The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-29


probably better known to you than
anyone else, | am totally in the dark;
l have no idea why anyone, especially
woman, Should attempt to shoot
friend of mine here"
"a woman! Who told you woman
did it?"
"My own eyes. ! saw her tracks; and
now, sin, who told you? Was it the
woman"
Holbin laughed silently.
"Iou play that as though it were
trump" he said. "Perhaps no woman $
tracks have ever been there but yours.
1t is your garden
"OnIy, | saw them before made any
tracks there" she said, quietly.
81 don't question your honesty, Miss
Brookin, but others might; and if peo-
pie were disposed to judge you kindly
they would simply suggest that you
had a powerful motive" To this she
disdained q reply. She had picked up
Brodnar's letter from the table and
moved away seeing which he said per-
sistently: "You will please ansAer my
question. l dislike greatly to annoy
you, but my duty is Imperative Your
secret will be safe with me; and l
must protect the name of my future
wife-that you will admit"
"Your wife? Have you supposed for
a moment, sir, that shall ever become
your wife," Frances came back and
stood before him. "Why, Mr.. Holbin,
there is not wealth enough in Virginia
to bring about that"
Miss Brookin"-and Holbn sank
his voice to the most courteous of
tones, and met her gIances without en-
barrassm ent-"why is it that you dis
like me?'
Il have not given the matter a
thought, sir. l simply accept the fact"
He was silent a moment, his eyes cast
down.
You hate my mother" he said, sad
ly and bitterly, "and | am included;
understand that But admitting that
you have cause to hate her-and ! do
not-you have none TO hate me. Con-
slider the injustice. Let me say now
| did not expect ever to say it, but
man is 70 man who will not defend
himself-,et me say now that, so far
from having cause to hate me, if pro-
found respect, if sympathy for your
loneliness, if genuine affection and the
tenderest love count for anything with
a woman, you have more than sufficient
cause to think well of me-" Frances
looked upon him with amazement.
touched in spite of her resolution. He
was not SLOW to perceive this. "My
mother" he continued, "is not from the
worlds standpoint lovable woman,
but she is-my mother; and am her
son. She is self-willed; but she is just.
Shall | admit it to you? She has made
my life unhappy; she has been the
cause of my living abroad"
'Who was Louise, then? And why
should the mention of her name-have
killed my father?" She covered her
face with her hands, and gave way
gently to her tears. He waited few
moments until she regained her COM
posture.
"rboro oro +rr,o5 ao,,n ,,ouos :,
+bo I;,os ~ an ,s,, HI;a1 Pyao1.;,,
and n 40 Ifras - san,a ,ron A.
other time | shall tell you the his
tory of Louise and let you judge me
If you will. But | swear to you now
as though | stood in the presence of
900, that | dld not lead her of by
means OF mock marriage dId not!
You may not understand 1t, but there
are tunes when the man is not alone
TO blame IN these matters. lie IS IN
VOWED through his chlyalry; and in
trying TO protect woman he some
times ruins both the woman and him
sell nave Slnned, but If you knew
how suffered you would pity, not
Dame me. Complete reparation was
lmpossibIe--but ! have done my best;
and to-day my life is as free from
EVIL as most men s..
In no other way could Holbin have
so touched the girls heart. At the
moment she did pity him. Recent
scenes in her own life rose before
her as he had spoken. She turned
to him, generous and impulsiye.
Forgive me II | have misjudged
!