The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-07-21

Biny's talk, for the fault was mine, I
turned away without more words, not
straight homeward, for wished to think
alone awhile on all that had como about
between me and Lily and her father, but
down the way which runs across the lane
to the crest of the Vineyard hills. These
hills are clothed with underwood, in which
large oaks grow to within some zoo yards
Of this house where write, and this un-
derwood is pierced by paths that my moth
er laid out, for she loved to walk here.
One of these paths runs along the bottom
of the hill By the edge Of the pleasant
river Wavcney and the other hundred
feet or more above and near the crest OF
the slope, or, to speak more plainly, there
is but one path, shaped like the letter 0,
placed longitudinally, the curved ends OF
the letter marking how the path turns
upon the hillside.
Now, struck the path at the end that
is farthest from this house and followed
that half of it which runs down by the
river bank, having the water on one side
of it and the brushwood upon the other
Along this lower path wandered, my
eyes fixed upon the ground, thinking deep
h as went, now Of the JOY Of Lily's love
and now of the sorrow Of our parting and
of her fathers wrath, and my eyes fell
upon footprints in the wet sand OF the
path. One Of them was my mothers. l
could have sworn to it among thousand,
for no other woman in these parts had so
delicate foot. Close to it, as though fol-
lowing after, was another that at first l
thought must also have been made by
woman-it was so narrow. But presently
saw that this could scarcely be, because
Of it's length, and, moreover, that the boot
which left it was like none that l knew,
being cut very high at the instep and very
pointed at the toe.
Then of sudden it came upon me that
the Spanish stranger wore such boots, for
I had noted them while talked with him,
and that his feet were following those Of
my mother, for they had trodden on her
track, and in some places his alone had
stamped their impress on the sand, blot
ting out her footprints.
Here they were mixed one with another,
as though the two had stood close togcth-
ct, moving now this way and now that in
struggle. looked up the path, but there
NGIC uOuC 4uCA l C%AoO 4O01A0 <AbSOo 1@1>S
beagle, first along the river side, then
up the bank Here they were again, and
made by feet that flew and feet that fol
lowed Up the bank they went SO yards
and more, now lost where the turf was
sound, now seen in sand Or loan, till they
led to the bole of big oak and were once
more mixed together, for here the pursuer
had come up with the pursued.
Despairingly as one who dreams, for
now I guessed all and grew mad with fear,
I looked this way and that till at length
I found more footsteps ps-those Of the Span
lard. These were deep marked, Us OF
man who carried some heavy burden.
followed them. First they went down the
hill toward the river, then turned aside to
spot where the brushwood was thick
In the deepest of the clump the boughs,
now bursting into leaf, were bent down
ward as though to hide something beneath
I wrenched them aside, and there, CLEAN
ing whitley in the gathering twilight, was
the dead face of my mother!