The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-11-30

my heart. II II hadn't been for yon
might never have thought ok him
no other way forever. But what 70
did to me, Prosper, you with youi
white-hot brain and your gray-cold
heart, you with your music and your
talk throbbing and whining about my
soul, what you did to me has made
Pierre's iron very gentle thing.
have not acted in the play you wrote.
the play you made out OF me and my
unhappiness without understanding
just what 1t was that you did to me.
Perhaps If 1t hadn't been for the. play,
/ might even have believed that you
were capable of something better than
that passion you had once for me-
but not now. Never now can / be-
lieve It, What you make other people
cess, and you delight In 1t. You make
notes upon 1t. Pierre was mad
through loving me. too ignorantly,
too jealousy, but what you did to me
was through loving me too little
That was a brand upon my brain and
soul. Sometimes since then that scar
on my shoulder has seemed to me al
most like the memory of a caress.
went away from Pierre, leaving him
for dead, ready for death myself.
When you left me, you left me alive
and ready for what sort of llvlng7 II
has been Pierre's love and his follow
Ing after me that have kept me from
low and beastly things. I've run from
him. but I've run clean and free"
She began to trembie. "Will you say
anything more to me and to my manT
Prosper's face wore its old look of
the winged demon. He was cold In
his angry pain.
Just one thing to your man, per-
haps, II you will allow me, but per-
haps you'll tell him that yourself.
That his method Is The right one. l |
admit. But in one respect not even
brand will altogether preserve prop
erty rights. Moreno could say some
thing on that score. 10 could /. :"
Hush !" said Joan; II will tell him
myself. Pierre, l left you for dead
and l went away with this man, and
after while, because l thought you
were dead, and because l was alone
and sOrrowful and weak, and because,
perhaps, of what my mother was, L
+" She fell away from Pierre,
crouched against the si1e of the door,
and wrapped the curtain round her
face. "He told me you were dead"
The words came mufflec.
Pierre had let her go and turned to
Prosper. His own face was mask
of rage Prosper knew that ii was the
Westerners intention to kill. For
minute, no longer, he was lightning
channel of death. But Pierre, the
Pierre shaped during the last four
difficult years, turned upon his own
savage soul and forced 1t to
submit. 1t was as though he fought
With his hands. Sweat broke out on
him. At last, he stood and looked at
Prosper with sane, stern eyes.
IF that's true what you limited, II
that's true what she WIS tryin' to tell,
+ it's even partly true he said pain
fully, then it was me that brought 1t
upon her, not you-aa' not herself,
)ut me-"
He turned back to Joan, drew the
,urtain from her face, drew down her
hands, lifted her and carried her to
he couch beside the Dire.
There she shrank AWAY from him,
ried to push him back.
IT'S true, Pierre; not that about
dorena, but the rest is true. It's true.
only he told me you were dead. But
Iou weren't-no, don't take my hands.
never did have dealings with Holli- !
veil. Indeed, l loved only you. But
ou must have known me better than
knew myself. For I am bad / am
ad. I left you for dead and 1 went
way"
He had mastered her hands, both of
hem In one of his, and he drew them
lose to his heart
Don't Joanl Hush, 5oanl You
MUSTN'T. 1t was my doings. gel, all I
II. Hush :"
He bent and crushed HIS lips against
ers, sllencing her. Then she gave
ray and chung to him, sobbing. .
After a while Pierre looked up at +.
rosper Gael All the patience and
ne hunger and the beauty of his love
his face. There was simply
o room in his heart for any lesser
hing.
Stranger" he said In the grave and
emile western speech, "rll have TO
SIX you to leave me with my wife"
Prosper made a curious, silent GEES
Ire of self-despair and went out, feel
g his way before him.
1t was half an hour later when the
)ctor came softly to the door and
ED back the curtain in his hand He
d not say anything and, after
lent minute, he let fall the curtain >
I'd moved softly away. He was re
'sured as to the success of his expert
ent. He had seen Joan's face.