"After all, you've married me. Now it's up to you
to give me my chance to make good. I've never amounted to much.
I've never tried much. I shall, now, if you will have it so,
Mary; if you'll help me. I will come out all right, I know
that--so do you, Mary. Only, you must help me."
"I help you!" The exclamation came from the girl in a note of
incredulous astonishment.
"Yes," Dick said, simply. "I need you, and you need me. Come
away with me."
"No, no!" was the broken refusal. There was a great grief
clutching at the soul of this woman who had brought vengeance to
its full flower. She was gasping. "No, no! I married you, not
because I loved you, but to repay your father the wrong he had
done me. I wouldn't let myself even think of you, and then--I
realized that I had spoiled your life."
"No, not spoiled it, Mary! Blessed it! We must prove that yet."
"Yes, spoiled it," the wife went on passionately. "If I had
understood, if I could have dreamed that I could ever care----
Oh, Dick, I would never have married you for anything in the
world.
Pages:
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319