Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-08-03

/ out being IL love with you because w
| did believe had tried to marry yon
brother. and"
MARY. ! only knew---for the 6rs
time-that you--that you we're
Were desperately poor" she said
"iou can't even say that! Bibbs. 1
was true: did try to make Jim wan
to marry me. I did~ And she san
down into the chair, weeping bitterl
again. Bibbs was agonized.
MARY" he groaned. II didn't know
you could cryr'
Listen" she said. Listen till ! ge
through want you to understand
We We're poor. and we weren't fitted +
be. We never had been. and we dldn'
know what to do. We'd been almos
rich; there was plenty. but my fathe
wanted to take advantage Of tn
growth OF the town: he wanted to b,
richer. but instead--well. just abou
the time your father finished buiidin,
next door we found we hadn't any
thing. People soy that. sometimes
meaning that they haven't anything II
comparison with other people of theil
own kind, but we really hadn't any
thing--we hadn't anything at all
Bibbs! And we couldn't do anything
You might wonder why didn't try t.
be stenographer'-and | wonder my
self why, when a family loses 1t,
money. people always say the daugh
tiers ought to go and be stenographers.
It's curious!-as IL wave Of the hand
made you into stenographer. No, Ia
been raised to be either married com
fortably or well-to-do old maid. II
chose not to marry. The poverty came
on slowly. Bibbs. but Mt last 1t was a,
there-and I didn't know how to be q
stenographer didn't know how Il
be anything except well-to-do old
maid or somebody's wife--and
couldn't be a well-to-do old maid
Then, Bibbs, did what I'd been raised
to know how to do. went out to be
fascinating and be married. did II
openly, at least, and with kind Of de-
cent honesty. ! told your brother
had meant to fascinate him and that
was not in love with him, but let him
think that perhaps meant to marry
him. think did mean to marry him
had never cared for anybody. and
thought it might be there really wasn't
anything more than a kind of excited
4 ne hS htrf \ fhfrtr
that though did mean to marry him
l never should have done 1t, because
that sort Of a marriage is-it's sacri-
lege-something would have stopped
me. Something did stop me: 1t was
your sister-in-law, Sibyl. She meant
no harm-but she was horrible, and
she put what was doing into such
horrible words-and they were the
truth-oh! I saw myself! She was
proposing q miserable compact with
me-and l couldn't breathe the air of
the same room with her, though I'd SO
cheapened myself she had a right to
assume that | would. But l couldn't!
left her, and wrote to your brother
just quick scrawi. told him just
what I'd done; asked his pardon, and
said would not marry him. I post
ed the letter, but he never got 1t. That
was the afternoon he was killed. That's
all, Bibbs. Now you know what did
land you know-mer' She pressed
her clenched hands tightly against her
eyes. leaning far forward. her head
bowed before him.
Bibbs had forgotten himself long
ago; his heart broke for her. Couldn't
you Isn't there Won't you" he
stammered. MARY. I'm going with ia.
Their. Isn't there some way you could
use the money without-without-
She gave choked little laugh.
"You gave me something to live for
he said. "You kept me alive, think
and I've hurt you like thisp'
Not you---oh nor
"You could forgive me, Mary?"
"Oh, a thousand times" Her right
hand went out in a faltering gesture
and just touched his own for an in
slant. "But there's nothing to for
give"
"And you can't-you can't"
Cant what, Bibbs?"
"You couldn't"
Marry your" she said for him.
yes"
mo, no, nor She sprang up, facing
him. and. without knowing what she
did, she set her hands upon his breast
pushing him back from her little. 81
can't, can't! Don't you seeT
Mary"
mo. no! And you must so now,
Bibbs: can't bear any more
please"
Mary"
Never, never, neverw she cried, In
a passion Of tears. "You mustn't come
any more. | can't see you. dear! Never.
never, neverw
Somehow. in helpless, stumbling ODE
dience to her beseeching gesture, he
got himself to the door and out of the
house.