Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-06-26
monotone with which one talks in

you must. It's the only possible
course. You must realize that. l
don't expect you to foget right away
even to vindicate me until I've at
least won you to my point Of view
but you must forgive. Don't you
see it was all for you?
81 am aware that l charged Peter
with a crime he didn't do-that 1
caused him to flee, and that While
he was gone he died. But Dorothy
this world is Of the living. When
people are dead they cease to be, 50
far as the living world is concerned.
You have found happiness in me
don't lose it again for an evil done
long ago. Don't let the dead past
shodow the living present.
Every man does wicked deeds,
only most of them don't get caught
Many and mmany a man wants to do
wicked deeds that he doesn't dare to
do-to gain his ends. Other men
have loved you, and have wished des
perately that Peter would die and
leave you free-but they haven't
loved you enough-they didn't have
the courage to make their wish cone
true. You know your Christian
teaching-that there is no distiuc-
ton drawn between him who wants
to de evil and him who really does
it. The thing l did many men would
have been glad to do, if they mad
dared to take the rick"
He paused, and the girl started to
turn away. Ivan held her gently,
his hands at her arms just below her
shoulders. II don't want to talk
about it," she told him.
But you must hear me. Dorothy,
/ wanted you, and l had to have YOU.
/ loved you enough to risk my repu-
tation, to do evil to a respected
friend, in order to win you. Don't
you realize that this showed love
.of which your Anglo-Saxon men
would be wholly incapable? Poor
Peter was the victim-but he has
gone now, and you must seek your
happiness in me, you husbandp
MY husbandw the girl echoed, as
if the thought were incredible to her.
Eyes. You are my wife. You don't
owe any more loyalty to Peter-only
to me. When you married me you
took me for better for worse-and
that means you take my past crimes
on your head. You share every
thing with me, and that means you
share my past, too. 1t will go hard
at first, and you will be bitter; but |
want you to put it out of your mand.
You've got to be my partner now,
even in my evil deeds. Dorothy, |
want you to respect, rather than
scorn that quality of unconquerable
purpose in me that won't let me
forego the things that | want; and
particularly l want you to remember
that it was all for you. The thing is
closed and done, part of the dead
past; and l want you to put it out
of your mind"
The girl Strengthened and sigh
! ed. Il wish you'd go away" she
said duly. 81 can't forget it, and
never can, and l can't forgive it.
Everything is over between us. Now
let me go-I'm going into my tent
His hand pressed more tightly at
her shoulders, and he looked mean.
lngly into her eyes. Unto our tent
he corrected easily.
The girl shook her head; but her
expression did not change. "No.
pronounce our marriage. Ny door is
tclosed to you forever" At this point
her slim body Strengthened, and hel
voice-though it did not increase il
dvolume-took on a hushed, unmistaF
able tone of emphasis. "Understana
everything clearly, Ivan, now as vel
as later don't consider myself
your wife from now on. Pm going t.
my tent-you must go to yours
Your hands have no longer any right
to hold me. Tomorrow the guides
and l will go away in the dory. in
search for the settlements. If 500
want to come you may, but it woa't
be as my husband, and you must
never appear in the United States
again. You've asked me to choose
between my husbands murdered.
don't see how you can wonder al
jmy answer. When l get home l will
Itell the whole truth and try to cleai
Peters name, and take the smircf
off his memory"
At this point she paused, falt4r,
ing; and for one brief instant she
did not know the cause OF the sud,
den wind of terror that blew
through her being, closing her throat
and choking back her brave words.
In that instant VANS attitude had
changed. 0utwardly there was lit
! tie sign; possibly certain lines deep
ened on his white face and his vivid
eyes looked dull red, like glowing,
dying Goals, under his fine brows. A
wan smile, determined rather than