The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-01-05

message asked for i'm the way of dim
Der for shipbuild-Toinette. look at
mel"
She looked up. startled at the
change in his voice. and saw what she
had feared-and vaguely longed for
was about TO come. David had risen
10 his feet. The room seemed sud
denly filled with tremendous tensity.
Her heart beat uncontrollably she
calmly threaded needle anew.
| "Do you know what failure isl" he
lung at her. The torrent OF his heart
rushed out with the words. IL have
struggled" he said harshly. but l
give up now. i work from daylight
tn dark, I read at night at the law.
Blackford. These things ought to
make up my world for me. But they
don't. There isn't any world for me
unless YOU" He checked himself.
then began anew. IL think about my
self. i go back over my life--all its
poverty-every miserable line OF Its
starved existence. And then-l think
about you. q. l want 10 know
what right you have 10 make part OF
my world. It's not your world.
don't belong there. Why do you come
into mine? You ought not TO be In
my thoughts. But you are. 1 can't
drive you out of my mind. You have
been there ever since l first saw you,
ever since -. :"
His voice broke.
From the first wild challenge OF his
gaze she had averted her face and
had listened with bowed head. As
he paused she threw frightened
glance at him and saw that the
knuckles OF his clenched hands were
whitened with the strain. She tried
10 speak hut could think Of nothing
that she could say. Her hands picked
aimlessly at the threads I'm her lap.
After moment he regained control
OF his lips and went on, passioDately
as before, but with nm undercurrent
of pleading that softened his words :
81 have been trying TO believe that
I could conquer all this In myself
that IL was too preposterous To en-
dure. But instead OF that II has
grown stronger so strong that
II is now everything. You are In ev-
erything / do. i cannot keep silent.
L"
Exactly what do you want Ia
vid?' II was n very cool little voice
that broke I'm on him.
He was wounded TO the heart. For
n moment the hurt look in his eyes
struck her with pity. But she steeled
herself and went on:
"Tm afraid / don't know Just what
you're talking about. DO you mean
that / am wronging you In any wayT
- wave Of hot anger swept through
him that she could choose to adopt so
pitiful misconstruction. But the
girl was fighting with the weapons of
her sex, fighting TO regain control OF
The situation He stood very proudly,
waiting to give her an opportunity to
retract.
'If i have offended you -. :"
81 have made mistake" he said
haughtily. IL see that / have been
ridiculous"
She shot frightened glance at him.
Had she gone too farf She forced
herself to go on. still cllnglng TO her
makeshift armor, still hiding behind
her poor little defenses:
"Can you think that do not realize
how hard life Is up here on the from
tier? 1t calls for all that Is best and
bruvest In us to go on fighting against
heat and cold and hunger, actual
want. But IL takes strong Ilen--
men who endure and do not COM.
plair."
"Do you think am whining7 You
know / am not" He waved her words
aside impatiently. ut IL something
else" He stopped, impotent TO ad-
vance I'm the face OF the travesty Of
his passion she had thrown In his
path.
The room was very still. Outdoors
the crickets 'chirped increasingly. For
a long while they stood facing each
other in silence that rested more and
more heavily upon David's heart.
Toinette raised her eyes timidly.
David's look had rot changed; 1t
seemed to enfold her with a mighty
passion Of wounded love. proud, suf-
fering, pleading 10 be understood.
She spoke again. falterlngly:
"We shall always be friends, shall
we notT
There was no answer. Sire waited.
not daring 10 raise her eyes from the
ground. She heard him move slowly
across the room, heard the latch lifted
and the door opened; heard his deep,
grave voice saying goodby. as In a
dream; heard the door close.
There swept over her the reallza-
ton OF all tfat he had suffered and
| risked for her, all the fine manliness
that lifted him above the poverty OF
his life. Tie .sllelt room seemed 10
accuse her with hundred Inscrutable
eyes. lie had laid bare his love for
her an1 she Lad dragged n In the dust
of petty things. She stretched her
hands ont yearnl1gly.
David 7" she called.
The room fr0ckpd. her with It's 81