The Elbert County tribune., 1903-11-19


now my minds better'n when / sot
hyar llst'nln' ter yer men talk"
A flush came even through the tan
of rough Sadler's face. and Smith
shunied his feet upon the gravel and
knocked the ashes from his pipe as he
said slowly:
"Thanke zee. Jones Yves been friens
nigh onter foty year, an fer my part
| amt a-goin' ter low sech triflin
words ter KEN atween we. Hyar's my
hand on I. | amt mebby so onfrien1
to'rd Dlores es We pear ter thenk.
Yves all say thengs 7 ives don't mean,
an mebby thet's ther way of us. Eth,
Sadler?"
Sadler nodder his grisly head slow
| ly. He wasn't so frank spoken as
Smith nor perhaps so kind-hearted un-
der his rough speech. Smith said
many rough things. but he would have
done much also.
And young Green. holding Dolores
warm hand closely In his to assist her
| up the rough, seldom trodden path un-
der the bending boughs and CHASTITY
mists was thinking of the many years
she had lived there in the stolid set
tlement with not one friend in all the
world save, It might be, the rough, un-
spoken kindness of Jim Lodie and
Cinthy. And with his kindly eyes up
on the grave. beautiful face he could
| but wonder how such life could yield
such a marvel of womanlines5 and
tenderness.
1t was a strange freak of hers. no
doubt, this wish to once again stand
upon the brink OF her fathers death,
but how could he, loving her. dissuade
her from a desire so intense as this
was shown by the pleading of the dark
eyes? And SO they had come, and.
standing in the very place where she
stood years before. with the misty.
mysterious gulf at her feet and the
broken glimpses of blue heaven
through the floating mist, touch OF
grief and pleading and tenderness
cana over the pure, pale face that
caused this man, loving her, to bow his
head as one involuntarily bows the
head before the chancel with the
touch of an indescrlbable holiness
brooding above. And he removed his
hat. standing so. with his hand upon
her round arm as she stood immova-
BILE Searching the terrible death below
her. as though for the solving of the
bitterness of her life, as though for
the solving of her own harsh heart
lessness in accusing her father when
none other save the man at her side
and others with wicked intent. charged
him with crime. And there was an
agony dawning over the pallid face
and wide eyes that hushed all other
thought for the time in the heart OF
her friend-all thought save an intense
desire and longing to take her into
his arms and soothe this agony of bit
terness and shield her all her life
long from any touch of pain. any touch
of life's harshness. But he waited ST.
lently with bent head. his hand upon
her arm. while she fought-and won
perhaps struggle that few are called
upon to fight, that few would CON
quer. Then the eyes, widened with
agony. were lifted from the depths of
horror and mystery seeking the brok-
en- bits of blue heaven through the
mist OF the tangled pines upon the
height, and an indescribable grandeur
and beauty gradually grew upon the
lifted face and in the depths of the
grave eyes as though the peace sought
had been won. and the bitterness of
years was buried never again to be
resurrected in all the life before her
never again to shadow. as ii had done
the love and life of this friend beside
her. And he. guessing in part the
thoughts in her heart, made no move
Il
the steady arm he held. And he waited
for her to speak.
All her life passed her in review as
she stood there conscious even though
the bitterness of this warm, kindly
friend at her side-all the bitterness
and pain and humiliation and struggle
of her life, all the thoughts and sor-
rows and struggles, and when at last
she turned facing this friend, the
change upon her face was as though
an angel mad touched her standing
there. and life's suffering had passed
from her. lifes struggles and pain. and
left only the touch of heavenly fingers
upon the eyes and mouth.
One of her slow. radiant smiles
broke the sadness of her face as she
laid her hand upon the hand on her
arm as she said softly, new intona-
tion even in the low voice:
You mustn't be so good to me,
Charlie; ought to suffer alone some
times. You cannot realize how much
deserve it,
He laid his other hand warmly over
this soft hand on his arm. a new light
on his face. and in lis eyes that
caused sudden dropping of the face
in the light of the sunset.
"You deserve IN euffar,n tbara uor