The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1889-03-28
BIZ fits Gun RanA-


gas behind her. and now aud then
-oseate leaf drilled down on her white
lress. She let them lie there idly.
She did not move. For all the gold
m warmth Of the Italian sun, her
heart was cold enough. A darkness,
4 stupor, a despair, had fallen upon
her life. Howard Mayhem was in the
house, but she did not care TO be there.
He brought the past back too painfully
the time when she had hoped to do
something, to be something. She had
given that up now; she would never
be anything but Tad Ellerslie's wife
she could never do anything but sub
nit to the limitations with which he
had surrounded her. Whenever she
made excursions into the bright, free
past, she came back sadder than ever,
as If she had been making a pilgrim
age to grave. She had made a
failure Of her life, and she had TO face
the fact. Who knew how much of it
stretched before herstill? She SEEM
ed to be looking at the road-the road
Of her future life-as she sat there
now. There was an atmosphere Of
decay, of mould, about It, Nothing
fresh would ever spring there. No
flowers would bloom there.
at seems to me you avoid me, y said
a voice at her side.
Hester did not need to look up to
recognize the speaker She did not.
Her somewhat sombre glance was
bent straight before her.
''To avoid you / would have to
think of you. do not think of you,
she answered, quietly.
"You are cruell No matter. can
forgive it; for / know now what
came to find ont. You are unhappy
aYrell?"
chester ifI had found you content
would have gone away silently.
swear ! would / would not have
disturbed you. But when l see your
misery with that egotistical, imprac.
ticable fool, cannot be silent.
must tell YOU that feel the same as
did two years ago. Hove you in the
same way. You cannot go on lik,
this. 1t is a CHASTITY farce do no
think that you can keep it up! YoI
will rebel some day against his petty
tyranny. 1t is not in your nature t,
endure it. Put an end to it. TINS
mel can make you happyl"
'You are mad !" Hester cried, rising
suddenly.
For her life she could not say ano
iher word.
mo, am perfectly myself Ihav'
had this in my mind always. VIII!
should you lose all your life becaus,
you have made a mistake? Saw,
what you can of it!-save it will
mew
For a moment the pink Oleanders
the grey, ealyen balconies and tn
vivid blue sky seemed floating toge
Their, but she steadied herself with a.
effort, and then said, in a voice tina
did not sound like her own:
"You have made It impossible 70
me to see YOU again"
ooh, don't say that. Don't be con
ventional at this time. Don't YOU Sc
you have made shipwreck of you
happiness, and ] have jumped in t
save YOU? Can't YOU trust me? Al
I know you believe in me, in m
love! Be mine, for l am yours Ell
tirely! Let me serve you!"
Hester turned away.
"The only service YOU can do me
to GO"
Mayhem stood as one stunned.
is that all 2"
"I-I was going tomorrow on a
excursion with your husband"
stammered.
every well; you will not con
back"
ooh, Hester!'
She did not turn at the cry, whiC
was miserable enough. She went
her own room and shutting the doc
began to pace back and forward al
to sob in strange way. Her mOthe
in-law came up after a while, al
found her in this state.
ooh, bless me" she cried "cal
you let Tad go without all this grie
Why, anyone would think it was t
honeymoon with you YET. Let e
you a cup of tea; and to-morrc
wen 90 to Dalwate's TO look at sol
bits Of fresco he has-fresh as III
Mrs. Gordon says. couldn't sic
last night for thinking Of them:
dancing girl, on Pompeiian-r
...a H. 1oI;.;,,,s - sot 4,