Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-02-21
CHAPTER HI-Continued

tsinly looked after you jolly well at
Monte Carlo"
"Do you mean" MYRTLE asked
calmly. when he came to your room in
the Hotel de Paris. after the supper
partyT
Gerald was completely taken aback.
she had turned and was looking at
him with her large serious eyes. She
was deliberately forcing upon him the
memory Of an episode which he had
slurred over In his mind.
Il wasn't thinking Of that alto
gether." he replied, with a certain
rare awkwardness. "All the same"
"Al the same, what. pleaseY she in
sisted, after a moments pause. Il
should like sou to finish your sen
tence"
"Well. from old Chris point Of view,
he was doing the chivalrous thing and
all that" Gerald explained clumslly.
"He must have thought, of course. that
was going TO be a perfect brute"
"Were wa not p she asked
He was amazed al her GOODNESS She,
whose purity seemed rather TO increase
with her larger knowledge OF the
world. seemed TO be forcing him to
speak Of those very ugly moments.
IL am afraid that can't say what
would have happened" he admitted.
II WAS very much attracted by you.
II all meant. So you see. you do owe
him very great debt Of gratitude.
MYRTLE"
q do not think So" she replied
Gerald was more startled than ever
Her deliberate speech seemed to bring
to him almost a challenge.
You are about the only person in
the world who would say that" he
observed
perhaps So" she admitted per
hRps too. am the only one who Is In
position 10 know"
Gerald WIS polgnantly interested.
He looked down at her face. cain and
serious There was no added color IN
her cheeks, no sign OF any CONFUSION.
"Yon mean that you are sorry that
Christopher interfered7 That you
would have risked my forgettIng-all
that / ought to have remembered
Il am sorry that Christopher inter
fered" size said distinctly. AT that
moment ! loved you and l did not
kno~ that It WIS wicked for me to love
you II afterward you had got tired
or re. as you would have done, then
should have killed myself when | I'M
derstnod But l SHOULD have been
happy tlrsi"
'1'ut aren't you happy now1" he
asket
I am very contented" she an
swered, and am very. very grateful
I think that no one IN the world has
ever received such wonderful kind
ness as have. But happiness, II seems
70 ne, is thing apart II is great
and wonderful aud q rare gift
do rot think that very many people
possess Il. although they think they
do ! should have possessed t. for
however short time, II Christopher
had not +nterfered"
Gerald was staggered 1t seemed TO
him that this girl walking SO Sedately
mon,ress was trying TO explain 10
him. as though he were pupil great
and elemental things
Myrtle declared. you surprise
me very h.sa | never dreancd that
you would feel ike that Surprising.
thea | were 10 say to you Come away
from here with me tomorrow come
ur 10 London and be my companion
thsreH"
You could not do that" SHE said
simply. You could not offer me 50
terrible and 50 ugly an Insult Surely
you understand that then | did not
know that you did not love meY"
4 see" he murmured.
II loved Won" she went on. her ewes
Efted little to the interlacing boughs
OF the trees under which they were
passing when you came like prince
10 the gate where | stood shaking with
terror. and laughed at my fears. |
loved you when you pointed 10 the end
Of the road and promised 10 take me
there. l loved you IN those tlrst ZEN
moments, and Just as Il seemed 10 me
then that ! had loved you before / WIS
born. SO | know thar / shall love YOU
after l die That is just the Kind ~
wisdom which even children have
Where I was simple and Ignorant vas
thRt ! did not understand tbat love
could be cue-slded thought thar love
belosSed 10 two people. Now / know
very differently"
"Alyrtlle-" he began.
She checked him grayely.
To-day" she continued, "there is
more Tor me 70 say than FOR yoQ. be.
cause am rather glad that you should
understand Only you must nor tax
70 me about Christopher. an. very
sorry but | think that he il foolish
was q peasant child and knew
nothing. But a wise. clever me,, ike
Christopher should understand Ii
seems 60 ME absurd that ne should