The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-04

! tremulous passion. i have protested
against the fact that one like you, Of
noble birth and delicate INFRINGING,
should" He stopped, as though at
loss for words, as though. his own
| intensity overwhelmed him.
Should what, doctor!p Elise was
striving to be. calm.
THAT you should come to Paris and
live-exist- amid fonlness and vice,
who were born to something better
and ner-that you should nightly con-
sort with that woman, listen to her
vile talk, her
Elise. interrupted him swiftly. Zone
must live, doctor. Lolette pays me for
helping to dress her, and the money
she gives me keeps Marthe and me.
What would you? And because. one
looks at vice one need not be vicious"
He laughed, short and hard. THAT
holds for a tfme, Elise-for time;
but one day--therel is the little sip, the
great temptation" He spoke sudden
ly as though inspired, as though he
saw clearly that which he predicted and
knew it to be true, and In the seeing,
AOAiOWluS Uli tHc luhpAruttouykCan lcnIt
sheer terror Of what he himself told.
God Elise. That you should ever
come to thstl That you should ever be
like Lolette!"
Elise's white teeth bit for moment
at her lip; then she smiled wanly.
s'You are too disturbed, doctor. You
distress yourself unnecessarily. / am
all right And--we must live, and i'm
til something better comes along, i
must stay with Lolette."
She would have turned from him,
but that he stopped her once more.
Something better has come along,
Elise" he. said quietly, and with
new-found steadiness. cat least, /
hope you will consider it better, l love
you"
He was sincere. His apprehension
for her well-being, the simplicity of his
statement, showed Elise that; and yet
she was filled, not with pain that
his love should be hopeless, not with
pity for him, but with an ill-defined
horror, an instinct to flee, the cutlery
of youth against age, youths protest
against the mating he proposed.
She strove to speak evenly, I'm
sorry, doctor. 1 love you, too--but not
like that. Not like that. IL don't
think 1T could ever be. And-I,m
sorry. s 49,
Again his mood changed. His eyes
flared,, with hint of hardness in them.
"Lapierre is too old, eh 7? Lapierre may
serve you and your sister without pay
ment; but"
She cried. erect, quitering, hut ~
will pay you! 1t is just that now ]
earn so little. But will pay YOU
at onee-I will That you should say
thatr'
His anger was swept away, and he
was Immediately suppliant, APOLOGIZE
cally so.
Elise, forgive me! hardly knew
what / said. Certainly 1 did not mean
it." She was walking towards the door
and he was following her. Elise,
say. you forgive me-
She turned to him. Her eyes were
misted and her cheeks were paler than
ever; her agitation and pain were OBJ
vious. ~
20 must forgive you. You have
been so kind. Only-that hurt me.
your saying that. You will let me go
now?" ~
He held the door open for her, ven
turing one last appeal as she stepped
out to, the baroness of the passageway.
SIS it altogether hopeless? You have
no thought of Marthe? That could
ensure her future comfort?"
She shook her head please let me
go, doctor. Please"
His head dropped, and she walked
past him and vanished down the stairs.
Lapierre stood for a few moments
after she had gone, and the expression
on his face was unreliable. 1t might
have indicated despair, anger, sorrow;
it might have shown nm impulse to SUR
render to some suddenly arisen temp
tation, to adopt some suddenly con-
ceived idea; it might have shown mere
~ vacilliation and doubt; but none
of these could be named with GER
tainty.
At last he walked quietly back into
the room and closed the door with un-
conscious carefulness after him. ~