The Washington times., 1919-10-12

AFTER all, your VIE nes not CON-
mitted any objectionable sin"
'By an aecident-an outside
chance coming at the eleventh
hour. Can that be counted to her
credit, do you think
"No; but at the same time It
makes possible. what would have
been Impossible otherwise. You
can forgive her now. I don't be-
Heye you have any legal right to
cast her OF"
'Perhaps not But shall not
consult the law, and don't suppose
she win. Besides, It IS scarcely
correct to put It that way. She
viii stin bear my name, and take
her place as my wife before the
world"
"And IN secret know herself for
what she is-a deserted woman, as,
no doubt, many others win suspect
her to be. Win you like her to be
pitied, despised, or condemned, as
the case may bel'
She saw him vince, but he made
no reply.
eff you must so, won't you put
limit on your absence? Fix sOms
month or year for your return, so
that at least she win have an
answer ready for tho curious. Let
her be able 20 speak with authority
Of your movements"
He shook his head.
sIt Is impossible. How can I tell
how long it win take % grow dun
and Indifferent, to learn % look the
past in he face without shrinking?
NoW-Well! noW-it is like touch
ing q new wound. Surely you must
understand that life together in
such circumstances would be g hor-
ror-an impossible torture.
"You take e too much 20 heart
Think how young she was, q mere
girl, how little she knew 81 evil
Her running away was nothing
more than q jealous, passionate im-
pulse, OF which believe she
scarcely realised the import At
all events, 30 was no sooner done
than Fepented. She has told me so
herself"
@YOu plead her case well, but I
can scarcely think that, with her
experience Of society, she could
have been as innocent as you inn
ply. IN any case, e seems % me
useless 70 discuss the matter"
Nonsense, Ralphl Do you think
I'm going 70 look on quietly while
you try your best 10 ruin your own
life and Norah'sg Haven't had
enough trouble with you both al
ready2 II you would once make up
your mind TO bury the past and Jet
Il 20, you would be much happier.
Instead Of that, you have set brood
ing over e day after day, untu It
has assumed mou8troug proper
tions. Il you would freely forgive,
you would 81 time forget You are
both young enough 20 make fresh
start
He did not answer, and Lady
Sarah began % lose patience.
HT begin 20 Lhink" she said, that
you Save lost all love for her-that
you don't care. You have put her
out Of your heart, as you mean %
put her out Of your Hie."
"YOu are very discerning be
said, with a curious laugh. Is Il
SO dihicult C understand that the
dearer any one has been, the harder
e IS TO forgive, When they fail
you, so much goes with them-nOt
only happiness, but hope and faith,
too. I might overlook IN q friend
what could not overlook in my
wife. Do you think should have
been through what I have Of late,
he broke out, passiOnately, afOr any
one or anything else in the whole
world? The days have been long
misery, and the nights" He
shuddered. well, they have been
worse, II possible"
Il beg your pardon, but can't
help wishing you didn't care quite
so much II this is to be the result.
Extremes are such uncomfortable
things. Who was It said, "Give
me neither poverty nor richest"
His idea was excellent in the main.
You can jog-trOt along a middle
course, when you must rejoice on