"
The lover was stunned for a moment. The hidden thought flashed through
his mind that she might have married Welford in the reaction over her
discovery of his deception. He opened his lips to ask the question and
held his peace. It was impossible. She couldn't have done such a thing.
He put the idea out of his heart.
"Thank you for the information, dear madame," he answered gravely,
turned and left the building.
He walked quickly to his hotel, hired a negro to get him a wreath of
roses and meet him at the cemetery gate. He had just placed them on
Welford's grave as Jennie suddenly appeared.
She stopped, transfixed in astonishment--her eyes wide with excitement.
He walked slowly to meet her and stood looking into her soul, searching
its depths.
"You here?" she gasped--
"Yes. I brought my tribute to a brave and generous foe. He hated me,
perhaps--but for your sake he gave me my life--I never hated him--"
"With his last breath he told me that he no longer hated you," she
answered dreamily.
"And you cannot forgive?"
"No. Our lives are far apart now. The gulf between us can never be
passed."
He smiled tenderly and spoke with vibrant passion.
"I'm going to show you that it can be passed. I'm going to love you
with such devotion I'll draw you at last with resistless power--"
"Never--"
She turned quickly and left him gazing wistfully at her slender figure
silhouetted against the glow of the sunset.
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