The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-05-22
CHAPTER XIX.

When Sim did not appear ut break
fast next morning, she went UP TO his
room to see if he was there. 1t was
then she discovered the little pile of
money and the papers he had left on
the table. With Il prcmonition of what
was to come she pushed the money
aside and eagerly took up the first pa
per and unfoldCd 1t. 1t was the poor
little note Sim had written to her. She
read it through, then sank into chair
and, pillowing her head on the table,
burst into tears.
1t would have boon Il hard heart that
would not have h"rn affected by the
simple pathos OF Sims words. and Lou
isa was not hard hearted. She was
touched, deeply touched, by the manly,
generous manner In which he abSolVcd
her from all blame and bravcly took it
all on his own shoulders. That note
presented him to her in n new and
far more favorable light than she had
ever seen him. 1t showed how truly he
could love. how good and generous his
heart was and how grand and noble his
nature
She realized now that in losing him
she had lost one of the purcst and tru-
grcttcd, deeply and sincerely, that she
could not love him.
"But tried" she told herself, "God
knows tried, to love him and wanted
to love him, but couldn't. Yet was
not worthy of such man or or such
love as he gave me-"
Presently she took up the deeds and
read them over. The tears started
nfrcSh to her eyes.
"More Of his goodness" she thought.
"No other man would have done such
thing. Oh, Sim! Poor, heartbroken
Sim! How I pity you"
Later in the day she went out and
stood by the gate, looking down to-
ward the wood, the way she had seen
Sim 80 the previous evening. Her
heart was heavy, and her thoughts
were all OF him. Before he went she
had always thought she could never be
happy except with Frank Shelton, but
now she felt that she could never be
happy again under any circumstances.
Presently Mary Mann came down
the street on her way home from the
store where she had gone to view Mel
wins remains and to learn all the news
about the tragedy. Louisa had not
been from home all day, and no one
had visited her, so she was entirely ig-
norant of all that had transpircd to set
the community in tumult Of excite
mcnt. Mary Mann knew this, and,
glad Of an opportunity to tell the news
and at the same time inilict cruel
wound on one she hated, she stopped
when she reached Mrs. Banks and ac-
costcd her swcetly, very, very sweetly,
with:
"Uowdy. Loueesy? Pm right glad
TO see you. You rale wellY'
"I'm very well, Mrs. Manu." Louisa
replied coldly without looking up.
I'm glad to hear it," Mrs. Mann said
In her suavcSt tones, ignoring Louisa
coldness. I'm rale glad to hear it,
Louccsy, but must say you ain't
alookin very we'll"
I'm very well, thank you"
"ies? And Sim i suppose he's
wely"
81 presume So"
'Is he ut home today?'
mo"
"Whcrc Is he, LoueesyW
Mrs Banks, remembering all she had
heard OF the relationship existing be.
tween this woman and Sim flashed an.
cry In an instant.
81 don't Know" she replied sco-nful.
ly, that it's particularly any Of your
business where he is"
Mrs Mann did not allow her feelings
to be rutilcd by this curt answer. Her
time to deal deadly thrust was COIL
Ing, and then her revenge would be SO
full that she could well AFFORD to wait.
Quietly she said:
"Oh, you feel that way bout it, do
Eou?"
81 do"
"Waal, | s'pose It's natral, Loueesy
that you should. l reckon It's even
natral that you should feel that It
amt nobody's business"
Whether It's natural or not, Mrs.
Mann. that Is just how feel"
Jest SO. But, for all that. Louccsy.
there's many as will feel different
'Dout It. There's heap OF people, an
specially the officers, who will think
It's right smart Of their business"
Louisa raised her head and gave Mrs
Nann n look Of scorn
know OF no reason why thew
baould,' she replied, "nor do I presume
you know Of any"
La! Is that SO? Then you've not
heard bout all that's been goln on to-
day?"
II have heard nothing"
Now had the time of Mrs. Monn,a
revenge arrived--revenge for the loss
or Sim and all she had suffered I'm CON
sequence Of 1t. Bluntly, almost brutal
ly, She said
Then you didn't know that your low
er, James Melvin. had been found dcad
with bullet hole through his heart.
1t was cruel blow cruNIy dealt
ana Louisa staggered under II. Her
eyes opened wide, her face became
deathiy white, and for n moment her
heart stopped beating. She reele6 ana
would have fallen had she not clr ne to
the renee for support. Her lips moved
as II In speech, but no sound escaped
them.
Her suffering was intense. 1t was
pltiful. Even a heart of stone must
nave been touched by 1t. But Mary
Mann was impcrvlous to pity. In her
heart there was no compassion. She
had dealt hard blow, but she had a
harder yet to deal. and she did not hes.
tate. Rclentlessly she said:
yes, your sweetheart has been kill