The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-02

share 1t with her very nearest and
dearest friend, Mrs. Mann, not forget
ting to caution her against breathing Il
word Of IT to another living soul.
Mrs. Mann, less scrupulous than her
nciShbor or perhaps less afraid Of
Sim, did not hesitate to reveal to him
the whole story. She so thoroughly dc.
sptsed Louisa, for the simple reason
that Sim loved her, that she was only
too anxious to avail herself of such q
propitious opportunity to injure her.
Then Sim, the cruel wretch, had coolly
scorncd her love and Inundated her
thereby In manner that would be
Calling to the heart OF any woman, and
she was not sorry that 1t had fallen In
her way to be able to make him vince,
for once in his life, under the sting Of
tho cruclest knowledge that ever falls
to man.
She did not stop to consider what
might be the result Of her act. Med
dlers never do. The after consequences
Of gossip are something with which they
are not concerned and Of which they
take no thought. 1t was so, in this in
stance at least, with Mary Mann. 1t
never once occurred to her to what Sc
rious lengths her act might lead, but
1T Is doubtful whether she would have
been able to control her tongue even If
she had known.
1t was only after an impatient delay
Of two or three days that she secured
an opportunity Of speaking with Sim.
Then she proceeded to pour into his
ears the whole story as Sam Morgan
had told 1t at the store. Sim listened
quietly until she had finished, after
which he calmly said:
THAT is all you have to say, Is it?"
"All!' she exclaimed woDderngly.
"My land, ain't it enough?'
"ls that all?" he repeated, with quiet
frmncss.
ut Is" she replied.
"Now do you want to hear what l
have to say?" he asked.
Her heart gave little joyful bound,
and Il thrill Of pleasure ran through
her. Sim spoke SO quietly, so calmly,
that she was sure he was not hurt by
what she had told him, and in the
space Of half a minute she had reason
ed 1t out that it failed to hurt him be-
cause he no longer cared for his wife
and took no interest in anything she
did. She felt assured that what he had
to say would prove to be Il remuneration
Of Louisa, and certainly nothing he
could say would be more acceptable to
her, except 1t were a declaration of
love for herself SO softly and demure-
ly she replied
"lf you care to tell me-"
"Thon listen," he said. ~Every word
you have told me is a lie, n willful
liew
Mrs. Mann staggered back as from
the effects OF n heavy blow. Sims
words. spoken SO quietly, SO positively,
SO unexpectedly, completely disconcert-
cd her. In one breath they had dashed
all her newly formed hopes and opened
her eyes to the fact that the one great
desire Of her soul would never be real
lied. Sick at heart and pale with dis.
appointment, she stared at Sim for a
full minute in painful silence.
But presently Il change came over
her, and the paleness Of dsappoint-
| ment on her face slowly gave way to
| the flush Of anger. If she could love
with passion that but few women
know, she could hate equally well.
| Fixing her eyes on Sim, with such an
expression Of deadly hatred as he had
never seen in any human eyes before,
| she said:
| "Sim Banks. you are a fool. Il poor,
| pltiful, misable fool. an | dcspise you
| with my whole heart and soul. | de-
spise you wussn l dcspisc the mcanest
snake that ever drawcd the breath of
| life or crawcd In the dust. l hate youl
hate you"
| Ordinarily Sim would have been as.
| tonishcd at this sudden and vehement
| outburst, but at that moment he was
not In state Of mind to be astonished
at anything. With wan, weary smile,
! he said:
"Thats different tune, Mls'us
Mann, to what you sung that night IN
thar when you told bout lovin me-"
"What if 1t tsp she snapped vicious.
| ly.
ooh, nothin. 1t don't make no differ.
ence to me what kind Of tune you sing
nary particle on earth. I'd jest as
lief you'd sing this kind as the other
an | don't know If l wouldn't liefcr
But seems like you've changed a heap
"S'pose | have? Is 1t any sign cause
| IL DOuS . lOOI OuCt tlIcS lc ROlu u
allus be a fool? An I was n fool then
Sim Banks. a plumb downright idiot
fool. II hadn't "a been, I'd never a
thought that loved the likes Of such
mis'ablc thing as you. Lord, yor
make me plumb sick with your foo
| clinein to LOEccsy's skirts when she's
doin her very best to kick you off. You
amt got as much sense nor as much
| backbone as flshworm."
| A fash Of anger swept over Sim.
! "Mary Mann" he said, with some
spirit. what I do Is my own business
IN as long rs don't step on your corns
| you aint got no cause to squeal. NJ
matter what ] do nor what Loueesy
| does. 1t amt takin no hide off Of youl
back. as l kin see, SO I reckon 70,
mought jist as we'll save your breath
for some other purpose"
"Humph! I reckon you mean to say
that 1t amt mono Of my business"
II do. Mis'us Mann; mean Jest that
exactly"