Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-09-07
When Rhoda
Atoned
Copyright 1919. ~ western Ns~spassr uasss-,
D. JACK LAYTON


remembered the days Of his care-free
| boyhood, Paul had among them no In
innate or confidant. Even q natural
affection for the opposite sex seemed
| to have been denied him.
Paul, falling into the succeeding line
/ Of lawyers in his family, took up the
/ business where his father laid 1t down,
and modestly started upon his career,
with neither alteration nor improve
ment OF the old. well-known Office. But
In Pauls practice there was this diner
ence, money was not an important fac
| tor; his ambition was to remedy mat
| tiers where most needed. And his free
consultations were great benefit to
the countryside. The housekeeper
who prepared Paul's meals In the un-
| changed home of his father spoke ad
miringly of his sweet and patient dis
position.
Many maidens who secretly admired
his fine dark eyes and the whitening
wavy hair on his forehead, sighed dis
consolately at his Indifference. Paul's
distinguished bearing and manner OF
speech must always bring to him an
admiration. neither sought nor desired.
Rhoda Caruth, in her stately man.
sion at the end Of the towns avenue,
had come the nearest to winning
Paul's friendship. But as years
passed even that friendship seemed to
drift into a sort of perfunctory nc
| quaintance.
| It was not strange that Paul's inter
est to his townspeople remained.
Rhoda was altogether charming; even
now with her first youth past. the
| charm remained. And Rhoda was
wealthy, sole heir to her. Aunt
Agatha's fortune.
| One evening, when the early moon
light turned the tall poplars to sill
yer, Rhoda came forth In her white
gown and, descending the broad stone
steps of her home, walked swiftly
down the long street to where light
still burned In Paul Webster's office
| window. And when she had climbed
the narrow stair to his door, she stood
GREATNESS and pale, awaiting his ap-
| pearance. Paul, too, was pale when
he saw her there. but he bowed cour.
| teously as she stated her errand.
Il have come" said Rhoda, ito have
you straighten out some property pa
pers. I am going to-dispose Of my
home"
/ De-,
sently he drew forth a chair, and
Rhoda sat down and looked into his
eyes. 1t was very long since they had
sat like this. Paul arose abruptly
Rhoda smiled.
II WISH" she said, ITO donate my
home for city hospital, and you, to
! arrange the matter. Wait" she inter
rupted Pauls evident Intention to
speak. II want to explain myself"
"You, who knew me In my girlhood
will remember Aunt Agatha's complete
| dominion over me. There were those
who put false construction upon my
docility, believing the hope of obtain
ing aunt's property to be my motive,
But this was never so. Only one in
my place could realize the penalty of
disobedience to her wishes In one OF
aunt's frightful hystericai attacks
I don't know what else to call them
annoyance or disregard for her will
would be sure to bring on a spasm
which might last for hours, leaving
both her physician and myself ex'
hausted. And so-when fell in love
not with a girls passing fancy, but
as woman must love but once and
forever, failed to acknowledge the
truth to my aunt, knowing that her
wish was to keep me free-unmar.
| ried, as she had been. and the con-
tinued dispenser Of her charities
| But-my lover was also dominating
and his cause was just
Impatient at my dallying, he tool
me with him one summer day to q
country parsonage, and-we were mar.
ried. You see, cannot yet speak OF
that time without break in my voice
and tears in my eyes. / loved him
so, yet like one other traitor-I had
denied him within the hour Master
fully my husband announced the fact
of our marriage standing beside my
| Aunt's chair, and while her face al
ready growing livid turned to mine
4 denied the truth-poor, fearful
| trembling coward that / was. MY
husband had gone, would have called
him back. But the shocking announce.
ment brought on one of aunt's pro.
longed attacks. And-when she had
gone, they read to me the will. Be.
cause of my allegiance to hex l was
sole heir to her fortune.
| When my husband heard, he be-
lieved what all had believed before
him but with deeper reason. was
so despicable in his sight that my let
tiers to him came back unopened, and
no soul, save an old country minister
ever knew of our marriage. SO now,
Paul, / come to you to help me to dis.
pose of that which was never right
fully mine"
The woman's voice ended tremu.
lousy, while the man with tense face
leaned toward her.
"And then, Rhoda?" he added gent.
ly, what win You do? Could you still
care for this man whose hurt was SO
deep that it ranked through all the
years? Could you still believe in his
love for you, Rhoda?"
Because / have believed In that
love come" the woman answered
softly.
And Paul Webster dossly claspsd
his wife in his armR-