The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-12-09
CHAPTER XIII.


All that day and all the night fol-
lowing there was bitter conflict rag
ing within Louise's heart. Her soul re-
volted at the thought Of giving herself
up to man she so utterly loathed as
she did Pearson, and she found it
hard to bring herself to the great
sacrifice. She felt that in joining
her life with his she bede farewell to
the last vestige of happiness and hope.
and plunged into never-ending gulf OF
misery. She realized fully the awful
results of the step she was asked to
take, and the whole future rose up be-
fore her picture Of the blacklist hue.
And yet, she reasoned, the step must
be taken. The sacrifice must be made.
1t was not only her duty to save her
parents, but she felt that it ought to be
a pleasure. She felt that she ought to
be glad to suffer anything for the sake
of those whom she so dearly loved. She
tried to persuade berseH that being
able to serve them so well, at even this
great cost, was blessing for which
she should feel thankful. Reasoning
thus she would almost succeed in recon
Cling herself to her fate. when there
would come up in her mind recouec-
tions Of Paul, and she would Lose all
the resolution she had gained.
poor Paul, poor Paul" she would
groan, "what will you think of me
after such base deed? You will never,
never know that did it for the sake OF
my father and mother. Oh. God, TO
make the sacrifice and lose Paul for
ever is enough to kill me. but to know
that am misjudged by him, and be-
lieved by him to be false and heartless,
is more than I can bear. And yet
must bear it."
Thus long the conflict between love
and duty ragged, and at last duty pre-
vailed and Louise for once and for all
decided that the sacrifice should be
made. She would surrender everything
and become Harry Pcarson's wife.
Having formed this resolution, she
tried to put away all thoughts Of Paul
tried to become reconciled to the newt
able, and even attempted to persuade
herself that in time she would learn to
be happy in her situation. She tried
to hope that she might learn to love
Pearson.
After settling the question SO, Louise
became calm and quiet, but it was
sullen calm that comes with defeat
rather than conviction. She went
about her duties with a light step, and
a smile lurked about her features. She
had one source Of genuine satisfaction,
and that was the knowledge that she
was saving her parents such untold sut-
fering and misery.
All through the morning hours she
kept watch for Pearson. She dreaded,
yet wished for his coming. She would
have given worlds to know that
she should never see him again,
and yet since she must give
herself to him she wished to
have it done and over. Slowly the
morning hours wore away, and as often
as Louise gazed out across the broad ex-
panse Of prairie nothing greeted her
vision save the parched plain.
j At last near noon she saw a horse
'Enan approaching. He was far away,
but she was sure it was Pearson coming
ssor her answer.
''It shall be as he wishes" she mused,
''and our interview shall be short one.
Thank God the worst will soon be over" )"
The minutes passed and the horse
man drew near. Louise, who had
rested her face in her hands, looked up
again, and as her eyes reached the ap-
prosching figure she received shock
that took her breath away. Her heart
ceased its beating and her form trem'
bled so that she could hardly support
her weight. The man she saw was
Paul. Paul come back to her with all
his great love beaming from his eyes.
But how different was his coming from
what she had thought but few hours
before. Then she looked and longed
for it as the happiest hour OF her life'
but now she would rather have seen
anyone else. She had hoped, after max
ing up her mind to accept Pearson's OF
fer, e be spared the pain OF meeting