The Portland daily press., 1897-11-17
(Chapter III Continued. }

and entered the parlor from d side door
and vestibule. 10 her momentary relief
she saw that he1 friends had not yet ar
rived, single fgure-a stranger s-rose
as she entered.
Even In her CONSERVATION she had time
to feel the added shock of disappointment.
She had always present in her mind al
ideal picture of this man whom she had
never seen or even heard descr1bfd.
Joseph Corbin had been tall, dark, With
flowing hair and long moustache. lie
had flashing fiery eyes which were capa-
Bile of being subdued by a single glance
of gentleness-her own. He was tempes-
tuous, quick and passionate, but In quar-
rel would be led by smile. He was a
combination of an Italian brigand and
poker player whom she had once met on
a Mississippi steamboat. He would wear
a broad brimmed soft hat, red shirt,
showing his massive throat and neck
and high boots Alas! the man before
her was of medium sheight, with light,
close cut hair hollow cheeks that seemed
to have been lately scraped with razor.
and light grey, troubled eyes A suit of
cheap black, i'll fitting, hastily acq uired
and provincial even for Pineville, pain
fully set off these imperfections, to which
white cravat in hopelessly tied bow
was superadded. A terrible idea that this
combination Of a country undertaken and
an 1ll-pa1Q CIRCUIT prodCHeT on prUDnulOii,
was his best holiday tribute to her, and
not a funeral offering to Mr.. Jeffcourt,
took possession of her. And when with
feminine quickness, she saw his eyes
wander over her own fine clothes and
festal figure, and sink again upon the
floor In kind of hopeless disappointment
equal to her own, she felt ready to cry.
But the more terrible sound of laughter
approaching the house from the garden
recalled her. Her friends were coming.
"For heavens sake" she broke out
desperately, didn't you get my note at
the station telling you not to Gomez
His face grew darker, and then took up
its look of hopeless resignation, as il this
last misfortune was only an accepted part
of his greater trouble. as he sat down
again, and to Miss Sally's horror, list
lessly swung his hat to and fro under his
chair.
"No,'' he said gloomily, 81 didn't go
to no station. walked here all the way
from Shelbyville. 1 thought it might
seem more like the square thing to her
for me to do. I sent him by express
ahead in the box. It's been at the stage
office all day."
With sickening conviction that she
had been sitting on her Cousins body
while she wrote that Inflated card the
woman managed to gasp out impatiently
"But you must go-yes-go now. at
once! Don't talk now, but go.
II didn't come here he said, rising
with kind of slow dignity. ito inter
fere with things I didn't kalkilate to
see," CHANGING again at her Dress, as the
voices came nearer, land that T. amt in
touch Without to know If you think I'd
better bring him-or-'
He did not finish the sentence, for the
door had opened suddenly, and a half
dozen laughing girls and their escorts
burst into the room. But among them,
little naughty and still irritated from
her last interview, was her cousin Julia
Jeffcourt, erect and beautiful in a sombre
silk.
Co." repeated Miss Sally, in an agon.
lied whisper. "You must not be known
here
But the attention of Julia had been ar
rested by her cousins agitation, and her
eye fell on Corhin, where IL was fixed
with some fatal fascination that seemed
in turn to enthrall and possess him also
10 Miss Sally's infinite dismay the others
fell back and allowed these two black
figures to stand out then to move towards
each other with the same terrible mag
netism. They were SO near she could
not repeat her warning to him without
the others hearing it. And all hope died
when Corbin turning deliberately toward
her with q grave gesture in the direction
Of julia said quietly
"Interduce me.'
Miss Sally hesitated, and then gasped
hastily, ''Miss Jeffcourt."
Eyer don't say my name. Tell her L m
Joseph Corbin of Frisco, California,
who killed her brother"
He stopped and turned towards her. 1T
came here to try and fix things again
and I've brought him.
In the wondering silence that ensued
theSothers smiled vacantly. breathlessly
and expectantly, until Corbin advanced
and held out his hand when Julia jeff
court, drawing her back to her bosom
with the pans outward, uttered an in
articulate cry and-and spat in his face.
With that act she found tongue--revil-
ing him, the house that harbOured him,
the insolence that presented him, the in
suit that had been put upon her!! Are
you men?" she added passionately, who
stand here with the man before you that
killed my brother, and see him offer me
his filthy, villalnous hand-and dare not
strike him DOWN.
And they dared not. Violently. blindly,
stupidity moved through all their in
stincts, though they gathered Historically
around him. there was something in his
dull self -containment that was unassail-
able and awful. For he wiped his face
and breast with his handkerchief without
a tremor, and turned to them with even
a suggestion of relief.
"She's right. gentlemen" he said
gravely. "She's right. 1t might have
been otherwise. I might have allowed
that it might be otherwise-but she's
right. I'm a Soth'n man myself, gentle
men, and l reckon to understand what
she has done. killed the only man that
had right to stand up for her, and she
has now to stand up for herself. But If
she wants-and you see she allows she
wants-to pass that on to some of you,
or all of you, I'm willing. AS many as
you like, and in what way you LIKE
waive any chyce of weapon-I'm ready,
gentlemen. I came herewith him-for
that purpose. sak
Perhaps it may have been his fateful
resignation, perhaps it may have been
his exceeding readiness-but there WAS no
response. He sat down again, and again
slung his hat slowly and gloomily to and
fro under his chair.
GIVE got him in a box at the stage
Office" he went on apparently to the
carpet. 81 had him dug up that might
bring him here, and mebbe bury some of
the trouble and difference along with his
friends. 1t might be-" he added, with a
slightly glowering upward glance, as to
an overriding, but occasionally misdirect-