The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-05-20
bis arms with a violence that fright.

IleaSe uOh I, pleuSe. MOI tnlb tlUne!
All, have mercy, Charl- Well! Therei
There! Mary mother, forgive meF
Then her spirit fell before the
whirlwind OF his passion, and she was
Of his breast, with her white arms
around his neck, paying the same trib-
ute to the little blind god that he would
have eXacted from the lowliest maiden
Of the land.
Brandon held the girl for q moment
or two, then fell upon his knees and
buried his face In her lap.
Heaven help met he cried.
She pushed the hair back from his
forehead with her hand and as she
fondled the curls leaned over him and
softly whispered:
Heaven help us both, for 1 love
your
He sprang to his feet. Don't! Don't,
L pray YOU" he said wildly, M almost
ran from her.
Mary followed him nearly to the door
OF the room, but when he turned he
saw that she had stopped and was
standing with her hands over her face,
as if In tears.
He vent bnck to her and said, ~
tried to avoid this. and IL you had
helped me 1t would never But he
remembered how he had always de-
spised Adam for throwing the blame
upon Eve, no matter how much she
may have deserved 1t, and continued:
mo, 1 do not mean that. 1t Is ali
my fault. l should have gone away
long ago. 1 could not help 1t. tried,
oh, l tried"
Mary's eyes were bent upon the
floor, and tears were falling over her
flushed checks UNDECIDED and uncheck-
ed.
"Thcrc Is no fault In any one. Nei-
Their could L help It," she murmured.
mo, no; ii is not that there ia any
fault in the ordinary sense. 1t is Hike
suicide or any other great self inflicted
Injury with me. l am different from
other men. L shall never recover"
81 know only too we'll that you are
different from other men, and-and /,
too, am different from other yyomen.
Am 1 not?"
"Ah, different! There is no other
woman in all this wide, long world"
And they were In each others arms
again. She turned her shoulder to
him and rested with the support of his
arms about her. Her eyes were cast
down in silence, and she was evident
~ thinking as she toycd with the lace
Of his doublet. Brandon knew her
varying expressions so well that he
saw there was something wanting, SO
he asked:
us there something you wish to
say2"
"Not l." she responded with en-.
phasis Oh the pronoun.
"Then 1t is something you wish mo
to say?'
She nodded her head slowly. eyes"
"What Is itI Tell me, and / will saw
IL"
She shook her head slowly, NO"
what is it2 l cannot guess"
ibid you not like to hear me say that
that Loved you?"
"Ah, yes! You know 1t. But-oh!-
do you wish to hear me say III"
The head nodded rapidly two or
three times, Eyes" And the black
curving lashes were lifted for a fleet
ing, luminous instant.
ut Is surely not necessary. You
nave known 1t so long already, but
am only too glad to say 1t. / love you.'
She nestled closer to him and hid her
face OH his breast.
Nov that 1 nave said 1t, what Is my
reward?' he asked, and the fair face
came up, red and rosy, with rewards
any II of which was worth a kings
ransom.
tIluf thtJ fn 4Aon anlk Oh
cried Brandon as he almost pushed her
from him. 1--WE can never belong to
each other. Never!'
no" said Mary, with q despairing
shake Of the head, as the tears began
to flow again. mo, never!" And fall.
Ing upon his knees he caught both heI
hands in his, sprang to his feet and
ran from the room.
Her words showed him the chasm
anew. She saw tie distance between
them even better than he. Evidently
1t seemed farther looking down than
looking up. There was nothing left
now but flight.
He sought refuge In his own apart
ments and wildly walked the floor, OK
claiming: Fool, fool that I am to lay
up this store of agony to last me al
my days! Why did 1 ever come to thi,
court? God pity me-pity mer And
he fell upon his knees at the bed, bury
Ing his face I'm his arms, his mighty
mans frame shaking a. with q palsy.
That same night Brandon told me
how lie had committed suicide, as he
put it, and of his intention to go to
Bristol and there await the sailing OF
the ship and perhaps find a partial res
direction in New Spain.
Unfortunately, he could not start fol
Bristol at once, as he had given some
challenges for n tournament at Rich
mond and could furnish no good excuse
to withdraw them, but he would not
leave his room or again see that CIR
who was driving him mad"
1t was better, he thought, and wise
fy, too, that there be no leave taking
but that he should go without meeting
her.
"If I see her again." he said, II shaa
have to kill some one, even IL 1t is only
myself"
I heard him tossing in his bed all
night, and when morning came he
arose looking haggard enough, but with
his determination to run away and SOC
Mary no more stronger than ever up
on him.
But Providence or fate or come one
ordered 1t differently, and there wat
plenty of trouble ahead.