The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-04-15

SO Q1rO lEtll III LlCu1eul size WOulQ
have been kneeling beside him and
promising to go with him anywhere,
to leave every social pleasure she
priced, for the love Of his heart.
But how should John Gordon know
anything Of all that? When he looked
Up he saw her standing very still and
very white, staring at him in q cues
tioning way. And in an almost matter
Of fact tone he began to relate the
facts about Mr.. Marsh's relation to the
disaster. He told the facts in quite
dispassionate manner. In reality he
was exercising great repression. And
he noticed as be drew near the end
that Luclla was listening like one who
was being told certain things for the
first time.
u never knew that father owned
any property on Bowen street." she
said in a low voice when Gordon
stopped.
John Gordon rose His heart was sore
over everything connected with Mr..
Marsh's conduct. He had not a single
excuse to offer for him.
"Do you believe me?' Luella cried
with her cid spirit flaming up.
II have no reason to disbelieve you.
You are not to blame for your fathers
guilt"
sIt is a great grief to me-" she said
simply. "Oyer sixty children! I could
not read the details Of the-the-disas-
ter. Father took the paper out Of my
hands that morning. 1t made me sick,
and-and-you know how sensitive ia
ther has always been at the sight Of
suffering. He could not bear to hear OF
it or look at it. am made in the same
way. It IS all too horrible"
"If it is horrible to look ct, what 90
you think it is to feel it?'' John Gordon
asked grimly. And as he asked the
question Grace Andrews face, with its
tender, deep blue eyes, flashed up be-
fore him, and for the first time in his
life he compared her with Luella, SIM
ply in the matter Of capability to bear
the sins and sorrows Of humanity.
Luella looked at him gravely and
shook her head. And then John Cor
don rose.
You are not goingw she said before
she realized. And then the color flooded
her face, and she stood, proud woman
as she was, with bowed head, as con-
scious as a girl who has made some
little social mistake.
Again if John Gordon had said, "Lu-
ella, Will never go from you~if you
will ask me to remain!' she would have
given her whole life into his keeping
and followed him to the earth's end for
the love of him. But how was he to
know all that? All he saw was Wo-
man who quickly recovered from a
momentary confusion, and he said:
'You must excuse, me; came to see
your father. I am very anxious to see
him and shall be under obligations to
YOU if he can come down to Hope
House as soon as he returns"
He turned and walked out into the
hail, where be turned again toward her
and gravely bowed.
"Good evening" he said coldly. he
said it coldly because his heart was
beating so fercely that be was afraid
to betray his emotions. She did not
say word, only looked at him as ne
slowly walked to the door. AS ne
opened it she said in a whisper, "John"
He never heard. Is love then both
blind and deaf? Yea; it is sometimes,
when the lovers are both high spirited.
strongly individual and sensitive. And,
alas for John Gordon, he neither saw
nor heard, and walked out into the
night, wretched at heart and cast down
in his emotions. When be was gone,
Luella laid her head again on her arms,
and when Mr.. Penrose l:tle Later
sent in his card she excused herself
from seeing him owing to illness. 1t
was the world old illness, which love
creates when it is bafied, buffeted, dis
honoroG or misunderstood.
Joh:, Gordon had not been back to
Hope House ten minutes when Will
liams called him up aad said that Bar
ton was conscious and had called for
his friend. Gordon at once went out
and was soon by Barton's side.
The nurse and doctor and Harris
were there and Gordon knew that Bar
toms hour had come. The first word
that Barton spoke was request that
be be permitted to talk to Gordon alone.
The others went into the next room,
and Gordon kneeled and put his hand
on that'of his friend
"John." Barton whispered in his old
whimsical manner, "the old cough Is
like a daily paper, it has the last word.
No use to reply or explain. The editor
can get back at you in the next num-
Der. I'm done for as the pancake said
when it was turned over"
He stopped and with great effort
raised up a little. Gordon supported
hiu.~
There, l feel little easier. 1 never
wanted to die lying down. What I
wanted to say, John, there are two let
ters, love letters, John, from the old
lady, Ehngham, you remember. They
are in my desk. Read them when I
am gone. The second one only came
this morning. I don't know what is in
it. But you-open-and read it,
Gordon was crying. He could not
keep back the tears Of affection. His
love for Barton was almost like that
Of the love between man and woman.
Don't cry, John. What's the differ
ence? There's one thing-I hope-you
and Luella-the coughs going to get
me. Don't let people look at me. I'm
not a handsome man as used to be.
There's one thing
The voice sank, and yet even in that
last struggle the change from his ap-
parent fippancy to the profoundest
seriousness was like the change from
sun to shade Zone thing, John. Once
you said I never loved any one. I've
left some books and things to Hope