ably -- go somewhere and try to make good -- try
to do something worth while, to be something
worth while. Saying which, he then thanked her
fervently for everything -- for her society, for her
frank criticism, for having awakened him to an
understanding of himself.

Helen stood speechless. She had not anticipated
this, that he would go away, that he would
leave her. A deep-surging bitterness gripped her,
and for a moment she almost relented. But only
for a moment. The spell passed, and she looked
at him with frank, level eyes.

"I am sorry to hear that, Stephen," she declared,
quietly. "We want you with us -- all of
us. But -- but tell me," she concluded, finding
the words coming with difficulty -- "tell me that
you feel no -- no antagonism toward me, Stephen,
because I can't -- can't love you as you want me
to love you, and that you understand that -- that
in deciding as I have I -- I only wanted to be
true -- true to both of us!"

For answer he seized both her hands in his.
He gazed straight down into her eyes. "I love
you, Helen," he murmured, and then slowly released
her fingers.

He left her so quietly that she hardly knew
that he was gone. A step on the trail aroused
her, and, lifting her eyes, she saw him striding
away with shoulders back and head erect, as if
awakened to a new manhood. And watching him
go, as she felt, for the last time, she could no more
control a sob than he at the moment could turn

[[142]]

p141 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p142w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p143

v?