White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-07-25
The Crippled Lady
\ Of Peribonka o, By } es;s..s
* Service Doubld DoranG CO, Inc)

soul laid bare under the gaze of his
wife's eyes.
81 want to hear you say 1t, Paul"
She was repeating Carla's words whis-
pered to him in the blackness of the
earth. "That is why l came to you
there. woman may hide her love
from man, but not from another
woman, and 1t was impossible for
Carla to keep her secret from me
Yours was still more open, though ]
saw you making a magnificent fight
know. Paul. But | want to hear II
from your lips. must hear it. Do
you love Carla Haldan?"
Eyes, love her."
"More than any other woman In the
world?"
II could only love one woman in
that way"
He was conscious of having struck
deadly blow, hurt he would rather
have died than inflict upon Claire. II
had dragged itself from him in spite
OF his determination, and he waited
for his punishment, its effect on her
Claire's eyes did not Yaver She did
not finch. A starry, radiant light
came into her face, and she gave
GREATNESS, half-articulate cry, not OF
shock or of pain, but Of joy. He saw
the blood flushing her cheeks, the
tenseness leaving her body, and they
sat for time in silence, neither max.
IN
Then he said:
II thought would hurt you And
you are glad!'
Eyes, am glad thank God you
love Carla."
She rose to her feet, and took
letter from the table. She was trying
to keep from crying as she gave 1t
to him.
II want you to read it and then
come back to me-" she said. "This
evening, If you will, Paul. lack the
courage to tell you things. You will
understand when you open it. alone"
He went to the Kirke- Durand build.
ing and lost himself in the human
stream going up with the elevators.
On one Of the floors was an office, al
ways ready for him. He shut himself
In and locked the door.
He opened the letter. There were
many pages, closely written in Claire's
hand. With almost childish candor
they began to tell him of a woman's
fight to triumph over herself Like
an indestructible redolence they
breathed the sureness Of Claires faith
in herself Without emotional effort
she told him that unless Carla had
come into his life she would never
have let him know what she was
about to reveal. There was no man
in the world more worthy of a wom-
ans love than he, she said. Yet, from
the beginning, she had been unable to
build her respect and admiration into
greater things she should have given
him. That was one reason why, re-
polling the thought of making him
care greatly for her when she could
not love him, she had kept herself
away from him so much. Ones pas.
sion for another, in it's hottest form,
was guided by single force. One
might stem that and hold 1t back,
but 1t was impossible to make it die.
Such love was Carla's for him.
Then she spoke of another man. 1t
was of Jimmy Ennerdale. the sculptor.
who was driving his way so persistent
ly to success. She had accepted Jim.
my almost as brother during her
girlhood, but very soon after her mar
riage the truth had come to her, she
said, and had grown stronger with
each year. She cared for Ennerdale
just as Carla cared for him. 1t was
Paul who might have been her broth.
er, with such frank and unembar.
raised simplicity did she confide In
him. She knew that Ennerdale loved
her, and repeated that man could
not conceal that fact from woman,
though he did not express it in words,
and she was sure Jimmy had no idea
of her sentiment toward him. This
love for Jimmy was the other reason,
the more vital Of the two, which had
held her aloof from Paul. She loved
Jimmy's work and wanted to become
a part of it. She had never held it to
be possible, and had not thought of
it in that way until she knew that he
loved Carla.
(To BE coNTINUED)