The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-09-15
CHAPTER ,sx.--censInued.


Smith did not take the extended hands.
Her own were ciasped before Der.
II have come TO plead with you,
Madame Arnaud--not 70 Judge"
And II promise yog--if ! tell you
that | will do all that lies in my
power"
Then my GRAND IL accomplished"
aylvia's hands dropped. II struck
her that this woman had a mean soul,
coarsened with rough contact with the
world She could not rise TO the high
attitudes OF forgiveness and reconcile
alton. She could only grasp the ma.
terial things OF life. Sylvia caught a
glance Of her own reflection in the
glass opposite. and she saw how cthe'
rea! her own beauty had become, After
all. beauty Is the outward and visible
sign. Suddenly her name was called
roughly yet pIteously her eyes
atnk
That's my husband" she said
grayely. Even In his delirium he Is
always calling for me The dying are
sacred, are they notT We must for
give them as we forgive the dead"
YES" Gabrielle sssented.
II must 80 to him. But I will do
what have promised IL will atone
for him, Perhaps 10 may soothe him
comfort him to think that the wrong
he has doas has been righted--doDt
you Think
Perhaps" )
Hut Gabrielle Smith did not seem
10 see the extended hand There was
a hard line about the fine mouth. and
without greeting almost as though
goaded by an impatient contempt she
went out Of the open French windows
into the brazen glare 0f the afternoon.
Sylvia Armand watched the slight up
right figure vauish into the archway
beyond the courtyard She was vague
" Disconnected like an actress left
suddenly without her cue-and be-
meath the tranquil consciousness OF viz
tue there stirred the Old hatred. the
old mistrust
In the sickroom all was stIll again.
The blinds were drawn. and In the
greentinted shadows Desires face
showed like white light She went
softly over 10 his bedside and sat
down, looking at him. His eyes were
closed aud he appeared to sleep, A
cold wonder crept over her. He had
changed so completely In those few
months OF their married He that the
change ceased 10 be terrible This
was not the man whose netting, I'M
known fascination had caught her rest
less fancy even the man she had
grown weary OF He was nothlng--a
mere husk OF something that had once
been, stun, as she sat there and looked
back on those months many things
became riumphantly clear to her. She
understood why she had grown weary
aud why WEAKNESS had changed to
nausea. He was bad man. He had
slnncd; he had LEI another suffer for
him, aud had pursued his victim with
II relentless hatred, Her woman's In.
Stnct bad recognized the evil and had
passed Judgment beside him Rich.
ard Farquhars figure CLEANED In the
llmelight ot her imagination--a cheva-
Her Of the old school. qulxotic and
romantic. Hut she did not love him.
Perhaps there was even somewhere In
her vague contemplate least, a
slightly patronlzng pity strengthened
Ivy the RnNwIrige TINT now hts saliva.
ton was IN her hands Her thoughts
passed On from him to the mplacable.
ruthless man who had come back to
her out OF the jaws Of death. and to
whom she WAS going with the sur
render OF her whole sell Aud rs she
thought OF aim invisible hands tore
down the veil and she saw the pic.
ture that he had painted OF hers saw
It and shvank from II even though she
knew that II was the insignia " his
power
Desires eyes opened. They rested
full on her face, and In their rccosui.
ton, their pathetic. helpless worship
she recaIued herself aud the heights Of
her virtue. She bent over him.
Are you better. nesIrey"
sylvia His hand CROPPED feehly
for hers She touched 1, kindly. She
would not rrprnach him. She was FOR
giving him lie WAS going 10 die
And then she would be free, She did
not think Of her freedom II was like
Il hidden pulSe--hcstin pecsisteutly,
feyeriShly.
u heard you call" she said, as
therc anything wantl The Nurse will
he back In q moment
He carrsS.d her hand with an In.
einite tenderness
They are going 10 shoot him at
tlayhgeaS, he said very gently And
then all will he wei, will :. uot2 You
will forge, him, You will learn ~
understand -~cveryth.ns We shah ~,
gin new Afc together IN new world.
my wife. There will he nv shadow
between us where We are eoin.,"
She ShraNk trom bin, bali IN horror,
half in vague fear He was dying
and he seemed 50 sure He did not
ASK for forgiveness, thece was No re-
morse In his Sunkea eyrS--ratAt7 a
grave, serene piis HIS hand stu
held hers. There was a power II IL
weakness wh!cA fegriss, her she re,t
As though she would never he able Il
free herself.