what pains me so!"
"Ohs beg of you
But if you won't understand other
wise-I must tell you, suppose. She
checked herself, breathless, flushed,
and trembling. you remember our
talk after dinner that night-how
asked you. what if you were to find out
you'd been mistaken in me, that had
deceived you; and how told you 1t
would be impossible for me ever to
marry you?"
ct remember" he assented gravely.
at was because of that" she said, i
ran away: because hadn't been talk
ing idly when l said what l did; be-
cause you were mistaken in me, De-
cause l was deceiving you, because
could never marry you, and because
suddenly came to know that, IL
didn't leave you then and there, |
might never find the strength to leave
you, and only greater suffering and I'M
happiness could come of it. had to
go, as much for your sake as LOT
mine"
You mean me to understand that
you found you were beginning to-to
care a little for me?"
She made an effort to speak, but In
the end answered him only with
dumb inclination of her head.
"And you ran away, then, because
love wasn't possible between us?"
Again, silently, she bowed her head.
Because l had been criminal, |
presumed"
you've no right to say that"
what else can think? You tell me
you were afraid / might induce you to
become my wife-something which,
for some incomprehensible reason, you
claim is impossible. What other ex-
PLANTATION can infer? What other ex-
PLANTATION is needed? It's ample, IL
covers everything, and I've no warrant
to complain-God knows!"
"But!-" she began, when ne cut
her short.
There's one thing don't under
stand at ALI" he protested. IF that
were so, if it was your repugnance for
criminal association-why did you go
back to Bannon?"
She started and glanced at him fur
lively, frightened glance.
"You knew that?"
st saw you-last night-followed
you from Wells to the Elysee Palace
hotel"
And you thought" she flashed in