The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-24
Our Daily Short Stories
THE REWARD THAT CAME.
BY GERTRUDE POTTER DANIELS.
Author THE Warmers" etc.
Copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndicate,


was answered. For at the moment
when the last bite was gone, Leslie
and Selligman came out of the forest
hand in hand, singing love songs to-
gether.
They came upon Havelle before eth
er knew what had happened, and,
standing not three feet away her eyes
stared into the face of the man she
had betrayed. His eyes stared back.
rhen painful hush broke. The man
arose stiff1y.
Leslie, I've come back"
ven, she tossed her head, but her
hands worked nervously.
nave trusted you, for love YOU
Leslie" The voice was pitiful.
so do others" Her eyes flashed in
TO Selligman's face.
HaVelle saw and knew the look 1t
had meant his life. Now it meant his
loss and his dishonor. With an oath he
sprang up, his countenance livid, and
MS voice rang through the night so
that one by one the men of the log
glng camp gathered, alarmed at the
sound. One glance and they were pre-
pared. The trouble that had brewed
so long had broken.
You were pledged to me-" cried
Havelle
-NSAAN NOASC lOcC OILY De-
cause you told me of the mine you
could find. The mine you know of that
would make you rich, and me rich
with you. Where is the mine?"
Havelle hung his head. ut is there,
but L could not look for thinking of
your face. l wanted you so that ev-
erything else was lost to my thoughts.
l hunted and hunted, but never once
saw the marks that should have guild
ed If
lie-side by side with me through the
forest, then"
Leslies laugh rang out spitefully.
"A pretty story. Oh, you cheat! There
is no mine, and you know it. You got
my word under a false promise, now
you would force me farther by anoth-
er lie." And while Havelle listened
stunned by her accusation, she edged
closer to Selligman, crying: "Will you
stand by and say nothing in my de-
fense?'
Then Selligman, because he was be-
witched by the woman, forgot the
many times Havelle had helped him
out of trouble, forgot the many days
they had worked side by side in friend
ship, and, raising his hand, he struck
HaVelle a terrible blow across the
mouth.
Instinctively the crowd drew back.
There was a seconds pause. Then
Havelle, mad with rage, sprang at Sell
ligman, uttering a snarl.
He would have killed him then and
there, for Selligman was no match for
him, but in the midst of the fight a
strange thing occurred.
Havelle stood with his arms raised
over his victims head. 1t needed but
the full strength of so direct a blow
to finish matters. Suddenly, before his
arms could descend, he turned ashen
white, his eyes rolled, his whole body
gave a shiver and inch by inch, like
the passing of a cloud, the naked look
of utter darkness fell over his face.
His arms hung limp and lifeless, every
thing fed from his memory. Time,
place, people-all were gone. 1t was
the final work of what the man had
endured daily for those six months.
The men at the logging camp made
Havelle's cause theirs, though for a
time Leslie tried to defy them all,
thrusting herself forward. doing all
in her power to recast the spell of her
beauty. But Havelle's dead, white
face, and emaciated body, and lost
strength, lay between her and them,
and one night she and Selligman dis
appeared from the camp for good.
After she was gone Jeanette became
with such unselfish devotion that it
was understood at last how great was
the love that had burned in her heart
So the word was passed among them
that Havelle belonged by right to this
girl, he having been here before that
other one came.
On that night when Havelle opened
his eyes and his mind unlocked itself
to memory, a great dread lay heavy
upon the girl. She longed to hear his
voice, yet when he opened his lips to
speak the desire was so great to run
away from the sound that it was with
an effort she held her place by his side.
For a moment he hesitated, looked
intently at her, then he said: Jean
cite, it was the mine that took me
away"
YES" she answered, fearfully
81 could not find it," he unused.
NO" she said again, wretchedly.
yet it lies not a mile from here"
he went on, with a little smile of
amused remembrance, land with you
to help me, there will be no difficulty.
You know it was for you that / want
ed it, jeanette, my Jeanette"
The tenderness in his voice was I'M
mistakable. She started up at the
sound and a thrill ran through her
heart. A thrill so swift, so sharp that
she caught her breath in half groan
of pain. For though he had awakened
to all else, Leslie was forgotten and
it was she-Jeanette-that his heart
turned to.
"Havelle," she cried, dropping beside
him. catching up his hand and kissing
it in the hunger of her love, "Havelle,
1 will go with you to the ends of the
world, If you need me-"