The Port Gibson reveille., 1905-03-16

blind rage / saw nothing.
Then, as looked into her beautiful
eyes. and thought OF them gazing up
at another as they gazed up at me,
and thought OF her red lips pressed
against his. my jealous rage became
so strong that | threw her from me,
and turned and rushed into the dark
ness.
1 went at once to my rooms, pack
ed a small handbag. and, telling my
landlady / should not be back for
a few days. l rushed to the railroad
station. The whole Of the time / was
practically bereft OF my senses.
When l alighted from the train at
Jersey City, It was my intention to
cross to New York by the ferry and
proceed to the Grand Central Sta
ton, but as / was crossing West
street there was a sudden Grassland
then darkness.
When / recovered my senses I was
in the Roosevelt Hospital. They told
me ] had been there nearly a fort
night. had been knocked down
by cab. and the fa'l had brought
on concussion Of the brain.
"It has been a very narrow escape"
said the nurse. ."Once or twice we
thought you were gone"
And when | was alone / said to my
self. Would to Heaven that had
died." But ! lived on, sick at heart,
for there seemed nothing to live for
now.
AS soon as possible I left the hos
pital and went to Atlantic City to
recoup my health. On the second day
Of my stay was thunderstruck by OBJ
serving what / thought to be Joan's
figure among the promenaders, but af-
ter a while l assured myself that
must have been mistaken.
How / longed to see my lost love
again. to fold her in my arms and
call her mine. But my heart ached
when / thought of all that had been,
of how she had proved faithless to
me.
When I had fully recovered my
senses, all my sudden passion had
left me. with the exception OF a dull
hatred in my heart for my detested
rival. Gradually it conquered me, un-
til | made up my mind that l would
follow him and never leave him until
I had killed him.
! sat on the porch pondering on
this, and then l saw what confirmed
my suspicion Of the previous day.
saw Joan, and with her was Jack
Carstairs.
Great Heavenl the whole world |
reeled round me for moment, and
then, with a bitter hatred gnawing at |
me, / calmly sat and watched them
pass. They did not see me, although |
| sat quite close to them. Joan look |
ed pale, and my heart beat with un-
wonted rapidity as / gazed at her
great, pensive eyes. Perhaps she re-
pented her step, but he looked happy
enough.
Then ! got up and walked in an op-
posite direction, until was on road
leading inland. Here ! lay among the
furze bushes, alone with my sad
thoughts. All was quiet, save for the
ceaseless murmuring Of the mighty
waves as they broke upon the beach.
There lay. thinking. planning,
wondering. and, Heaven knows, near
to weeping. All my Senses. all my
feelings, yea, the whole Of me, cried
out for Joan, my lost darling.
Then I started suddenly, for /
thought l heard my name whispered.
But 1t must have been the plantive
note Of bird that heard, and once
more I gave myself up to thought.
"Allanl"
There could be no mistake this
time. some one was speaking my
name. As IL in a dream ! turned
my head and looked.
There was Joan.
Never until die shall I forget that
moment. The murmur of the sea
into a march Of triumph
played by a mighty organ. The wall
ing of the sea birds seemed as the
notes Of Orpheus. The yellow bloom
on the furze bushes changed to virgin
gold. And all the sounds that were
seemed to hymn the one word, Joan.
half started up, but the walk,
combined with the sudden excitement,
had been too much for me in my
weak state, and / fell backward to
The ground. In a moment Joan was
beside me, and her arms were round
me.
"Oh, Allan, Allan. why did you leave
me?" she murmured.
/ stammered back some incoherent
reply concerning my rival Wonder
ngly she gazed at me, and then sud-
ienly her eyes frightened, and a
queer little smile spread over her
ace.
why, that was Jacl-my brother
Jack, from Oregoni" she cried.
/ was too thunderstruck to reply.
"And that was all the faith you had {
n me?" she went on, gravely.
"Oh, my darling, can you forgive 1
ne?" ! muttered, brokenly.
And her reply was to kiss me.
II seems that Joan and her brother
lad seen me on the promenade near I
he hotels at Atlantic City, and Joan ,
lad turned back to speak to me, only I
o see me disappearing in the dis {
ance. So she followed me. and the I
est you know"-New York Weekly. / I
"cHoPPlNc HIM DOWN."