Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-25

| las idIC was looaCu WAth h"S ~AAA~
ton of surprise. As this passed away
he gradually drew himself together
as he sat into a tense attitude. He
looked, she thought as she saw his
knuckles> grow white on the arm OF
the chair, like man prepared for
pain under the hand of surgeon.
But all he said, in a voice lower than
his usual-tone, was: II had no idea
Of it."
1T is So" she said calmly, triAing
with a ring on her finger. Really,
Mr.. Trent, it is not such very un-
usual thing. think l am glad
of it. For one thing, it has secured
meat least since it became gener-
ally known-from a good many at
tentons of a kind that a woman in
my position has to put up with as a
rule"
mo doubt" he said gravely. "And
- the other kind?"
She looked at him questioningly.
"Ahw she laughed. THE other kind
trouble me even less. l have not yet
met man silly enough to want to
marry a widow with selfish DISPOSE
ton, and luxurious habits and tastes,
and nothing but the little my father
left me-"
She shook her head slowly, and
something in the gesture shattered
the last remnants of Trent's self
possession. Haven't you, by Godp
he exclaimed, rising with violent
movement and advancing step
towards her. Then | am going to
show you that human passion is not
always stifed by the smell of money.
| am going to end the business-my
business. l am going to tell you
what l dare say scores of better men
have wanted to tell you, but couldn't
summon up what l have summoned
up-the internal cheek to do it. They
were afraid of making fools of them
selves. | am not. You have accus-
toned me to-the feeling this after
noon." He laughed aloud in his rush
of words, and spread out his hands.
Look 1t mel It is the sight of the
century! It is the one who says he
loves you, and would ask you to give
up very great wealth to stand at his
side"
She was hiding her face in her
hands. He heard her say brokenly:
Please = don't speak in that
way"
He answered.: ut will make a
great difference to me if you will al
low me to say all | have to say be-
fore l leave you. Perhaps it is in
bad taste, but l will risk that
want to relieve my soul, it needs
open confession. This the the truth.
You have troubled me ever since
the first time | saw you-and you
did not know it-as you sat under
the edge of the cliff at Marlstone and
held out your arms to the sea. 1t
was only your beauty that filled my
mind then. As l passed by you it
seemed as if all the life in the place
were crying out song about you in
the wind and the sunshine. And the
song stayed in my ears, but even
your beauty would be no more than
an empty memory to me by now if
that had been all. 1t was when |
led you from the hotel there to your
house, with your hand on my arm,
tfiat-what was it that happened? l
only knew that your stronger magic
had struck home, and that l never
should forget that day, whatever the
love of my life should be. Till that
day I had admired as l should adj
n1ire the loneliness of a still lake;
but that day I felt the spell of the
divinity of the lake. And next morn
ing the waters were troubled, and
she rose-the morning when | came
to you with my questions, tired out
with doubts that were as bitter as
pain, and when I saw you without
your pale, sweet mask of con1posure
when / saw you moved and glow
ing, with your eyes and your hands
alive, and when you made me under
stand that for such a creature as you
there had been emptiness and tie
mere waste of yourself for so long.
Madness rose in me then, and my
spirit was clamoring to say what |
say at last now-that life would
would never seem full thing again
because you could not love me, that
| was taken forever in the nets of
your black hair and by the incanta-
ton of your voice"
ooh, stop!' she cried, suddenly
throwing back her head, her face
flaming and her hands clutching the
cushions beside her. She spoke fast
and disjolntly, her breath coming
quick. you shall not talk me into
forgetting common sense. What
does all this mean? Oh! | do not
recognize you at all-you seem an
other man. We are not children
have you forgotten that ? You
speak like boy in love for the first
time. 1t is foolish. unreal know