The Washington times., 1918-08-04
CHAPTER XIV.
Josiah's Proposal.

~
~ week, Sunday dawned gloriously
= fine. There was to be polo match
on Monday in the park. which contained
an excellent ground-Patrick and his Ok
ford friends against scratch team. The
neighborhood would watch them with in
terest. But the Sunday was for rest and
peace. so all the morning the company
played croquet. or lay about in hammocks,
and more than half Of them again began
bridge in the great Egyptian tent which
served as an outdoor lounge on the lawn.
1t was reached from the western side down
wide steps from the terrace. and beautiful
rose gardens stretched away beyond.
Theodore had spent a sleepless night
There was no more Illusion left to her on
the subject Of her feelings. She knew that
each day. each hour, she was growing
more deeply to love Hector Bracondale.
He absorbed her thoughts, he dominated
her Imagination. He seemed to mean the
only thing in life The situation was ja.-
possible, and must end in some way
How could she face the long months
with Josiah down at their new home. with
the feverish hopes and fears of meetingsl
1t was too cruel, too terrible; and she
could not lead such a life. She had
thought in Paris 1t would be possible, and
even AFFORD a certain amount of quiet hap
piness, II they could be strong enough to
remain Just friends. But now she knew
this was not in human nature Sooner or
later fate would land them in some situa-
tion OF temptation too strong for either to
resist-and then-and then She 70
fused to face that picture.
Only she writhed as she lay there and
buried her face in the fine pillows. She
did not permit herself any day-dreams Of
what might have been. Romauld himself,
as he took his vows, never fought harder
to regain his soul from the keeping Of
Claremonde than did Theodore to suppress
her love for Hector Bracondale.
Toward morning, worn out with fatigue,
she fell asleep, and in her dreams. released
from the control Of her will, she spent
moments of passionate bliss in his arms.
only to wake and find she must face again
the terrible reality. And cruellest thought
of all was the thought of Josiah.
She had so much common-sense she re-
allied the position exactly about him. She
had not married him under any false i'm
preston. There had been no question Of
love-she had frankly been bought, and
had as frankly detested him. But his i'll
ness and suffering had appealed to her
tender heart--and afterward his generos-
ity. He was not uhselfish, but. according
to his lights, he heaped her with kindness.
He could not help being common and ridic-
ulods. And he had paid with solid gold
for her, gold to make papa comfortable
and happy. and she must fulfil her part Of
the bargain and remain faithful wife at
all costs.
This visit must be the last time she
should meet her love. She must tell him,
implore him-he who was free and master
OF his life; he must go away, must promise
not to follow her, must help her to do what
was right and just
She had no sentimental feeling of per-
sonal wickedness now. How could it be
wicked to love-to love truly and ten
derly? She had not sought love; he had
come upon her. 1t would be wicked to
give way to her feelings. to take Hector
for lover; but she had no sense of being
wicked woman as things were. any more
than il she had badly burned her hand and
was suffering deeply from the wound; she
would have considered herself wicked for
having had the mischance thus to injure
herself. She was intensely unhappy and
she was going to try and do what was
right. That was all. And God and those
kind angels who steered the barks beyond
the rocks would perhaps help her
IlcClOI' lOI MS part, ndu reIlr6Q to rest
boiling with passion and rage, the subtle,
odious insinuations of Mildred ringing in
his ears. The remembrance of the menace
on Morellas dull face as she had watched
Theodore depart. and. above all. Wensley-
downs behavior as they all said goodnight
nothing for him actually to take hold of,
and yet enough to cOnvulse him with jeal-
Gus fury.
Oh. If she were only his own, No man
should dare to look at her like that But
Josiah had stood by and not even noticed
1t. Passionate jealousy is not a good fos-
ter-parent for prudence.
The Sunday came, and with 1t a wild.
mad longing to be near her again-never
to leave her, to prevent any one else from
so much as saying a word. Others besides
Wensleydown had begun to experience the
of her beauty and charm. II
of wisdom should keep him
from her side. he would have the anguish
OF seeing these others take his place, and
that he could not suffer.
And as passion in a man RACES higher
than in the average woman. especially pas
sion when accelerated by the knowledge of
another's desire to rob II of its own, so