The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-04-27

locked 1t. tie had been laid upon
the wide coach where she sat some
times at eventide alone. A white
covering shrouded the great form
that her girls flesh had shuddered
ct, had shrunk from SO often. A
ray of dying light glinted where the
head was. When she drew back the
covering the ray shone upon the
gray, swollen face, into which she
gazed for long while. The upper
lip was drawn back from the strong
white teeth. Tie mouth seemed to
grin callously. She could fancy that
the flown soul of the dead MAJ: was
laughing somewhere far off and that
the body which in life had so often
obeyed the spirit with the weakness
of custom still mechanically bowed
to its will, still revealed outwardly
that which was no longer prisoned
within it. Yes, as she looked at the
mouth she felt that the dead mans
soul was laughing.
She wondered why, and as she
stood wondering over the smooth
shaved lawn, past the sundial and
the leaping silver of the fountain,
one came to the garden room-the
man who understood her and had
striven to comfort her.
He did not know yet. He stole
SO softly because he believed her
husband wes living and not because
he knew he was dead.
He stood at the window and whis-
pered her name, and as he spoke
rush Of Joy swelled through her
heart. She left the dead face un-
covered and crossed to him.
'Gs he gonew he asked.
"He Is gone," she answered. "Kiss
me-"
He caught her passionately and
pressed his lips on hers.
GLOW I love youl' he murmured.
Glow love youp
AS he said the words she turned
round from him and looked back
into the slowly darkening room.
A strange, horrible fancy seized
her.
She thought she heard the dead
man laugh.
"When will you give yourself to
me-" her lover whispered. ''I have
waited so long! Come, leave your
prison house. Let the jailer find
the cell door open when he returns,
the DriSODar oscaned -
She answered him:
"He will never return to find me-"
He held her closer against his
heart.
'eYou have resolved to dare all,
then; to dare all for my sake?'
A wild triumph shone in her
white girls face, a wild triumph
thrilled in her sweet girls voice, as
she replied:
ffThe prison house has crumbled
to the dust. The prisoner is free"
He strained her yielding body in
his arms.
"You mean that yon will come,
that you will leave him to long for
you? You will forsake him? 1 love
you!'
But she shrank from him again
and trembled. She looked behind
her into that still, shadowy room.
The warm blood in her young body
seemed to freeze. Surely she heard
the dead man laugh again in the
gathering darknessl
'sYou will leave him? You will
Gomez"
'"There is no need" she said.
He kept her in his arms. His
kisses never left her face. He whis-
pered:
"Why?" l.@
"He is dead"
He loosened his arms from about
her. His mouth left hers.
She pointed backward into the
room which was now quite dark.
Gle is there, lying dead. And you
love ne, and I am free.''
She lifted her face to his, and her
eyes were full of happy tears. But
he looked at her and muttered q
curse between his teeth. The love
died from his face and left it hard
and wild with impotent disappoint-
nent and despair.
Then he turned away. He turned
away and went out into the twilight
across the smooth shaved lawn, past
the sundial and the leaping silver
of the fountain and beyond--into
the night.
de had been the dead mans life
long enemy. 1:Ie had been close upon
his revenge, and now the soul he
hated had. passed beyond h., power
to hurt. He could never wrong him
through al, the years. Why should
he stays
She sank down by the window
2 I. ~