The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-07-31
CHAPTER NNI.
tCoPyRI6RT. l.oCgET
(Continued.)

q Ing the Ueautltul lace. idilluS e'cu W
the lace at her throat; her lips trem-
bled with her speaking.
John Winthrop" she said, Il am
proud woman. AS tell you. l could
find it in my heart to hate myself for
loving you. were it not that hatred
has died from my heart. You saved
nv life the other day. Perhaps you
think that did not know it? But for
that alone l do not love you. Why
should /? Would not any man have
saved a woman so? And why should
l forgive you that old wound to my
pride, to my truth. to my womanhood!
Now. thinking that you should have
believed me guilty Of perjury at that
trial and sworn against the truth for
the saving Of q few more dollars. per-
haps. from my husbands fortune. l
feel the hot shame in my face that
can still say that love YOU Accord
ing to the exact measure Of your JUS
tice | should let you die and yield not
one kind word Were man perhaps
] would do it.. But l am a woman,
and 1t may be that Woudu . inJuS-
tice makes her weak.
His face was working strangely;
his hold on her hands frightened; his
eyes held hers.
"Aleciar' he said "Alecia Graham.
who told you that there was ever such
thought of you in my mind? Do you
not know that such belief Of you
would be impossible to any one!
Would l. loving you, accuse you OF
such perjury? l believed you utterly.
/ believed you even when my WILL
fighting with my heart, bade me con-
denim you. Always in my thoughts
YOU have been everything that Is
good, though l struggled to argue it
down. / knew my heart long ago,
ana struggled with it. No woman
had such power over me before; and
would /, urged with my heart, allow
the one woman who must hate me to
possess such power? 1t has been
bitter battle from that day. and l am
defeated, in spite Of the will l had
prided myself overcome any pain the
heart might hold; but never accused
you of wrong, Alicia. Who suggested
such thought to your
The sweet lips closed tightly over
the knowledge; she shook her head;
her eyes we're exquisite in their light
and color.
What does it matter?" she said,
steadily. Perhaps one is too ready
to believe ill of even the one whom
one loves. l hold no hardness in my
heart toward any one. John Win
throp."
Ee was silent for Il moment lying
with closed eyes. no great change
upon him save the short. steady
breathing. Then opening his eyes
upon her. he said slowly, and
with a touch of his old sternness in
his weak voice:
Perhaps l know who told you that,
Alccia. If l do. as you say-what
matter? Love should not too readily
believe i'll. All that is gone. l am
only very happy. knowing that you
love me-"
Then. by and by. he whispered
family:
You forgive me. Alicia - every
thing"
And she answered. softly, her low
voice like music in its tenderness:
Il forgive you everything, John.
dear-for us both"
Again the gray eyes closed with
peace upon the face. but the kneeiing
woman did not move or turn her eyes
away lest his should open. seeking
hers. The minutes licked away upon
the clock across the room. Twenty
minutes - thirty - forty-tive-f fifty
sixty minutes-one hour. And Still
no other change upon the sleeper; and
still the woman did not rise from her
knees or remove her hands from his.
One Of the physicians. believing that
death had come unrecogniZed. crossed
che room and stood beside her with
his eyes upon the quiet face among
3he pillows. Then he stopped and laid
his fingers lightly over the pulse in
the thin. sinewy wrist
II congratulate you he said, grave
II, his eyes upon Mrs. Winthrops gen
tic face, although he knew that he
was also speaking to this other i'm
movable woman. THE fever has
turned. He will recover. madam
But Alecia did not move, did not
speak, did not. apparently, compre-
hend the meaning Of his words or
+,,rn bar eyas from the peaceful,