The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-03-03


never met him should have lived and
been happy without him. shall make
believe that never did"
Having reached this worldly conclu-
sion, she leaned back in more COM
Portable position and gazed at dreamy
Claude Monet on the opposite wall.
Then her self communion began again.
"But there's MI. Milward- I shall
not be able to forget him. wish he
were not quite 50 Decembey. II only
he seemed a little more alive!"
With quickened breath she fancied
herself alone with him in beautiful
home. Servants moved noisily about,
but be was always cold and prim and
still. She felt stifed. She felt like q
prisoner. She belonged to him, for he
had bought her with his twenty mill
lions. Oh, the horror-the degradation
Of It!
Once more she took herself to task
angrily.
"It's perfect nonsense" she told her.
self vehemently. "He Is very nice
old man, and in time you'll get used to
him. All your life you've longed for
wealth, and now when it Is laid at your
feet you must quibble! Wait unit! the
next interest payment Is due on the
mortgage at home. You'll wish then
that you had forgotten sentiment"
Thus she went on goading herself.
but to DO purpose. There was not an
other person in the room, and she hid
her face in her hands and murmured
in desperation: "Oh, Jack! jack"
Restlessly she rose and emerged into
the street again. The clouds hung low,
and there was a slight fog. The gray
Of the stone walks, the pavements and
the sky all seemed to melt together
into one sad toned picture. Vehicles
Of all descriptions, from the butchers
wagon up, filled the street, keeping so
close together that even the most dar-
ing person did not venture to Cross,
and Barbara stood at the edge Of the
walk waiting for break In the line
to OCCUR.
She never knew how long she stood
there-long enough to listen to some
new whisperings Of his Satanic maj
esty telling her how much good she
could do with all that money for the
people she loved and the sufferers of
the earth. She was beginning to be-
lieve that it was her duty to sacrifice
her feelings whether she wished to or
not. Size might throw away fortune
for herself, but she had no right to
deny it to the others who would bene-
at through her.
Her eyes, which had been staring
fxedly at the procession Of carriages
without seeing them, were suddenly
attracted by an approaching coupe.
The blood tingled In her veins, for she
recognized the Milward livery.
It was q handsome carriage, with
the curved glass front which enables
the occupant to get more extended
view than can be had II the other
kind, ard the men on the box sat very
straight and stiff. But Il was none
Of these things that held Barbara's
glance fascinated.
It was a pair Of gitttering, fendish
eyes leering at her from the dark In
terior sss the carriage drew near, a
pdir Of eyes 80 horrid in their glare
that her blood ran cold, and she star
ell in stupefaction, thinking she saw
the outlines Of grotesque, shadowy
face around them.
Not until the coupe was opposite
her did the illusion fade and explain
itself. Then she drew breath OF re-
lief, for what she saw then was only
the reflection Of the two large silver
buttons on the back Of the coachman's
coat and Peter Mfward bowling to
her In his most gallant manner.
II never expect to see anything so
much like the Jabberwock again" she
laughed to herself, and then she grew
Suddenly grave.
Perhaps II she accepted Peter Mil
ward that skeleton In the coupe would
be quite real after all.
A month later, when Jack Carruth-
ers, whose salary had been raised to
S1,sOO a year, asked her to share 1t
with him, she accepted without taking
any time for consideration.
~How much do you really love me,
dear? he asked feryently for the
twentieth time, after the manner OF
lovers who like to hear the same as
suranccs over and over again. And
at last In desperation, she replied:
"Well, If you want to know how
much In dollars and cents, I can prove
that love you at least 100000 900
worth"
And then she told him how she
thought Of him, and the glimpse of
the Jabberwock had kept her from ac-
cepting old Peter Milward and his for
tune.