The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-11-07
CHAPTER VIII.


Charlotte was sitting behind the
locked door of her stateroom, try
ing to write her letter.
She knew it would be hard, but 1t
proved much harder than she had
feared it would be. Try as she might,
she could not eliminate the factor
Of personality. Truly, this man was
no more to her than any stranger in
the passing show, an impersonal unit
of a class with which society is at
war; and yet, at the end of every
effort, the point of view shifted, and
in the whole world there were but
two persons; man who had sinned,
and woman who was about to make
him pay the penalty.
Nevertheless, conscience was not to
be denied; and after many futile be-
ginnings, the Hateful letter got itself
written, and she went out to mail it
at the office. AS it happened, the
"Belle Julie" was slowing for a land
ing, and the office was closed. And
since she would by no means entrust
the letter to the outside mail box,
she waited till the clerk should re-
turn.
The doors giving upon the saloon
deck forward were open. and she
stepped out. The crew was grouped
about the uptilted landing-stage, and
he was there-this man for whose
future she was about to become an
swerable.
One glimpse of his face. haggard
and woe-begone beyond any imagin-
ings of hers, slew her resolve on the
eve of its accomplishment, and she
turned and ran back to the state
room, saying over and over to her
self as she fled: "Oh, can't! l
can't!-aRd yet I must!"
1t was noon before she opened her
door again at the luncheon call, and
went aft to bring her aunt to the Ia
BILE. What she had endured in the
interval, none might know; not even
the sympathetic invalid. who more
than once looked askance at the
troubled eyes with their downcast
lids.
At their end OF the table, the talk
rippled about the bank robbery; and
when Capt. Mayfield mentioned the
fact of the $4,000 reward which had
been offered, Charlotte was moved
to say:
"That seems dreadfully barbarous
to set price on the head of a hui
man being"
A gentleman across the table took
it up.
"But, Miss Farnham, would you
have us turn thief-catchers for the
mere honor of it?"
For the love of justice, or not at
ALL" she rejoined.
The gentleman demurred and went
into details to prove his position;
and the details only served to af-
front Charlotte's sense of the fitness
of things.
'Do you mean to say that you
would accept the reward, Mr.. La
trobe?" she asked.
Certainly 1 should; anyone
would"
She knew the frank admission
stood for public opinion, and went
dumb. She might call the reward
blood-money and refuse to touch it,
but only those of her own circle
would know and believe the truth.
And the wretched man himself would
always believe that she had sold him
for price.
That evening, after dinner, she
sought the captain to ask ques-
ton.
'Do you know the law in Louisiana,
Capt. Mayfeld? This man who robbed
the bank; what would his penalty
be?"
u don't know, precisely. Twenty
years in the chain-gang. should
say"
The "Belle Julie" was pausing at
a small hamlet on the west bank Of
the river, and the captain pointed
to a squad Of prisoners in chains,
repairing breach in the levee.
AThat's where he'll land when they
catch him." he added. Hell have
to be pretty tough to outlive his
sentence"
And Charlotte turned ovav with N