The times., 1899-02-05

meant to finish the story to himself, with
out words. At the question he looked
around at Frazee and smiled.
What do you take her for?" he asked
DO you think she wanted to trust Honeys
discretion along in the middle of the night
when the house was dead still? No. sir
and anyhow she hoped he'd go to sleep,
but he didn't. and neither did l. Ran
dali was snoring away peacefully enough,
and he didn't hear her when she got up and
began stirring around so soft that some
times l thought l heard her, and some
times l thought it was just night sounds.
Finally, her door opened with little
creak that there wasn't any mistahing. and
she was stealing step by step down the
stairs. when there came a sort OF cry from
Honey's room, and he jumped and ran af-
ter her to make her tell him good-by.
Randall reused up at that, and came
stumbling out cooking his revolver. and
saw her standing at the foot of the stairs
by the night lamp holding her bag in one
hand and motioning Honey back with the
other. He let out a big oath and wanted to
know where she was going, and she an
swered rather slow and clear:
I'm going where you'll never see me
again.
Il reckon pretty near the straight OF the
whole thing came to him with that for he
began cursing her and calling her vile
names, until heard Honey make a spring
at him. / jumped out of bed and began
to dress. but before l could get into the
hall Randalls revolver went off, and I
heard him tearing down the stairs; when 1
got out, Miss Lee was bending over Honey,
holding her dress one side out of the blood.
| sha'n't forget her face. She wasn't sor
~ for him; she was angry.
THE shot reused the whole house. OF
course, and the boys came pouring out OF
their rooms, ready for action, but they
couldn't get any track of Randall in thu
night, and anyway, Miss Lee said Honey
had sprung on him so sudden that he was
taken at a disadvantage. and would have
been killed if he hadn't shot; so there
wasn't much to do but pick Honey up and
get doctor. Miss Lee went about seeing
to everything as quiet as il she was Or
derng dinner, and when anybody askei
her how it had happened she told 'em so
plain and straight and simple that it made
EN- draw back. The only time she gave
any sort OF a start was when the train
whistled; that took her by surprise. and
she caught in a big husky breath that
sounded worse than a scream. The saddest
part of it was that Honey didn't lose con-
seriousness, and he could see how har1 her
face was while she was working over him.
If could have looked forward to anything
like his being shot, I'd have expected her
to be crying over him, and reproaching
herself; but not q bit OF it. She was think
ing if he had kept out of her path he
wouldn't have been hurt, and it made her
all the colder and harder to see his eyes
| following her everywhere, begging her to
| forgive him.
at was two weeks before he died. and
| l never saw such pitiful time. Pomfret
came the first morning, for when he board
ed the train at jefferson and did not find
| her he only went on as far Lodi, and
| took the down train back to Magnolia to
see what had happened. She saw him, and
| they must have talked an hour together,
| and then he walked out of the house and
| out of her life. too, he. counted it. He'd
telegraphed the day before TO give up his
| job, and | reckon If the world ever looked
| black to man, 1t did to him. Their in
terview didn't leave Miss Lee feeling any
| gentler toward Honey, and poor Honey
| wanted her by him every minute. He was
| just like kid that can't get it through
| his head that begging for thing wont
| bring it soon or late. 1t wasn't enough for
her to do everything for him; he wanted
Der to stay right by him and hold his
hand and let him look at her like dog
! that's pleading for something 1t don't have
| the words to ask for. l reckon those eyes
| OF his pretty near drove her crazy before
| the end. She did everything in the world
| for him except stay with him, and l saw
: her sometimes as soon as she got out OF
| the door pretty near run TO get away from
the sound of his voice following her. it was
so thin and sick. There wasn't anybody
mocking him then for calling her all the
| time.
Between his suffering and hers and the
| care of the house and the nursing and the
constant running up and down stairs.
never saw anybody change as she did in
those two weeks; Honey noticed it, too,
| and the very day he died he told me she
| looked sick. ! didn't know he was so near
gone, and thought it was a good chance
| TO make him understand he oughtnt to
call on her so much. He could hardly
take that in, he was so in the habit OF de-
pending on her; but he lay and studied on
it awhile and then he looked at me kind
of pleased. rs If he'd hit on cure-all,
and said he was going to be moved down.
stairs so she wouldn't have 10 climb the
steps Just to please him, l said that
would be great help to her. | had no
idea he'd have the spunk to put it through
by himself-and, OF course, she wouldn't
have allowed it-but the next time I came
in the house found he'd just made Pete
and another darky carry him down on his
mattress and lay him in that little room
Randall used to call his Office, right by the
front door He caught sight of me and
asked me to come in and see how sur
prised she'd be when she found him there
His face was all white and sunken. but
his eyes shone out Of it like child's he
was so sure he'd done something TO please
her at last
He made Pete promise to go and tell
her that somebody wanted to see her in
the office and not to say who it was, and
then he waited with his eyes just shining
on the door. though he looked like death
l dreaded to hear her coming, was sc
afraid she'd be sharp with him. but he
hadn't a doubt shed be happy to see hin
there and as soon as her shadow came
over the threshold he called out: It's JUS
mel
We'll, she stood there staring at hin
until he saw that she wasn't pleased, an(
then the light went out of his eyes, and
think he realized that may be she couldn
forgive him. and he might have to di
alone. But it seemed as if he didn't know
!, how to give up, and after minute n
. looked at her again and said: 1 reckone'
, YOU was getting played out from climbing
the stairs, Miss Lee SO | jus come down
she couldn't help smiling a little a
that, il sounded so ofhand from a dyin
; man, but her lips began to quiver in tha
! pItiful way. and she told him he wa
mighty kind. He frightened right up, an
l asked her if she really thought so. and sh
; said yes, and then they couldn't think @
, | anything more TO t;ik ABOUT lie iooht
i i | at her face and then all around the room
as IL he was hunting for something NOR
to plcase her and she was looking righ
. . steady at him with the tears coming up i
t. her eyes. | started to go. but she motion
= . ed me not to: she didn't want even the
to be alone with him, and so | stayed. 10
, | knew Honey didn't care. After Will
\ he looked up at her again with that o.
i pleading look. and she knelt down by hin
sobbing, and took his two hands in her