The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-23
CHAPTER XIX.
..s,EHE2

Louisa Banks felt that her cup or
misery was full, but there was more.
much more, to be poured In yet.
When Sim did not appear at break.
fost 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 premOnition 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 a chair
and, pillowing her head on the table,
burst into tears.
It would have been Il hard heart that
would not have been 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 aDsolvcd
her from all blame and bravcly took it
MI on his own shoulders. That note
presented him to her In a new and a
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 pu!cSt and tru-
est souls that ever lived, and she re-
GREETED, deeply and sincerely, that she
could not love him.
"Rut | 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 of such
love as he gave me-
Presently she took up the deeds and
read them over. The tears started
nfrcsh TO her eyes.
"Morc Of his goodness she thought.
"No other man would have done such
thing. Oh. Sim! Poor, hcartDrokcn
Sim! How 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 60 the previous evening. Her
heart was heavy, and her thoughts
were all of him. Before he went she
hal 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 Oh 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-
nnlant of all that had tranSprcd to set
the community in a tulnult OF excite
mrnt. Mary Mann knew this, and,
,rl1l nf ,,,li 81,
and at the same time innct n cruel
wound Oh one She hated, she stopped
when she reached Mrs. Banks and uc-
c"Stcd her swretly, very, very swcetly,
with:
"liowdy. Louccsy? I'm right glad
to soc you. You ralc wcllY'
I'm very wcll, Mrs. Manu." Louisa
replied coldly without looking up
III glad to hear it," Mrs. Mann said
III her suavcst tones. ignoring I.ouisa's s
t"ldness. "lm ralc glad to hear II,
Loue"sE, but must say you uin't
n-lookin very we'll"
"lm very weN, thank you."
Yes? And Sim Il suppose he.
welT"
IL presume So"
"ls he ut home todayW
mo"
"Whrrc Is he, LouccSy!'
Mrs. 6anKs, remembering all she ho
heari or the relationship existing u
tween this woman and Sim, flashed g.
cry In IN instant.
IL don't know" she replied sco.nf,
ly, that it's particularly any OF yo
business where he Is"
Mrs. Mann did not allow her rccliu
to be rulllcd by this curt answer. II
time to deal deadly thrust was co
Ing. and then her revenge would he
full that she could we'll afford to WA
Quietly she said:
"Oh, you feel that way bout II.
your
IL do"
"Waal. l s'pose it's natral, Louce.
that you should. reckon It's ey
natral that you should feel that
amt nobody's business"
"Whethcr it's natural or not. Nj
Mann, that is just how feel"
jest so. But, for all that, Louccs
there's many rs will feel dil1rrc
bout 1T. There's Il heap OF people.
specially the officers. who will thil
It's right smart Of their business"
Louisa raised her head and gave AI
Mann look Of scorn.
II know Of no reason why tn
Should" she replied, nor do prcsui
you know Of any,"
LA! Is that SOP Then you've II
heard bout all that's been goin on
day?"
II have heard nothing"
Now had the time Of Mrs. Mann
revenge arrived-revenge for the 10
of Sim and nll she had suffered in co
sequence Of 1t. Bluntly, almost brut,
ly, she said:
"Then you didn't know that your 10
er, James Melvin, had been found de:
with a bullet hole through his heart.
1t was cruel blow crudMy deal
and Louisa staggered under 1t. IL
eyes opened wide, her face becan
deathly white, and for moment h,
heart stopped beating. She rceled an
would have fallen had she not clung {
the fence for support. Her lips move
as If In speech but no sound oscoDo