San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-11
Sandy Writes Letter t.
Ramon and Then
Regrets Action.
-
CHAPTER 50

Sandy turned the ring in
her palm. She sat down, cold
with dread, the suspense of
the last few days, now fixed
in appalling certainty. Ra-
mon was dead. He had sent
this exquisite gift asking to
be remembered and he was
gone.
She recalled him in grim
respondent moods; especially since
that night when the girl in the purple
kimono accosted them at the cottage
door; recalled him in moods of des-
pairing and terrible humility. She
now thought: Hes done it,"
There was that other image of a
bronzed and laughing figure riding the
surf. Too yital-hc was too gallant
and vital for cowardly end like
this.
She put the ring on her little finger.
turning it back and forth, thinking
distractedly: Men don't kill them
selves for love. They talk about it
for q while-they get over it. He
loved before. She died. He lived
through that"
The stone was so beautiful. She
studied its hmpid CLEAN. Her eyes
filled. How sad that love goes on
for one and ends for the Other-that
he would keep on looking backward,
but she could put it from her
Finally she thought: ats better
ended for him. What could / bring
to anyone? I'll never be free. The
longer it kept on, the more unhappy
it became
She went out and took a long
walk in the hills, but she couldn't
shake the cold, sunken weight from her
heart.
She sat at a little table in the
room where she now slept. The door
was locked. The emerald set on a
white blottcr shone and glimmered.
Sandy wrote. She picked up the
ring. pressed its cool. CLASSY surface
against her lips. A mournful way for
things to end-romancc that she fan
cicd treading so insolently, going
only, gay, beautiful ways.
She wrotc-pages and pages, recall
mig all the generous. happy things be
had done for her, thanking him many
timer. All through the sentences went
. note of finality sad note ct in-
evitable parting. On the last page il
was no longer mood of tender &c
yret. Il took form in the words.
II love the ring, Ramon, and I'll
always love remembering you. ] have
no shame and no regret for the things
that have been between US. i knew
now-and your greatness taught 1t to
me-all the fine, beautiful phases OF
life that are closed to me. They're
closed ultimately. I'm not going 20
try to seize again. For ] see the
futility and the madness Of this. j
thought I could take gaily-joyously.
I can't. No one can unless they are
very callous.
II said I had no regret. I should
s.; none but one. 1t is for you. You
tell me that last year when this began
/ was married and SO I have no right
now to end it. That IS true. 4 turned
to you and took advantage Of you, re-
ioicing in all your goodness, perhaps
because / needed it so much. I never
thought to give you a hurt that you
can't seem to master.
''GoinG on with it wouldn't alter
this. We can't go on with it. Things
that are stronger than ourselves inter
fere. You know this. And that's why
it's so much better that we part now
while there is still beauty in the feel
ing we have for each other than to go
on becoming more and more hopeless
more and more rescntful until finally
we would hate the thought of each
other.
Il wish that you could be content
with friendship. Why need we blot
each other out Of existence because one