Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-06-22

W. 81 'tNft-
your fault that things are the way they
are"
1T is. though. It's all my fault"
81 can't see how that is. Sim. I
amt never hearn of nothin you've done
to wrong Loueesy.''
But 1 have, squire. I've done her a
wrong I'll never forgive myself for,
the eruelest, wickedest wrong ever any
man can do a woman"
The squire stared in astonishment.
why, Sim," he said. Il can't under
stand you. I've knowed you all your
life, an I've never yit hearn OF you dom
anybody wrong, much less I.oueesy."
But It's so. l have wronged her, as
1 say
"Vhenr'
THE day l married her.
"Simr'
"It's the truth. squire, the Gods
truth. l didn't know 1t then, but I
know II now. I'd "a better "a killed
her any day than to IA made her my
wife"
The squire shook his head.
II can't Sec" he said, chow you GO
bout maxim that out. Men have been
a-marryin women ever sence the begin
min OF creation. an I amt never before
hearn ii looked on as a crime"
1T Amt no crime whar the man an
the woman love each other.- Sim re-
piled, IAN whar they're ekal ever way
an suited together. But whar them
things amt so It's a crime. an they
Amt so In our case"
But you loved Loueesy. SimY'
81 did, squire. an love her yit, an
I'll go on a-lovin her till l draw my
last breath. How much I love her no.
body but God knows. Thar amt no
words strong enough to tell
Then IL amt your fault bout what's
happened. Sim. Loueesy amt done you
right an
Sim sprang to his feet and held his
hand up warningly.
Hold on, SQUIRE" he said. Don't
you go an say nothin ag'in Loueesy,
not nary n word, cause thar'n be hard
ness betwixt us II you do. I've allus
liked you, squire. an like you yit, an
I want to go on a-likin you. but won't
II you talk ag'in Loueesy."
The squire shrugged his shoulders
! and turned back to his desk. A little
CURLY, II seemed 10 Sim, he said:
Tell me what you want In this deed,
an I'll go to work an make It out"
Instead OF replying. Sim drew nearer
10 the squire and placed his hand on
his shoulder.
esquire" he said pleadlngly, at hope
! Amt gone an made you mad. God
/ EpaNx-c Il
thing, an I'm sorry If I have. I don't
want TO cause no more hard feelln's
than l can help. an specially now.
| when feel like amt got no friends
on earth"
The squire softened Immediately.
Il aln't mad ut you. Sim" he replied.
NOR / amt a-goin To GIT mad at you
jest can't make ont no jestlce in yoai
way OF reasonin; that's all"
"An yit it's jest. for all that"
"Mebby II is. l dunno"
You know. squire. Loueesv an me
don't suit. You know tha:. don't ytu?"
"Yes. everybody knows that now"
EVERYBODY knows II now. en- guess
good many knoweI II fore we mar
ried. That's whar 1 done wrong. l
, ort "a had sense enough TO know Il
then. an mebby 1 would if ia "a keer-
ed enough to stop an think. Loueesy
was young. an she couldn't know, but 1
was older, an I ort to "a seen that she
couldn't never be happy with a man
like me. l done wrong to urge her to
marry me, an that's whar all the faux
lies. I've ruined her life an destroyed
her happiness, but 1 was too blind to
| see 1t till 1t was too late"
$50 now
$50 now I'm a-goin to do what little
1 can to make amends. I'm a-goin to
give her all 1 have, then take myself
out OF her life"
The squire was silent and thoughtful
long time, and when at last he spoke
he said:
Your reasonin may be jest, Sim,
but whether 1t be or not amt a-goin
10 argue with you bout it, cause it
wouldn't be no use. You've got your
head sot that away, an nothin amt
a-goin to change it"
"Nothin."
But as 1 was a-goin to say, Sim,
don't give AL your land away. 1t aln't
right, an nobody can't expect you to do
sich a thing"
IN give it ALL squire, ever inch of
it."
Jest think, though, Sim. You'll be
set out in the world without a home,
without dollar an
Il have thought OF all that, squire.
I've thought of everything"
But suppose Loueesy gifts a divorce
an her an that other man You know
what 1 meanr'
Yes. suppose they marry"
WAL, would you want him to have