Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-11-25


cam" In to turn on The softly shaded
lamps. they 50: there. facing each
other. In silence which seemed TO
Co'Inua TO be louder thaa any sound.
Their" WAS tho noise of wonder in
IT. and tragedy. and something
vaguely menacing To which She could
not give name. II was fear. and
yet =, was not fear because IL was
SO much worse. Only the blank ter
ror in .ilic"'s face. tho terror OF the
woman who has lost hope. could ex-
press what II meant. Ana this ter
TOR translated into sound asked pres
entity:
"Are-sra YOU surer
y wave % pity surged through
Corinna's heart, Her strength be-
cam" 10 her something on
which So" could y.st-which
would no; fail her. and sin.
undcrstDct why she had had - meet
so many d!sappoincmcnts in life. why
| she had had 70 bear 40 much that
was almost unhearahi". It Was be-
| cause however strong emotion was
| IN hers nature, thor" was always
something down In her that was
stronger than any emotion. she had
| law. b" som" clear moral discern
| ?l"nt Of things as they ourt, TO ho:
! and this was why w.tk persons. .r
| hose who were the prey TO thei.
own natures. leaned on her with ali
( their weight IN that instant Of:
sslf-rca iizatiuu She kncw ma, the
f.fug" of ;hc woak woUld be for
/ ever denied her. that She should al.
/ Ways be alone because she was
/ strong enough 10 rely on her own
! spirit.
Before / answer your question"
she said. Il must know 4! YOU have
the righ; To ASK it"
! The w.stfuI eyes grew brigh,
again. How graceful sh. was.
| thought corInna as She watched her.
| and she knew that this woman. with
| her cl!nging sweetness like the
sweetness of hOncysucklc and h.-
| shallow violence OF mood. could win
the Kind of love that had been do
| ni"d to her own royal beauty. This
! other woman was tho cphcmcral in
| "arnIto. the thing for which men
gave their lives. She was nothing
and therefore every man would sec
| ia her the reflection OF what he de-
! sired
Il hav. the right" she answer d
desperately. wi,hou, pride and with
| out sn"in, y huG III. right before
got IN, divorce"
Il umlerSLHud." said Corlnna. and
hey voice Was scarcely moro than
| breath. Though she did no, with
| draw the hand that til" other had
! aiken. sh" looked away from h,!
| thrnu#h TIA" French window. INTO IN.
/ garden where tn" twil!Sht was Ike
| the bloom Oh 4 grape. The iragrauc.
'"taW" suddenly in,"!-raNle. /
/ s"rm"I !" h"r IT, hc che scent not
/ only oi spI.uG. but OF ceuth also. Tin.
Z ghost "f an TN" sweetness that s.a
/ haG miss I'd shalt never be ..bl.
/ h'Ar the smell Of spring again
ia nay III" She thought. She had
! mad" no uuNentent -! surprise or
resentment Tor there WAS neither
surpils" nor resentment in
her heart. There was pain. which
Was less pam than a great sad .
ness; and there WAS tho thought that
she was very lonely: that she mus:
always bc lonely. Many thoughts
! passed through her mind; but beyond
| them. stretching far away into the
| future, she saw her own life like
deserted road filled with dead
| leaves and the sound OF distant
voices tina; went by. She could never
ana rest. she knew. RESI- was the
| one thing that had bcen denied her
rest and love. Her destiny was
thc destiny Of the strong who must
| give unit! they have nothing left
| until their souls are stripped bare.
! lie must have cared for you," she
said at last. oh. how empty words
were. How empty and futile,
lie could never care again like
! that FOR any ono else" replied Alice.
reaching out her hand as II she wcr,
| al oh.
! Whatever he thinks now. he could
! never care that much again"
Whatever lac thinks nov! 4 smile
| iinEcd with bitter KNOWLEDGE nich.r-
! ci on corinnh's lips for an instant
After all. how little. how very little
/ She knew OF John Renhain. She
had seen the face Nc turned To the
world: She had seen the crude out
side armor of his public conscience
laugh broke fnom her AT tho
| phrase because she remembered that
N"tch had first used it. This other
woman had entered into the secret
! chamber. the hidden places. OF John
! Bcnham's life: she had been a part
| OF the light md darkness Of his
soul To Corinna, remembering his
reserve. his dignity. his moderation
III thought and feeling. there was Il
| shock III the discovery that the per
| feet balance. the equilibrium ot his
temperament, had been over;hrown.
Certainly in their serene and souii-
mental association she had stumbled
on no hidden fires. no roddcniug EN- q.
bcrs OF that earlier passion. Yet she
| understood that even in her girl
hood. even In the April freshness
Of her beauty. she had never touched
the depths OF his natur" /; was
| Alice Observation-Disclosures shallow.
""SpcrAte. deserted, whom he mad
| loved.
"Whh; do YOU want she asked
quietly What do YOU wish me 10
| do?"
oh. don, know" replied Alice.
i don't know. | haven't thought
but there ought 10 hc something
There ought to be something more
permanent than love for one to 1.-Two
hv"