Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-05-25

WAL. I'll be blamed! Why. Pan
Sampson an Hicks an Jason an all the
rest, they all lowed done jest right.
an ever one OF 'em said he'd a done
jest like I did IL he'd "a been In INV
place. Lord. l was countin shore on
you bein pleased cause 1 tuck up for
you that Away. an now you don't
think ort "a done Ii! Pears like can't
nothin l do please you, Loueesy. an
ever time try to do somethin for you
1 seem to make mess OF It,"
Sims voice was so pathetic and his
disappointment so evident that, in spite
OF her i'll humor, Louisa was touched.
She looked at him, and there was an
expression of pity and something like
sympathy in her eyes. Slowly and
sadly she said:
"Sim, II is a sad thing to say, and
you may think II cruel. but God knows
it is true. II would have been better
for us both IL we had never met"
"Loueesy" Sim exclaimed fearfully.
starting to his feet, all in a tremble.
What is that you say? Surely you
don't mean them Words
II do, and what l say is true. 1t
would have been far better for us both
If we had never. never met"
He stared at her long time in ST.
lence, and he noticed that her face was
painfully white and drawn. His, too.
he knew, bore the marks OF a great
dread and fear.
''Loueesy," he said. his voice husky
and scarcely audible, ''for Gods sake,
don't say that. Remember you are
my wife. Please take back them
words. Say they're not So"
81 cannot, Sim, l cannot, for would
only be lying if did"
She folded her arms on the table and
dropped her head on them and began to
sob. Sim stood watching her. a sick
ening dread stealing over him. I'm
certainly he hesitated for moment,
then went To her and put out his hand
and began TO stroke her hair. She drew
away from him, and n cold shudder ran
over her. He stood aloof and looked
on her, his face painfully white and
drawn and a hard, tense sensation
clutching at his heart.
'Loueesy," he said presently, what
does this mean? Why do you treat me
like thatr
She made no reply, but continued to
sob. He reached out his hand again
and placed it gently on her head, and
again she shrank from him as though
his touch were poison. Her action cut
him deep, and pain, sharp and poign-
ant, passed through his soul. When
he spoke again, his voice was low and
husky.
''Loueesy," he said, 'is 1t true, as
Mary Mann says, that you don't love
me noner
She did not answer, and when he had
waited a moment he repeated his ques-
ton. This time she looked slowly up
until her eyes met his. From that mo-
ment there was no need for her to
speak. In her eyes he only too plainly
read her answer to his question. Slow
ly, as one in n dream, he turned to
leave the room. There was queer
sensation Of emptiness about his head,
and everything around him bore n
strange air of unreality. At the door
he stopped and put his hand up to his
forehead and for full minute stood
like one dazed. Then, turning his eyes
once more on his wife, he said:
"My God. Loueesy, you are KILN me!
You have broken my heart. oh, please,
please tell me 1t is not true, that look
saw in your eyes, and that you do love
mel"
She did not raise her head. but be-
tween her sobs he heard her murmur:
81 can't, can't, for don't love your
Without another word he passed
from the room, and went staggering I'M
certainly down the walk to the street.
He felt that he had received q death
blows and in reality he had received
that which was far worse, for death
would have brought an end to pain and
suffering, and this brought pain and
suffering only.
At the yard gate he stopped, and,
leaning heavily against post, he look.