Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-05-03
She Unmatched the Door.

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She Unlatched the Door.
"Oh, I know what you're going to
say! Why did I run away from your
Then, since he said nothing, she con
tinued unhappily: II can't tell you. !
mean, don't know how to tell you!"
She kept her face averted, sat gaz
ing blankly out of the window; but
when he remained mute and unre
sponsive-in point of fact not knowing
what to say-she turned to look in.
quiringly at him, and the glare of a
passing lamp showed him her counte.
nance profoundly distressed, her
mouth tense, brows knitted. eyes cloud
ed with perplexity and appeal.
And of sudden, seeing her so tor.
mented and so piteous, his indigna.
ton ebbed, and with it all his doubts
Of her; dimly he OWNED that there
was something behind this dark fabric
of mystery and inconsistency that,
however inexplicable 1t might seem to
him, 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.
lieve 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 wouldnt
have you distress yourself on my &C.
count, Miss Shannon. quite under
stand there must be things I can't un.
derstand-that you must have had
your reasons for acting as you did,
Eyes," she said evenly, but again
with eyes averted-"I had; but they're
not easy, they're impossible to explain
to you"
"Yet-when alls said and done-I've
no right to exact any explanation"
"Ah. but how can you say that. re-
Numbering what we've. been through
together" ri S&s's @
"You owe me nothing" he insisted,
whereas I 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. I don't deserve it. You
wouldn't say tiff you knew
Perhaps I can guess enough to sat
isfy myself"
She gave him a swift, sldelong look
of challenge, instinctively on the de-
fensive. ..-,
why" she almost gasped, what do
you think"
Does It matter what think?"
1T does, to me. l wish to know!"
Well he conceded reluctantly, IL
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 yehemently - quite, quite
wrong! I ran away from myself-not
from you-and with another motive,
too-one that l can't explain"
You ran away from yourself-not
from me?" he repeated, puzzled.
Don't you understand? Why make
1t so hard for me? Why make me say
outright what pains me so?"
"Oh, 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?"
Il remember" he assented gravely.
1T was because of that" she said, Il
ran away; because hadn't been talk
Ing idly when l said what did; be-
cause you were mistaken in me, be-
cause was deceiving you, because l
could never marry you, and because
suddenly came to know that, If
didn't leave you then and there, l
might never find the strength to leave
you, and only greater suffering and un-
happiness could come Of it. had to
60, as much for your sake as for
mine."
You mean me to understand that
you found you were beginning to-to
care little for me?"
She made an effort to speak. but In
the end answered him only with a
dumb inclination of her head.
And you ran away, then, because
love wasn't possible between us?"
Again. silently, she bowed her head.
Because I 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 l infer? What other ex-
PLANTATION is needed? It's ample, it
covers everything, and I've no warrant
to complain-God knows!"