Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-03-17

IA up in that much-tried
! EM ma heart of hers.
She was tall and
| pleasant-natured girl who, having
married man two years before, by
the advice of her friends and against
her own feminine instincts, had been
| deserted for her pains after brief
| twelve months of married misery; by
one who had turned out reprobate of
| the finest water. The cruelest part
of 1t was that, though the iron letters
of matrimony still lay upon her, the
black Shadow to which she was
linked had made no sign after his
flight, had sent no token to say
whether he was alive or dead, or if lie
would return some day.
And while poor Jacques was, thus
waiting there came on the scene hand
some young Captain Danegarth, fresh
from campaigning in the Philippines,
and he fell hopelessly in love with her
the very first time they met.
Had 1t been an ordinary case, Dane
garth would have been man enough to
get him gone at once when he realized
that fact. But it was not an ordinary
case, he told himself when his love
began to grow, and he to argue on it.
The Shadow might already have drunk
himself to death, he told himself; and
IL that were So Mo- he could not,
and would not, leave her while all was
so uncertain. Thus it came about that
the soldier circled ever near and more
near the fame, and the poor lady was
so gracious all that bitter time that
shallow observers said she had no
heart, and only her close friends no.
ticed how her hands tightened when
there came a chance ring upon the
door-bell. At first she had been aware
of the gallant captain only as grace
full presence added to the circle of her
friends. Later on he became a well
come interest, and then, as he came
mere often, and the magnetism of his
hidden sympathy fell upon her, some
thing to look for, something to which
her troubled heart, cropping about for
encouragement and support, instructive
ly felt it could turn without chance of
rebuff.
At last the poor, distraught captain
bethought himself of asking advice,
and, as often happens, got little good
by ii. First, he went to a certain vet
eran colonel, knowing in the ways of
the world, and having propitiated the
oracle with its most favorite cigars,
poured out his soul.
"Well, my boy" said the voice Of
the old warrior from behind the blue
Havana cloud, ''there are but two
things to be done, and you won't par
ticularly like either of them. One is to
take the FOOLS way of desperation, and
the other the wise mans way of wait
ing; you will wait, and a kindly Provi-
dence will make a note of your good
behavior"
YES" said the downcast lover, Il
suppose that is the only thing for it,"
So the poor man went off, very little
comforted, his chin upon his chest.
and for a day or two locked himself
in the seclusion of his rooms, broodfng,
and planning all sorts of ridiculous
ways out of the dilemma. He was
away so long that acquaintance be-
gan to make inquiries of each other
when they met while shaking their
heads ominously-young men were so
impatient-always trying to force the
hands Of Providence and oblige dull
footed time to jump according to their
fancies. AS for the lady, she, too,
noted his absence, and as the color
which began to- bud a little in her
cheeks died down again, she learned
for the first time, with pang of self
reproach, how sweet his presence had
become to her.
Where had he gone? She did not
believe for a moment he would Go any
thing desperate, but he might have
been wise, which was just as fatal
from her point of view; he might have
fed while there was yet time, and her
poor little heart went where heroines'
hearts are supposed to be at the bare
idea. She listened day after day with
consuming eagerness for some mention
of him, and egged on his friends as
well as she could to make inquiries,
until one night, downcast and miser-
able. thinking he had gone forever, she
met him suddenly.
1t was in the refreshment room ut a
dance. 1t was not often Jacques went
to such things of late, but there she
was that evening, left pretty and sad
eyed in a corner, while a chance part