Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-07-02

me, to make me think 1t was me you
loved and not lhe woman you felt
bound to take care of, because you'd
you had"
"Mary, listen to me-" he interrupted.
81 swear 1 didn't know you. Only,
that night on the stage, as Joan
Thursday, you were that girl again.
/ never dreamed of associating you
with my wife. Dear / didn't know,
believe me. 1t was you who bewitched
me-not the wife for whose sake
fought against what thought infatua-
ton for you. 1 loved-I love you only.
you as you are-not the poor little
girl Of the Commercial House."
81 have loved you always" she said
softly between barely parted lips
always, Hugh. Even when l thought
you dead / did believe that
you were drowned out there. Hugh |
You know that, don't you"
"I have never for an instant ques-
toned it,"
"It wouldn't be like you to, my
dear; it wouldn't be you, my Hugh.
No other man l ever knew-no, let me
say it lever measured up to the
standard you had set for me to wor-
ship. But Hugh-you'll understand,
won't you?-about the others-T'
'Please," he begged-"please don't
harrow yourself so, Maryl"
mo; must tell you. The
world seemed so empty and so lonely,
Hugh: / tried to lose myself in my
work, but 1t wasn't enough. And those
others came, beseeching me, and-and
I liked them. / was starving for af.
lection Each time, Hugh. 1t was
the same. One by one they were
taken from me, strangely, terribly.
Poor Tom Custer, first; he was dear
boy, but didn't love him and couldn't
marry him. l had to tell him so. He
killed himself. Then Billy Ham
ilton; l became engaged to him; but
he was taken mysteriously from 6
crowded ship in mid-ocean.
man named Mitchell Thurston loved
me. l liked him; perhaps 1 NIGH
have consented to marry him. He wal
assassinated-shot down like a mac
dog in broad dayiight-no one eve
knew by whom, or why. He hadn'
an enemy in the world we knew
of. And now Drummond II
"Mary, Maryl" he pleaded. Don
-don't-those things were all acct
dents"
She paid him no heed. She didn'
i seem to hear. He tried to take he
hand, with a mans dull. witless nc
i ton of the way to comfort distraugh
woman; but she snatched it from hi
: touch.
"And now'-her voice pealed on
like a great bell tolling over the mag
e nificent solitude of the forsake
island-"and now | have 1t to liv
D through once again; the wonder an
= terror and beauty of love, the agon
l. and passion of having you torn fror
mel Hugh 1 don't believ
l can endure it again. I can't bea
this exquisite torture. I'm afraid
shall go mad Unless
unless"-her voice shuddered-"I hav
the strength. the strength to-"
"Stopl" he cried in desperation
"You must not go on like this Mary
Listen to mel"
This time he succeeded in imprisor
ing her hand. MARY" he said gently
drawing closer to her, "listen to me
understand what 1 say. love you;
am your husband; nothing can pos
sibly come between us. All these othe
things can be explained. Don't lie
yourself think for another instant"
Her eyes, fixed upon the two hand
in which he clasped her own, ha
grown wide and staring with dreaC
Momentarily she seemed stunned
Then she wrenched it from him, o
the same time jumping up and away
'No" she cried Tending him froI
her with shaking arms. mol Don
touch me Don't come near me, Hugh
It's it's death My touch
DEATH 1 know it now-I had begu
to suspect, now l knowi 1 am a,
cursed-doomed to go through life lik
pestilence, leaving sorrow and deaf
In my wake. . Hughw She cor
trolled herself q trifle: "Hugh,
love you more than life; I love 20
more than love itself. But you mus
not come near me. Love me If 20
. must, but o my dear onel keep ava
from me; avoid me, forget me If 70
v can, but at all cost shun me as 20
n would the plagued I viii not Civ
IS myself to you to be your DEATH"
Before he could utter a syllable 1
reply, she turned and fed from hin