The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1895-06-20

you by their real worth. There was
a fire and vim and enthusiasm about
him that carried everything before
them. Gentle and affectionate as a
woman, too, but under all his airy
sweetness of manner and geniality
was an iron will and determination,
and once rouse his hatred he was
implacable in his dislike.
1T goes without saying that such
fellow as he should have a love al
Iir, and should love with all the
passionate fervor of his nature
What is it, Darlington, you beard
less young cynics quote from the
! French? In love, one loves, the
other consents to be loved and Billy
loved. 1t began when they were
children, and | think none of US ever
thought of anything but Billy and
Diana Worthington marrying. You
see, he was altogether unexceptional
as match, independent of his infat-
uation for her, and. boy or man, he
never had eyes for any one else. She
was the one woman in the world for
him, and she held his heart in the
palm of her little hand.
"None of us thought the less of
her that she was bit of n coquette
and had hundred men following af-
ter her-least of all did Billy. He was
too loyal to be jealous, too honorable
and chivalrous to believe the woman
he loved could stoop to deceit, for
the rest, who could see her and not
admire? And she was his. he was so
secure, SO exultant
Then the war came on, and Billy
and | and the rest of my world and
yours, major, went out to fight for
the South.
lit is not easy always to hear
lovers raptures in patience, said
the colonel, after pause; but if |
had known-poor Billy The thought
of Diana's love and welcome cheered
and frightened for him those four
long, awful years of bitter trial and
sore defeat and when, after Lee S
surrender we turned our faces home
ward the JOY of seeing her again
swallowed up all troubles in it.
J
day how we came home" The mar
rator's voice trembled, and the maj
instinctively reached out his hand
toward him "I remember how
how it all looked-the familiar scene
| that the desolation of war had
touched and shriveled with it's curse
the untitled fields, the broken
fences, the ruined homes. We rode
along with bowed heads and heavy
hearts, two wearied, gaunt, ragged
soldiers of q lost cause. when sud-
denly our horses SHE'D, and coming
toward us, down shady pathway,
was Diana Worthington. | looked
at Billy, at his transfigured face, and
then l turned my back. 1t is not
good for one man to look on the un-
veiled soul of another
" Diana, Diana' / heard him cry
as he threw himself off his horse and
at her feet, and then he caught her
hands and held them against his
ragged gray jacket as if he would
still the tumult of his beating heart.
oh, Billy she answered, with
tte light laugh | remembered so we'll
of old. oh, Billy, haven't you
learned any self control in all these
years? You must forget | am mar
ried.'
&C Married. he cried, and reeled
and would have fallen, but l caught
him.
Why, yes, she said; to Mr..
Appleby. Haven't you heard it?'
And she laughed again as if she did
not know every word stabbed him.
You know" said the colonel, softly,
that when a man gets his death
wound sometimes he stands still and
straight for moment, unconscious
even of the pain. 1t was that way
with Billy. lie Strengthened him
self, as Pve seen him do when we
charged the enemy, but his voice
never raised itself above whisper.
He compelled her eyes to meet his.
Il swear by the love and truth
you have murdered in me, he said,
you shall answer to me yet for this.
Tell your husband that; and when
the day comes | will show as little
mercy as you have shown me. Go!
And he pointed sternly to the wood
land path she had come. Go; you
dishonor All honest man with your
presence.
'She shrank away from him, from
his haggard face and accusing eyes.
and when she had gone | turned to
him Withhold knows what words of
impotent sympathy-but before the
misery in his face, pity itself was
dumb. Betrayed, forsaken by the
woman he worshiped--what was
there to say?
He waved his hand to me in fare
we'll, and struck off into brldlepath
that led to his ruined home, and the
very night seemed to close in around
him in added darkness as he went
forth on his lonely and despalring
way.
"Of course we soon knew the par
ticulars of Diana Worthington S mar
riage. The Baynham estate, ike
many another in the South, was
cwal lowad m in the mQelStrOm or