Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-01-25
Chapter SO
STANDING BY A MISTAKE

again falterlngly-
you've never really known me,
Mark-not as l am. / know you
love me, but sometimes well
love is supposed to be blind, isn't
it? You mustn't mind if it hurts
you-what l am going to say
but if we're ever going to be -.
well, if we're ever going to be
happy, we must understand each
other, mustn't we dear?"
Mark turned then, and looked at
her.
"Was Anderson ever your low
err" he asked.
"No-no-never."
There was a little silence, and
she closed her eyes.
"Well?" he said patiently.
Sondra went on.
give never had any money of
my OWL don't think you knew
that, and l hated being poor. Flora
was good to melville she lived
with Ben-but even that wasn't
enough 49,. / don't think you I'M
! derstand that there are lots of
girls in the world like me-girls
who take expensive presents from
men and think nothing about it
men they don't care anything
about"
GAS you did from Anderson"
he interrupted.
yes" she caught her breath.
GAS l did. He was rich, and l
didn't see any harm in it-there
wasn't, really 80. You see" she
moved her hands helplessly. 81
knew you loved me- loved you
too-at least -. but / was afraid
SO / asked John to give you that
post-to send you away, because l
was afraid. / knew we should be
poor and l loathed being poor .
Then the-when | knew you were
really going, I felt as if l couldn't
bear it, and so 49,. well, you know
the rest"
She stopped, with a feeling Of
amazement at herself. Had she
ever loved this man so utterly that
she had been driven to make the
greatest mistake of her life? She
felt as if she was telling him
about someone else-repeating a
story she had heard.
She went on presently. "Well,
you went away-and then Flora
left Ben, and | hadn't anything
only a few dollars. | suppose
ought to have told you, but some
how / couldn't. Then-Mark-you
must try to understand, dear-Mr
Anderson asked me to marry him
His wife died-you know that
and so so | had to tell him
that / was already married to
you"
He gave a bitter little laugh
"That was hard luck Sondra-s
rich man like Anderson"
She said brokenly. Don't be :.
unkind Mark"
"Unkind! :" he opened his
eyes suddenly, eyes dark with pain
when / was on the way home, ]
came across a little verse in q
book someone lent me 49,. it was
this-'Can'st thou be true across
SO many miles, so many days that
keep US still apart 49,. / thought
what rubbish it was-when two
people loved one another
don't think so now"
"You don't believe me-you
don't believe me"
II am not fool enough to be.
lieve that any man will do for 8
woman what Anderson has done
for you, without some hope of re.
turn-no doubt he sent me away
because it suited him-to leave
the field clear"
Sondra said quietly. "You don't
know John if you can say that"
There was a little silence, Their
Mark said duly "And now I sup.
pose / am to be under a fresh OBJ
legation to him-this new job
your sake no doubt, or perhaps to
get me out of the way once more
| suppose you are going to tell me
/ must go alone"
Sondra's face q%uivered. "Do you
think l should have married you.
if / had cared for-for anyone
else?" she asked.
His hand moved a little, crop
ing for hers.