The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-06-04
long he touched her to attract her

long he touched her to attract her
attention.
Il wrote to you" she said at last.
There were often times felt that
nothing mattered but your nearness.
You did not answer. You did not
come"
when the letters reached me my
own hurt was too recent. / had but
one thought. To make you suffer as
l was suffering. Obi my dear, do
not seek to justify myself. That is
not possible. l left your letters un-
answered, knowing well you were
fighting distrust. You know my weak
nesses and what they have cost me in
friends and success In life, and know
ing them, l ask you to be generous.
have wounded you beyond expression.
l see it in your face. hear it in the
tone Of your voice. But I still care"
Even then she did not turn to him,
and her answer was slow IN coming.
but at last she said:
"The fault was mine In the begin
ming, Randolph. I was no child /
was old enough In the worlds ways to
realize that man, whose chief aim In
life had been the pleasures Of the mo-
ment, could not put them at once out
of his life. was as foolish as any
girl Of fifteen who sees nothing IN the
great experience but the glamour of
love; who believes her devotion is all
that such a man requires. / did not
realize that / needed patience to
counteract habits Of a lifetime; pa
t1ence as well as devotion and q GER
now, yet knowing it, must hesitate
to begin again Q struggle between my
pride and what should feel was right
to you. For / am not the seKf-con-
tanned woman you think"
II know that ask much, but you
have always believed m the merit of
sacrifice, and you are generous" His
voice was strained In its intensity. II
hope that ! am man enough to take
my medicine without whimper1ng, If
that Is necessary. but one that Is
drowning cfings TO the hand that Oh
fers safety. Your belief b me Is my
one hope Of salvation At this mo-
ment I feel that without II am moral
ly and spiritually lost
you have no right to throw such
responsibility upon me-" Ahe en-
claimed Indignantly.
Il did not mean quite that, Rachel
The responsibility was mine through
out But 1 am fighting for my happi-
ness, and hope yours. I would not
explain, and appearances were against
me and our young life has been spent
apart in consequence. But there are
many years before US, years In which
I VIII try to make up for what my
pride and obstinacy has cost us, II you
are willing. I was with the crowd
that night. But left early. did not
touch wine Neither did / play. The
stories told you were lies"
"And Edna HarwtchT
He looked puzzled. What about
herp
They told me you spent the evening
with her."
He wr1nkled his forehead In cOncen-
trated thought "As well as ! can re-
member, did not see her that eve
ming. AS left the club messenger
boy called me. The telegram was ur-
gent. Ny father was desperately III
I caught the north-bound train as it
was pulling out and wired to you from
Boston"
She turned to hip DOW fog the Arst
time. a note Of excitement ID her
voice. II received no wire You did
not come the next day, nor the follow
ing. I was desperate with anxiety.
Then Eleanor told me she heard you
had been with the old crowd; had
spent the evening at the Harwichs'."
1T was not true. My fault Yves In
my silence thought you should have
trusted me and would say nothing tn
extenuation. Dear. that is all back
of us Win you begin again with
me2"
Her eyes swept the fieids as his had
done earlier IN their talk; rested upon
the silvery beech, caught the simmer
Of a minnow as 1t darted into the SUP.
light from the shadow Of the bank,
then extended her hand
He caught 1t and drew her toward
him. Dear love-" he whispered. '1ife
has. possibilities Of happiness. OF Joy.
that we little suspect. 1t is before us
Pray God that we grow old toen.A4..::f'