The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-09-22

minew So soon, then, he had ceased to
love her, and she-ah. in this moment
her punishment had commenced.
She had but meant to try a little
longer. She had forgotten a mans dig
nity, a mans love, are not always to be
valued at woman's weak caprice.
She had thrust her bare, unprotected
hands into the flame, and willed that
| it should not burn. Now that it had
| eaten it's cruel way into the flesh, she
could not wiring them in impotent an
guish, knowing that she herself had
! thrust aside the cool, healing balm
which would have brought oblivion Of
any pain.
| All night she lay with wide-open
eyes, fully dressed as she had thrown
herself upon her couch. and the letter
the first and only letter Jack had ever
written her-tightly clasped in her fin
gers.
Now and then a sob forced its way
upward through the quiverinS frame.
But no tears came! her eyes were dry
and burning.
Strange. strange! In all her life she
had known no want, no void. Now
the future seemed filled with empti-
| ness.
Where were her weapons? Shat
tered and useless! Where her arEor!
| Rent asunder, so that. look where she
would she saw but her naked. pain
tossed soul. She realized now the
depth and earnestnesS Of words which
she already answered by a mockinS
lie. All. already his wounds were heaF
ing but hers-he had said rightly, she
would wear no scar, Only because hers
would not heal.
At last the day dawned. She
watched it break. wondering If any
other heart in all the wide world was
as leaden-weighted as her own. How
should she meet him? Pride must now
be her reliance. What he had thought
of her, let him think to the end. Had
he not spurned the unspoken prayer
for pardon? He had anticipated, in
deed! She and her own soul could
keep their secret-aye, and would! But
for the present meeting was spared
her.
"Mr. Raymond went out at daybreak
with the fishermen,". some one volun-
teered. "It is a bad day, too, gray and
squally."
She felt sudden fear oppress her,
as they added this; but nonsense! no
accident had happened all the summer
on the coast. By IL o'clock he surely
would have returned.
She took a seat on the piazza, where
she could watch his approach; but the
long, slow hours wore on, and she
watched in vain.
At 4 o'clock some one came to her
and said:
"There has been an accident, Miss
Marcus. Have you heard? One OF
the fishing-smacks was overturned, and
two fishermen and a gentleman
drowned. We fear it may be Mr.. Ray
mond."
A momentary blackness swept over
her, but she conquered it.
"God could not be so cruel!' she said,
but she did not know that she had
spoken.
She heard about her the buzz of in
ouiry, the hustle of excitement, but
she sat still and white, as though
carved from marble. This-this was
the end! Until this moment when hope
had died, she had not known all that
had lived and perished with it.
The day wore on. The night fell.
Still she sat motionless, watching the
sea. Her end Of the piazza was de-
serted. A gloom hung over the hotel.
The young moon shed its faint rays
upon her, as though it alone guessed
her secret and gave her its pity.
"Alone-alone,' she murmured, "for.
evermore! Oh, my love-my love"
Had her cry conjured up his wrath?
From whence had he sprung? An
instant before no one was in sight
now he stood close beside her. She did
not pause to think. She rose, and
with one wild sob threw herself upon
his breast.
"Jack! Jack! Forgive me-" she
cried.
But it was no ghost which wiped
away her tears and hushed her sobs
with mis- kisses.
When they were calmer, he told her
Of his escape. One poor fellow, indeed,
had been drowned; but he, with the
others, had been saved by passing
craft, whose destination bad been
some little distance down the coast.
But Ethel only realized that he was
with her; for the rest she cared moth
ing.
IL shall never wear another one OF
Worth's dresses"' she said, at last,
penitently.
"IIush, darling! No rash VOWS" he
answered, once more kissing the
sweet lips to silence. '"YoI shall send
one more order, at least, ere many
days have sped. and that my love, for
- b. $kHn