Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-07-15

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all forms of self-indulgence and
Incidence stands ready at OuT ell.
bow, the chances are a thousand
to one that we will be self-indul-
gent and indOlent to beat the band
And even though a woman may be
strong enough to go on living a
straight, honest life she never
quite gets over a mlshap of the
heart. Don't you believe that Z"
"NO," he replied with a rough
laugh. az have seen too many
women recover from heartbreaks."
"Or think that you have" she
suggested. 81 doubt il even your
astuteness can say what is in a
sealed can that is not labeled"
"There is nothing OF the sealed
can about a woman's heart" he
said, and there was a nasty slur in
his tone that fred the literary wO-
mans blood.
"YOu know 80 much. Listen to
this from the pen of a woman who
ell unite to call strong and con.
tended" she took q written sheet
from the drawer and ran her eye
over it searchingly. "Here iC is:
'Perhaps it is in line to do better
work and more Of 1t, but l don't
know. Fate dOwned me years ago
and her grip is still on my throat.
Where l see others leap and stand
upright, there is for me only spas
medic, Intellectual efforts to get
upon my feet. Still, living on the
back is not such an uncomfortable
position and a grip never annoys
unless one struggles against it, and
l gave up struggling long years
ago."
The man Of means turned upon
her eagerly.
"Who wrote that letter I"
"That's none Of your business"
she laughed ; fare you satisfied as
to your skill"
81 insist on knowing who wrote
that letter."
"Insist as much as you please.
Business women do not betray con
fdences."
he stood up and looked down
angrily into her smiling face.
"If 1 told you that all my hopes
of now and hereafter depended
upon seeing that signature, would
you show it to me Z"
81 am afraid I could scarcely
credit such q rash statement"
"Oh, you can believe it. It is
true enough I"
He faced around and stared at
the fire. When he spoke again
his tones betrayed intense disgust.
81 would not give 80 cents for
the heart and soul of all the bust
ness women in the world put to-
gether !"
81 didn't know it was up for
auction" she commented.
he turned upon her savagely.
"Once more, will you tell me
who wrote that letter I"
"Onct, Bunsby will you scOOt."
"Listen to me-" he Numbered.
''Sitting there in your insane i'm
becility you are holding the hap
piness of two lives"
81 shall try to hold them tight
she murmured.
"YOu will not show me that sig
nature Z"
emo"
"Then / will go to her without
seeing it. Don't you suppose that
l know there is but one woman in
the world strong enough to pen
such words IS those I"
The literary woman. laughed as
the door banged viciOusly.
"And to think that it was one
Of my own little creatures that
wrote them. Well, I dare say he
and Lou Will make up that long.
standing squabble Of theirs now
that a wave of chance has washed
them together" and then as
though she suddenly felt the need
Of something strong she took up
the paper at her elbow and read
again that bit Of RightOr's: "A
man must sit on his own salt sack;
that's the first duty. Then he
must walk 10 the path whereto the
Fates kick him ; that's Kismet.
Then he must gather all the red
and blue blossoms along the way,
and hold bis head high, and
breathe deep and whistle at the
stars and keep away from church
yards and laugh so merrily as he
may; that's cheeriulness. For
the rest, there is no man that may
walk against the high waves Of the
sea, nor gather thistle down in the
wind, nor plant cabbage in gran