The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-27

McCullOCn- w llllanS.D
last of q line Of spotless gentlemen.
He had no more dreamed that Nor
ris could marry beneath himself than
that the sun could drop out OF the
sky.
.sGou-muSt-lOve- -girl-verN
deeply" he said at last. With his eyes
ON the smouldering fire. Morris set
his teeth hard.
Eyes. love her" he said, very
slowly. And away from her ! hate
her almost as much. | know all you
can say-that she is ignorant. vain,
vacuous. that she knows ,othin@ o.
the reserves. and retinements, which
should belong to-the woman who
shall take my mothers place. What
is the good Of talking. though am
Il man She is the most beautiful wo-
man in the world. And she loves me.
Yes. she does-Ioves me madly.
might have made anything
chose. You have brought me up to
know that seducer was worse than
a mad dog. and SO married her.
1t seemed to me | must disgrace
either your name. or your training
and | let the name 60
You did not think Of me-" the
major said. very low. Morris covered
| his eyes and grOaned.
"Over and over and over, he said:
| but look back. governor, remember
! what it is to be twenty-five. Fancy
| Yourself loved. and loving: fancy. too.
| leaving the woman YOU loved. in the
recl<lessness of heartbreak. to throw
| herself into the bottomless pit. Swan
is loud and gay, and free, but she is
| good. | kept my head until-well I'M
| til it happened that kissed her. Then
well. nothing mattered beside keep
! ing her always and only mine"
! Mai. billiards. hands clinched hard
| upon the arms OF his chair.
Tell me what you mean to do?" he
said lfelessly. Norris smiled dreary
smile.
II have not made a plan, governor
he said: but be certain of this-l
shall not bring Swan here My moth
er's memory forbids. Wherever Swan
may go, there the tribe of Hinton will
! 90 likewise Perhaps the best thing
/ can do is to ask YOU for money
enough to take the tribe and vanish. ;"
.By the Lord. you shall not! will
not be left desolate. You shall not
throw away your life, your future. in
this fashion," the major reared,
springing to his feet. Morris. Nor
ris. Why did you keep all this dark?
You are under enchantment: clean
out your mind? | say nothing against
this poor girl-but tell me. has the
marriage been made public?
| Morris shook his head: "Old Nat
suspects-but nobody knows, except
| the minister" he said. The people at
the party thought Swan was only
fooling-as she was when she called
herself Mrs. Ben Isham. Ben is mad
about her-but she will hardly look
at him now
You are sure of that" Maj. Hill
lard asked. Norris smiled. half an
grily. half confidently s~
Swan would break her fiddle over
| his head if he even looked love at
her" he said. But tell me- governor.
| do YOU mean, to disown me? You
would be justified in doing it,
| God knows-perhapS-- do not
Maj. billiard said: But promise me-,
my son. to keep quiet. for three days
| longer
The shiftlessness of alb the river
| bend settlement reached its flower
| ing in the Hinton house. 1t was a
tumble-down log structure. just on
| the edge of the water. There was Il
| low rail fence about it. Where the
| gate should have been the rails were
| stretched apart ''l'o' whites, they
bound ter stick ter po' white ways.
old Nat Hinton said to Maj. billiard
as that gentleman walked through
| he gap. upon the morning after Nor
| ris'S confession.
| Old Nat leaned against the jamb OF
| the big room door. hitcbing up the
single-string gallus that supported
| his patched trousers. He was coat
| less. and had one shoe half off. a
%tubby black pipe sent up a mighty
] reek from one corner of his mouth