The Washington times., 1918-07-13
CHAPTER XIV.
For Her Sake.

-HE dinner party went on with great
eclat. Had not all the guests read
\ in the Az AsA = Amt that
morning Of Captain Fitzgerald's good for
tune? He with his usual cleverness had
arranged matters to perfection. The COM
many was chosen from among the incest
of his and Mrs McBride's friends.
The invitations had been couched in this
form: 81 want you to meet my daughter,
Mrs. Josiah Brown, my dear lady" or dear
fellow" as the case might be. "She is
having a little dinner at Madrid on Mon
day night, and so hopes you viii let me
persuade you to come"
And the French Count, and Mr.. Clutter
buck R. Tubs and his daughter, Theodore
had asked herself Also the Austrian
Prince. The party consisted Of about
twenty people-and the menu and the
Tziganes were as perfect as they could be,
while the night might have been a night
Of July-it happened to be that year when
Paris was blessed with gloriously warm
May.
Lord Bracondale was late: had not the
post come in Just as he was starting, ana
brought him a letter, whose writing, al
though he had never seen it before, hlled
him with thrills OF JOY.
Theodore had found time during the DAY
to read and reread his epistle, and to kiss
IT more than once with guilty blush.
And she had written this answer:
"I have received your letter, and II
saws many things to me-and, Hector, II
viii comfort me always, this dear letter.
and to know you love me:
81 have led a very ordinary life' you
see and the great blast of love has never
come my way, or to any one whom
knew. l did not realize, quite, 1t was
real thing out of books-but now l know
it is; and oh, can believe, II clrcum-
stances we're different, it could be
Heaven. But this cannot alter the fact
that for me to think OF you much would
be very wrong now.
al do love you-I do not deny 1t
though am going to try my utmost 10
put the thought away from me and 70
% live NV life as best / can. i do not
regret anything either, dear, because but
for YOU. l would never have known what
life's meaning is at ALL should have
STAYED asleep always; and you nave
opened my eyes and taught me to see
new beauties in all nature. And on we
must not grieve, we must thank tate ior
giving us this one peep into paradise
and We must try and find the angel to
steer our barks for us beyond the rocks
"Listen-I want you to do something
for me tonight / want you not to look
at me much, or tempt me with your dear
voice. II will be terribly hard in any
case. but if you will be kind you Will
belp me get through with it. and then,
and them hardly sdare to look ahead
but leave it all in your hands.
81 would like to meet your mother and
sister-but when, and where? feel in
clined to say, not yet, only know tnat
is lust cowardice, and a shrinking from
possible pain in seeing you. So leave
it to you to do what is best, and trust
to YOUR honor and your love not to tempt
me beyond bearing point-and remem,
Der. l am trying, trying hard, to do what
is rfght-and trying not to love you
"And so, goodbye. l must never say
this again-or even think 1t unsaid; but
tonight, oh! Yes, Hector, know that
love you! THEODOhA'
And all the way to the Madrid, as he
flew along in his automobile his heart re-
ioiced at this one sentence-"Yes, Hector,
know that / love you!"
The rest Of the world did not seem to
matter very much. How fortunate it is
that so often Providence lets US live on the
pleasure of the moment!
He sat on her left hand-the Austrian
Prince was on her right-and studiously
all through the repast he tried to follow
ler wishes and the law he had laid down
for himself as the pattern Of his future
conduct. =
He was gravely polite. he never turned
tie conversation away from the general
company, including her neighbors in it all
the time, and only when he was certain
she was not noticing did he feast his eyes
upon her face.
She was looking supremely beautiful II
possible, whittier than usual. and there was
a shadow in her eyes as of mystery, which
had not been there beforehand whileltheir
pathos wrung his heart, he could not help
perceiving their added beauty. And he
had planted this change there-he, and he
alone. He admired her perfect taste in
dress-she was all in pure white, muslin
and laces, and he knew II was Of the best,
and the creation OF the greatest artist
She looked just what his wife ought to
look, infinitely refined and slender and
stately and fair. Morella Winmarleigh
6