San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-28
VIRGINIA TELLS
CLEVE RUMOR
IS TRUE
Nora Lee Tries Vainly to
Comfort Friend in Her
Hour of Need.
CONTINUED From Page 1, Part 81


TO rest TO lie on the bed and
sleep. Go downstairs, Nora Lee.
Talk TO my mother"
Nora Lee moved about the room
numbed and terror-ladcn.
At o'clock messenger brought
letter. Virginia took it to the
window and read it. She turned her
back and read it again. After a long
while she gave a faint, triumphant
laugh: Now, you can leave me.
Nora Lee! It's all right. He says
it's all right. Oh, I must answer
II. See-he says we will be married
just the same-read that line. III
try on the wedding dress soon"
She glided to her writing table and
smiling took IN Cleveland WayneS
picture. She waited for Nora Lee
to go.
Then she took the crumpled sheet
of his letter and ironed it with her
hand. No -salutation. But there
were letters in her chest that began
extravagantIy: Dear little snow.
maid"-and Darling sweet girl
She repeated these to the empty
space above the single paragraph:
The day after tomorrow is our
wedding day. 1t is too late to alter
this and il would do no good. for
you have killed in me the capacity
to love. am not going 10 blame
you. ! have spent three hours of
crucifixiOn and l suppose these
hours haven't been sweet to you.
Why you let me go on worshiping
what you weren't, / do not under
stand. 1t was a cruelty that is past
curing. You could have told me
in the beginning and given me the
chance TO go on or not as l wished.
But you knowingly misled me-you
listened and smiled when ! poured
out all the things / loved in you. /
wonder how you endured til won
der how you justify it? 1 hear you
moaning: Listen-listen-' But
what can you say? Virginia. what
can you say: / am finished with
life now-I would like to walk out
of 1t, for there is no beauty left
that | will ever see-I am thinking
Of otherS-my mother and yours. So
we will be married the day after to-
morrow. l will go through with the
ceremony. That is all there will
ever be to it. If you were TO kiss
me now, l know that / would die" |
She tucked the letter under her
vest and it stuck against her heart |
u IKE a claw that picked and picked. !
She smiled. She wrote:
Dearest My Dear-The day after
tomorrow is our wedding day. How |
odd for me to recall now that you be.
gan your letter in just this way.
Wei, it is the hottest and most beau |
.itul thing in the world, isn't il? II
have a strange idea that my life be-
ian when l met you, Cleve. All be- |
lore that is shadOwy and unreal. as
though it belonged to another-as
:hough really / had died and been |
BORN anew. Could such a thing han
zen, do you think? l like to feel that
'ou only have been in my thoughts all |
ny life long.
Dear Cleve, how often you have
,aIIed me IN angel and said ! was
70 very white and beautiful. ] laugh
ID in my heart at that. just because
If JOY and because : thought that /
vas and would always be whatever
7ou wanted. You seemed TO have that
)oWer TO give me these great qualities,
IS though you were a God and were
.asting me in whatever form you
hose.
1t is rather terrible to love like
his, Cleve, and could have my heart
orn out more easily than part with
uch a dear, dear gift. ] think ! had
10 choice at all. 1 had TO take it.
i am pouring out my heart to YOU.
Is though you need to hear this all
gain. But l want you always TO re-.
member this. Clcve dear, and how
blessed your love has been to me. IT
must be this way always with me. ]
must keep it as it was
She put down the pen and taking
ut his letter read it slowly until il
vas burned on the nerves Of her eyes
md went from them and scared redIy
n her soul. She tore the letter into
my fragments. Ah-if she were 10
.iss him now, he knew that he would
So she must never do that-no-
Downstairs Nora Lee and her moth
r were waiting. Shc must try On the
ridal gown. She slipped the soft.
lowing satin over her head and raised
he graceful, simple train over her
I'm.
She stood hesitant-something she
ad Notwithstanding she was 10
o. Oh ycs-she felt along the hall 10
er brothers Toom-then into the
mall, gloomy cupboard-the dark
DOM whore he developed his pictures.
On shelf were jars. She searched
OF one with a brown label. Herb.
.er brother, had once laughed and |
Old her about that jar-"Just one
I those crystals-just one and no
nor" you
She leaned against the chair. whis-
,eriHg: "Ycs-now ."
She took down the jar. held it in
baking hands. Suddenly she seized
round bit Of filter paper. poured
ut a Lutte mounI of the white crvs.
ais. twisted them dofrly and ran back
o her room.