The Arvada enterprise., 1924-03-27

|
no other way forever. But what you
did to me, Prosper, you with your
whlte-hot brain and your gray-cold
| heart. you with your music and your
| tall; throbbing and whining about my
| soul what you did to me has made
| Pierre's iron Il very gentle thing.
have not acted in the play you wrote,
| the play you made out OF me and my
| unhnppiness without understanding
! Just what it was that you did to me.
| Perhaps If it 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 l be-
| lleve it, What you make other people
suffer is material for your own sue
cess and you delight In 1t. You make
notes upon it. Pierre was mad
| through loving me. too ignorantly,
too jealously. 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 living? 1t
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 trembla. "Will you say
anything more to me and to my man"
prospers face wore lis old look Of
his angry pain.
Just one thing to your man, per
haps, If You will allow me. but per.
haps you'll tell him that yourself.
That his method Is the right one.
admit. But in one respect not even
brand will altogether preserve prop
erty rights. Morena could say some
thing on that score So could !. :"
'lIush." said Joan; 81 will tel! him
myself. Pierre, | left you for dead
and | went away with this man, and
after n while. because I thought you
and sorrowful and weak. and because,
perhaps. of what my mother was, L
l." She fell away from Pierre.
crouched against the side of the door.
and wrapped the curtain round her
face. "He told me you were dead"
The words came muftled.
Pierre had let her 90 and turned to
Prosper. His own face was mask
of rage. Prosper knew that it was the
Westerner's intention to kill. For
minute, no longer, he was n lightning
channel of death. But Pierre, the
Pierre shaped during the last four
difficult years, turned upon his own
writhing, savage soul md forced 1t TO
submit. II WIS as though he fought
with his hands. Sweat broke out on
him. At last, he stood md looked at
Prosper with sane. stern eyes.
'.If that's true what you hntcd, II
that's true what she was tryin' to tell.
If it's even partly true" he said pain
fully, "then It was me that brought It
upon her, not yOu-an' not herself,
but me"
He turned back TO Joan, drew the
curtain from her face drew down her
hands. lifted her and carried her to
the couch beside the fire.
There she shrank AWAY from him,
tried to push him back.
ITS true. Pierre: not that nbout
Morcna, but the rest is true. It's true.
Only he told me You were dead. But
You weren't-no. don't take my hands.
| never did have dealings with Holt.
well. Indeed. | loved only you. But
you must have known me better than
| knew myself. For am bad ! am
bad. ! left you for dead and l went
away
lie had mastered her hands, both Of
them In one of his. and he drew them
| close 10 his heart.
Don't Joan! Hush. Joan, You
mustn't. 1t was my doings, gel, all
of 1t. lIuSh,"
lie bent and crushed his lips against
hers, silcncing her Then she gave
way and clung to him. sobbing.
After II while Pierre looked M nt
Prosper Gael. All the patience and
the hunger and the beauty Of his love
| possessed his fncc. There was simply
no room in his heart for any lesser
| thing.
stranger" he said In the grave and
gentle western speech, "rll have to
ask you to leave me with my wife"
Prosper made n curious, silent ges
turc Of selfdcspair and went out, feel.
| ing his way before him.
It was half an hour later when the
doctor came softly 10 the door and
held back the curtain in his hand. lie
| did not say anything and. after n
silent minute. he let fall the curtain
and movcd softly away. He was re-
assured rs to the success of his expert.
mcnt. lie had seen Joan's face.
1.-THE ENDl
win Not Laugh in Captivity.