Show s f U Ti Tir r A TRUE LOVER By BURGESS 5 5 Copyright right 1908 by Joseph B. B Bowles A younger man would have called Miss Allison effete He lie might have said that she W was 3 burned out out But Dut it was evident from Conrads Conrad's manner that he did not think so that he at least had hopes of at arousing her He sU still sUil held hold her cold hand and ani pleaded with her a lover amply qualified in ardor and freshness She did not seek to restrain him with any gesture of at protest that protest that was not her het way way she she gazed at him steadfastly steadfastly stead stead- her hazel eyes suffused Her lIer eyes showed too much almost almost al al- most to too much wisdom for tor her age put but Jut neither quality detracted tram from tr m the compelling romantic charm of ot her herfa fa face e rather did It t lend a more piquant contradiction to its soft sott contour Cant I wake you up he de de- Cant I do something to tomake tomake make you break through yourself Do Du DoI DuI I have to set the house on fire before betor you will show your soul at the window window win dow Youre You're the kind of ot woman for whom men do wild things She leaned slightly forward towards him for tor an instant and in the height of his fervor her hand returned his pressure For that Instant he had succeeded In shaking off art her apathy Youre a dear she exclaimed with her quick sudden smile Youre so young and so deliciously virile You know how fond I am of at you dont don't you your Ive a good mind to strike you ho he said I wonder what you'd do Would you give one honest shriek of terror She patted his hand gently I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose not she sighed I cant can't imagine imagine ima gine your terrifying me Id I'd be sorry you showed such poor poor taste that's all Please dont don't strike me Conrad D Dont nt Joke jok about bout It If he ne' said sul suI lenly You know well enough what I meant Yes I you meant But Dut ButI I dont don't know what's the matter I suppose you dont don't love me enough I dont don't love you enough he TP- TP How could I I possibly love you more I It IS don't dont dOnt know she rep replied ed a little wearily sinking back into the cushIons cushions cush cush cushions ions But Dut If you really love love me enough you could make me love you Im Im I'm sure You say you re really lly care p pG G r I 1 Deliberately Took Took Hia Hand and I am very very fond fond of you Con rad Are you really dead then Is your soul lost forever I tell ten you It Is not possible for a man to go farther than Ive I've gone No man could love a woman woman wom an more utterly and desperately I wonder If that's true 7 she said half to herself herselt Theres no no thermometer ther ther- thermometer to take lovers lovers' rs' rs temperatures Conrad I 1 wish you could make me sure so sure that t I might let n myself I Igo go at last Id I'd love to give it all aU up and trust yon you She leaned towards him again and deliberately took his hand Just how bow much d do you l love ve me Tell me she asked her eyes tenderly tender tender- ly resting upon his f face c How much How can can one say How can one snow Know I might say aUthe all aU the foolish silly things that l lovers vers say In books but what good would that do I would die for tor you silly enough to satisfy evena even said I 1 wonder won a woman aT-woman woman oman she smiling der what that means precisely I have come across the sentiment often otten enough eno in books and on the stags stage Its It's supposed to be Immensely significant What possible favor would It b be If a aGan aan alDan an did die It to protect her that's noth- noth Gan In any g any any m man man n should be willing to do that for tor any woman But Dut you would do it as a a mere favor tavor 1 if I asked you ou Suppose you ou oblige me by Jumping jumping Jump jump- ing out of or the window then she suggested Do you mean it l' l he demanded Oh Ob bless you jou OU no Im I'm really afraid you might do it But Dut Ill I'll never never know Sit down and tell teU me another r thing Are tre you Jealous Of Ot course I ant ni I co couldn't bear to think of f another man being anything to you you you-In In the way I want to be I mean I want you for my own set self I must have you to keep to protect to possess How else could any any man toan ran feel teel who really loved you as- as as you should be loved loved any any man mn with a aheart aheart aheart heart bavin having l How else elso Indeed she said dreamily what Im I'm wonder wonder- Ing lag Yet there might be a better way waT even en than that thai As she had grown more remote Conrad became more fervent it was wasas wasas wasas as if It he hastened after atter her to td draw her back as often otten as she eluded himI himI himI him I must go on he said excitedly Ive gone too far tar now not to put you to the test even If It I make the blunder of ot my life Ufe Im I'm risking my whole hap my whole life Ufe on the throw I 1 cant can't live without you jou OU and I l' l wont won't Its It's a threat if you like lIke lIke-I I know what Im I'm saying You will have me wont won't you Aimee Almee There was a knock at at atthe the door Come In she she called welcoming welcoming- the delay Conrad rose in anger A m maid ld enter entered d bearing earn a letter which she put in Miss AlIIs Allison's ns n's hand than left the room In In an Instant Almee Almee's s poise had had asserted its dom dom- She lo looked ked curl curiously at the address 1 You must answer me now Conrad Conrad Con Con- rad exclaimed t 1 i She held the tote in her her her slim tapering fingers delicately as if It receiving receiving receiving re re- some subtle sentient sion slon Will you excuse me for tor a moment moment moment mo mo- ment while I rea read this letter she asked trembling No I wont won't he cried distracted distracted- ly Iy Why should you trifle with me meat meat meat at a time like this If It you mean to refuse me you might at least do it It quickly and mercifully Im not sure what I may do she said softly It may be better for tor you YOl If you wait though I dont don't promise prom prom- promise ise it will I dont don't recognize this handwriting at all aU but somehow I have a feeling that it will help me to answer you Of Ot course though I Imay Imay Imay may be mistaken I wish you'd let me try it Conrad He walked to the other end of the room and stood moodily at the window window win dow looking out She tore open the envelope and found two At the sight of one as it fell feU upon her lap opened half her color changed and her breath came faster She read the other one first however My Dear Miss Allison I am sending you herewith a letter which would have been sent many months ag ago had I been ben able to determine positively for whom It was Intended It was written by on the night of the engagement In which he was killed He was probably probably probably ably compelled to fall in suddenly before before before be be- fore he had time either to to complete lete or address addres the letter I attended attended In the field hospital and was with him till he died He recovered consciousness conscious conscious- ness for a little while after the operation but had strength enough only to ask meto meto me mo moto to deliver this letter without being able abl to communicate the proper address You will understand that It was a delicate matter to find the Uie person for whom it was meant as none of his friends knew of your engagement to him It was al almost almost almost al- al most a year before I was able Ible to be sure that It was meant for you I hope that you will forgive the delay and will bed behove believe be be- hove lieve one me worthy of his a and of your r confidence d e. e wor MARGARET R A T Ta TABARD iB m Miss Allison Amson cast a swift glance Blanco tow towards the window before she took up the second sheet Conrad had not stirred She held hold the penciled paper to the light My Dear Dear Dear- I have only a a. a few minutes perhaps before we go Into action action ac ac- ac- ac tion and some presentiment which by to tomorrow morrow morrow will wilt probably prove to have been nervousness makes me want te to write a word to you before the fun tun commences commences com com- It may be that I wont won't pull through this time The officers have beep picked off orr In a rather nasty way of late So in case anything should happen theres there's one thing I want to tell you If I could only know how to do lt t t. t In spite of all that has happened It may be possible possible pos pos- sible that you dont don't quite realize Just how much I care for you dear girl It may be more than y you u think Its It's so so much more than I can realize No one ever can want you as much as I want you but even more than that I want you to be happy happy In In your own way not mine only I dont don't want my love ever everto everto everto to bind you or to come between any two selves you may find at war with one another an an- other Your Tour happiness Is all I have to care for in this world Its It's your only rival If It you jou ou asked me to to kill you I could do It to make you happier As for formy formy formy my own life Ute that's one one of the leas things Id I'd sacrifice If It it would make you h happier Id I'd even eten live lIv when dying would be much easier So I hope you'll understand me when I say that If it theres there's ever any other man who can cnn make happier than I I. I or pr can e even make you h happy after Im I'm gone my greatest happiness happiness hap hap- will be yours Dont Don't ever try to hold hol yourself faithful to a memory for formy formy formy my sake Bake Believe me this comes from my heart believe that It is as well as I Ican Ican Ican can measure it It the height and the depth of my love Une for you Wise Ise as you jou ou are and subtle as aa you jou are in the mysteries of love I doubt doUt If It you could ever quite stand this If It I should say It to you face to face you might think I was was lacking In strength and intensity of desire but It If I should die you'll have time to think It over and YO you'll II understand So Ill I'll not send this unless Im I'm pretty badly hu hurt Theres There's something about sorrow that that- that that- Miss 1 Allison looked up through her watching her tears to tal see Conrad from across the room He came over overto overto overto to to her eagerly his eyes shining and took both her hands She spoke as steadily as she could making a great effort to master he her self seIt Conrad saw her now for tor the first time perhaps struggling openly with an overpowering on She had come into the light I 1 was right she said this letter has helped me and told me what my answer should be I have ave known in my life lite one truly magnan magnanimous ous man You have asked me if It there were any better way that a man cou could d love bore and he has told me There is a better r way Conrad and I can never accept anything less than that for J have had the most that a woman can have He understood i i. 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