Out of the Past — page 115: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

112 Out of the Past. past which you despise. J came to it in the horror of being lost in mean littleness. I could not face that—the endless struggle with penury, mean conditions. It was that horror which haunted me out of an honest life into the other. Your heart is great enough to understand, to forgive. You are just enough not to destroy a woman for what you condone ina man. MHelp me, beloved; help 93 * me.’ Her head drooped on his shoulder and her arms about his neck begged for an answer. He bent slowly forward and kissed her forehead. “T have prayed night and day for this, for your for- giveness,’ she murmured, and her voice was like a prayer. “To have a very little of your love would be the sign of God’s forgiveness. I have suffered for it, God knows; and I think, perhaps, He puts that in the account and bal- ances my life so that there is just this small hope for me; just the small chance that you may not cast me away. It has been such utter failure all my life; such a dismal round of unreal things, painted shams; such sickness to death; such misery in trying to uphold what was left of my woman’s dignity.” “Poor child!’ “Pity me. I am better for it. She was silent a little, half crying in the darkness. CONRNICLOOOKS. COM