Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-12-18

2 les, SSDl EN- NOrU tAat l m mere
0 I'm sorry tia; didn't let EN- hang n
y las, night"
Then you aFe-ag Tom Manners?
she asked, with her finger on the key.
= Yes, Tom Manners" he YEARLY an
sweved. Send en- word and III wal
here,"
They called the woman little Mrs
Humphrey" She was the widow of
train conductor, and had secured III
place at Limestone station partly o
that account, and partly because II,
man wanted it at the salary paid. |
was q lonely place up there on the hill
From Monday morning 10 Saturda,
night the woman kept house" in tn,
little room back of the office. On Sat
urday night she went down TO Jericc
Plains TO stay over Sunday. There wa.
a pathos in the tones of the man be.
fore her that touched her heart. He
was it murderer, but she had no fear Of
him.
why did you commit %murder?" she
finally asked, as she rose up and went
over to him.
why ask that?" he queried, without
raising his head, Il killed a man down
in tie valley. Ii was murder. They
are after me, and you can notify them
that am here"
Bat let me hear the story"
He lifted his head and gazed fixedly
al her for nalf a minute, and then
glanced about the room. There was a
CLEAN Of wonder in his eyes, but no
ray of hope. He made a movement of
iinpatience that she should delay, but
when he read pity in her big blue eyes,
he quietly began;
Three years ago J sailed way in
the Morning Star TO hunt for a treas
ure ship in the South Pacific. We were
wrecked in a storm, and | alone, OF all
the crew, vas flung alive upon a lone
ly island. | left behind me, down in
the valley, what was denrer to me than
all The sunken treasures Of the sea. |
was to be gone half a year, and upon
my return we were to marry. Did you
ever see Ninta M"arshall?'
"A score Of times" replied the Wild
CIV.
Il loved her-God alone knows how |
loved her!" exclaimed the man, as he
rose up. Did she love me? Yes, and /
away with a song in my heart.
We had been gone eight months when
| was cast away, 1t was a small island,
and there was nought but brackish
water, shell-fish, and a few roots and
berries to sustain life. | hoped for a
TO pass, but none appeared. Ihad
nothing 10 do but sit on the rocks and
gaze at the sea-to sit there and think
md hope and grow desperate with the
waiting. BY and by the year was up.
hen the days dragged into weeks, and
he weeks into months, and | could
weep and rave and curse at fate,
iod, how | pined and longed and ate IN
ny heart. There were times when |
grew SO desperate that | flung myself
nto the sea among the sharks to swim
Jack to these shores and to Ninta-
200 miles away! The sharks swan
long beside me-great m~an-eaters with
ruel eyes-but they did not harm me,
nd would return to the sandy shore
nd weep and curse and pray"
POO man-poor mani" whispered
he widow.
Another year passed." he continued.
and then another month and another,
ntil had been absent two years and
mali, Then a water-logged hulk
Dated near my island and | swan off {
} her With her | went floating for
weeks before | was taken off by n
'ader. By and by | was transferred j
} a homeward bound ship, but she had
he plague aboard and her crew died
Ike sheep, Four of us who were passed
: worked her into port. Her anchor c
as not yet down when | hurried
and set off to find Ninta." {
And you-you-"
AYE! found her-found her deod
I'd in her coffin! had come too late.
had been gone three years instead of Y
onths. They had heard of the loss Of e
.e Morning Star, and it was believed "
at all had persisted. After she had "
burned for me for two years. she lis.
ned to the honeyed words of a man
IT TO look upon, but whose heart was
black as night. That man wronged c
was the man | killed-aye!
Itched him by the throat and felt
m die by inches under my grip! M
! not seek to escape. They put me in II
Ia moi camel fought my way m
there | am! | am a murderer a
ey are after me. Tell them where W
find mel" m
No, l will not tell them!" firmly an. :"
cred the widow. II
But | am Observation-Disclosures al
lopeless!" he walled. "Of what use ul
live on? You have a pistol. Lend DC
me and | will go up among the &c
she's and send a bullet into my ia
"' al!
Hush-hush! You killed a man. OF
would have been a cowardly cur III
be satisfied with less. Back there ue
ong the trees is an old hut. Here is
lanket-here is food. Go there and as
and sleep and rest. At night, pa
| come to YOU" pr
And you-you won't give me unon un
do
No-you did as ! would have a man INT
> str
INA
pity you. Now co." my
half an hour before sundown. we
n the Blue Line freight had passed we
and the road would be clear for du'
'e hours, the little widow prepared as :.
e food, took along a candle and
ches, and a quarter of an hour later sou
d in the door of the old hut. The sid'
sat with his back to the logs. his nav
''ntasted, and listening for her :.
steps. As her shadow darkeped :,
door he hoarsely called put:
Gods sake, keep away from me shr
mt come nearer!" que
ire you ill?" she asked. pre-
we! and a doomed man! es. s.a'
q the plague on ship-board, but 1t s'el
to me now, am hurnfpp &c