American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-09-07

know YOU nivver gave me a good word
Meg. An then Dan comm an he mad
way wi You. As he made way wi aw I'll
rest-men an women an children. Ill
nivver worked an waited as did-he niy
yer thowt an prayed as l did everythin;
come easy wi him. an when | seed hin
so light hearted an careless about what
wor cravin' it run me daft an blind
SCENT like he cOuldna cling to it like
did, an l begun to fight agen ii. an whel
l heerd about that lass o Barnegats
towd yo. an when 1 seen you believed
what L didna believe mysen it run M
datter yet, an put more to what he said
an held back some, an theer it wor an
theer it stands, an if I've earnt a curse
lass, I've getten it, tur-fuI l thOwt yo't
been learnin. to care fur me a bit sin w
wor wed. an God knows Eve tried Il
treat yo fair an kind i my poor way. |
worna Dan Morgan's way. | know-hi
] wur better way than mine, tn sun shon,
on him soniehOw-but I've done my hes
an truest SIM"
"YO've done yO're worst she said
''Th' worst yo could do wor to part US
an yo did it. If yo'd been half mon W
wouldna ha' been content wi a woman
yo'd trapped with sayin' Aye an VIII,
cared less for yo than she did for TIL sane
on tn sea-shore. What's what yo've dont
sim to what yO did afore? Yo canno
wipe that out and yO cannot max me tor
get. l hate yO, an tn worse because
wOr beginnin' to be content a bit. | hat,
mysen. L ought to ha' knowed''-wildly
- he would ha' knowed whether wol
true or false, poor chap-he would ha
knOwed.''
She rocked herself to and fro for min
ute. wringing her hands in passion OF
anguish worse than any words, but a min
ute later she turned on him all at once.
''Au's Ger between yO an me-" she
said with fierce heat; do yO know that
If yo wor half mon yO would"
He sat up and stared at her humbly
ard stupidity.
''Eh?" he said at last.
''Theer's not a mon i Arle as Is not
more to me now than tina art" she said.
Some on 'em be honest, an / Gamma say
that o. thee. Tina canst get thee gone or
I'll go mysen. Tha knows't me well
enow to know I'll meier forgie thee for
what tha's done. Aye''-with the pas
siOnate handwringing again. but that
wunnot undo it,
He rose and came to her, trembling like
a man with the ague.
=ssY o danAot mean that theer, Meg" he
said slowly. ''You dunnOt mean it word
fur word Think bit.''
..Aye but do she answered him. set
ting her white teeth, sword fur wOrd.''
"Think again, wench." And this time
he staggered and caught hold of the door
post. is theer nowt as IL go agen TIL
wrong? I've lived wi thee nigh year.
an I've loved thee twenty-is theer nowt
mr me? Aye, lass, dunnot be too hard.
Tina was allus harder than most woman
kind; try an be bit softer like lords TIL
mon as risked his soul because he wor a
mon an darena lose thee. Tina laid thy
head on my shoulder last meet. Aye, lass
lass, think o. that fur one minnit''
Perhaps she did think of it. for surely
she faltered a littlc-what woman would
not have faltered at such a moment ?-but
the next, the memory of the sunny half
boyish face she had chung to with so
strong love rushed back upon her head
and struck her to the heart. She remem-
bered the days when her life had seemed
SO full that she had feared her own bliss !:
she remembered the gallant speeches and
Ilight-hearted wiles, and all at once she
cried out in fierce imprisoned voice ::
ne'er forgie thee to tn last day o. my life
What tor should L? Tha's broke nay
heart, thou villain-tha's broke my heart. J"
And the next minute she had push, d past
him and rushed into the house.
For minute or so after she was gone
the man stood leaning against the door
with dazed look in his pale face. She
meant what she said; he had known her
long enough to understand that she never
forgave-never forgot. Her unbroken
will and stubborn strength had held her
to enemies all her life, and he knew she
was not to be won by such things as won
other women. He knew she was harder
tIan most women, but his dull nature
could not teach him how bitter must have
been the life that rendered her so. He
had never thought of it-he did not think
Of it now. He was not blaming her, and
he was scarcely blaming himself. He had
tried to make her happy and had failed.
There were two causes for the heavy pas
sion of misery that was ruling him, but
neither of them was remOrse.
His treachery had betrayed him, and he
had lost the woman he had loved am
worked for. Soul and body were slug
gish alike, but each had its dull pang of
weight and wretchedness.
I've come to tn eend now surely" he
said. and, dropping into her seat, he hid
his face. i 90
As he sat there choking lump rose i'm
his throat with a sudden click, and in a
minute or so more he was wiping away
hot rolling tears with the back of his
rough hand. " -F4F" q
"I'm fersook somehow, - he said-'saye.
I'm forsook. I'm not TIN sOart o. chap to
TAX up VII TIN world. She wOr ali tn
world cared fur, an she'll ne'er fOrgie
nae, for she's a hard un-she is. Aye
but wur fond o. her! / wonder what
she'll dol do wonder i my soul what
she's gettin' her mind on
1t did not occur to him to call her or 90
and see what she was doing. He had al
ways stood in some dull awe of her, even
when she had been kindest, and now it
seemed that they were too far apart for
any possibility of approach at reconcilia-
ton. Sc he sat and rendered heavily. the
sea air blowing upon him fresh and sweet,
the sun shining soft and warm upon the
no fpxV or I'M I,f