Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-08-30

1
ed him. The only happy marriages
ever knew were made by remark
ably ordinary women"
"You think"
That the best looking, brightest
women attract the worst order OF
men. They go on pursuing the type
not the woman; the man who VIII
go on loving a woman in spite OF
and not because of her beauty is
worthy Of her love indeed. But he
is incredibly rare"
"Hermione,' urged the man, "you
have everything beauty, and brains
and heart; and II no man could ever
be worthy Of you, don't you know
he would have sense to realize the
treasure he possessed?"
"Till he possessed II. Yes she
said, and rose, laughing, from her
seat in the winter garden; and the
man rose, too, an ugly look deform'
ing his handsome features"
Some day you will be tired OF
wandering, and there will be no hive
open to you" he said to himself
savagely; but that time seemed far
enough away as they entered the
ballroom. and she was at once sur
rounded and besieged by lovers.
"What beautiful voice that wom'
an had" said n man who. sitting at
distance, had been able to catch
the sound but not the sense OF the
conversation. though a phrase or
two, uttered by her companion, had
reached him.
Jasper George, a gross man, with
ears alert for supper, grunted. and
named her, but without enthusiasm
Women of Hermione's sort and
their voices had no attractions for
him; his tastes were much more cas-
lily satisfied by firstrate chef, and
neither Of the two men had sought
nor would have been at home in the
ballroom, but ms guests staying IN
the house they had escaped from the
racket to the shadow Of the palms.
4 cessation of the music. a quick
ening. hurrying Of sound in the
distance, drew the stout man alertly
out of his chair, and he offered his
arm to the other.
Supper" he said.
"None for me. II not too much
trouble, you'll come to me later
or send my man?"
"Of course"
The man who was left listened to
the greedy footsteps retrcating,
then lay back with closed eyes
thinking.
His was a strong, lean face, square
iawed. that would have been grim
but for the melancholy, hard fought,
but finally submitted to AS habit,
that softencd it. There is many a
tough lesson learned in silent en-
durance, but it is mostly physical,
not mental, suffering that teaches it.
A girl came softly, swiftly, in, TAX
ing the vacant chair before she real
lied that the one next it was occu-
pied. She sprang up, vexed, but the
mans eyes suddenly opened, and
the sadness in them, or perhaps
their Indifference, so unlike the
quickening of most mems gaze at
sight of her, staid her steps,
81 thought every one was at sup
per" she said, and sat down again.
He knew her voice at once and
leaned forward eagerly. They talked
of triHes at first, and each moment
his pleasure grew. Here was one of
those oases, set apart in the dusty
desert of life, that nightly refresh
thirsty souls and bodies, giving them
strength TO continue their long cara
van march; and in the long hour
that followed the blind man and
Hermione came to an understanding
of each other, got the grip of one
anothcr's characters, that with her
beauty made visible, and mentally
obscuring his Judgment, they never
could have done.
The only interruption came when a
long nosed, reproachful young man
appeared round the corner, murmur-
ing: "I've been waiting outside that
door all this time, Hermione-you
said you were having your dress
mended -and"-his glance added
'mcanly gave me the slip"
$50 to supper, dear boy! she said,
I'm busy" and he went, and she
brAthed freely. For it quickened
her pulse to know that at last, all
to herself, she had the man whose
eyes showed no trace of blindness,
but who had been struck down by it
in the height of the success of his
crowded worldly and intellectual life
the ambitious side of it was over,
and only the intellectual, the inner.
one remained, and into it he had
drawn her for this one full full!
hour
A mans voice sounded on the other
side of their retreat, voice thick
ened by wine, and Humphrey Fletch-
er thought; THAT is the man who
wanted to hive the bee and failed"
'"I wonder where that poor devil
Fletcher has hidden himself" went
on the man on the other side of the
orange trees "the best judge in the
world of women's looks. and sud
denly smtten-blind! Even Her
mione Saunders would be no better
to him now than an ill-favored serv-
ing weuch.'
20, he must know it-he must
know it-he must feel it. il she were
anywhere near him." said woman's
impatient voice. "She is like her
opals, milky, with a heart of fire
and has but to show herself, rain
bow like, in room, and the rest of
us are not even visible"
"And yet said Humphrey, almost
under his breath, but she heard.
when you see her mind her face
must needs be forgot"
She trembled, loving him for his
misfortune. And in that moment
though she knew it not till later,
the bee was safely hived at last
Black and White.