ial
evidence is no good in this case, dear. I can say no more than that.

"Dearest, what can compare to the disaster of losing each other?

"I ask you to let me have the right to stand by you in your present
distress and despondency. What am I for if not for such moments?

"That night you were closer to the danger mark than you have ever
been. I know that my conduct--at least your interpretation of
it--threw you, for the moment off your guarded balance; but that
your attitude toward such a crisis--your solution of such a
situation--should be a leap forward toward self-destruction--a
reckless surrender to anger and blind impulse, only makes me the
more certain that we need each other now if ever.

"The silent, lonely, forlorn battle that has been going on behind
the door of your room and the doors of your heart during these last
few days, is more than I can well endure. Open both doors to me;
leagued we can win through!

"Give me the right to be with you by night as well as by daylight,
and we two shall stand together and see 'the day break and the
shadows flee away.'"

That same evening his reply came:

"My darling, Kathleen will give you this. I don't care what my eyes
saw if you tell me it isn't true. I have loved you, anyway, all the
while--even with my throat full of tears and my mouth bitter with
anger, and my heart torn into several thousand tatters--oh, it is
not very difficult to love you, Duane; the only trouble is to love
you in the right way; which is hard, dear, because I want you so
much; and it's so new to me to be unselfish. I began to learn by
loving you.

"Which means, that I will not let you take the risk you ask for.
Give me time; I've fought it off since that miserable night. Heaven
alone knows why I surrendered--turning to my deadly enemy for
countenance and comfort to support my childish and contemptible
anger against you.

"Duane, there is an evil streak in me, and we both must reckon with
it. Long, long before I knew I loved you, things you said and did
often wounded me; and within me a perfectly unreasoning desire to
hurt you--to make you suffer--always flamed up and raged.

"I think that was partly what made me do what you know I did that
night. It would hurt you; that was my ignoble instinct. God knows
whether it was also a hideous