The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-05-24

He could see the steady gray eyes
filed with tears that never fell and
shining into his with the love that
knew no shame. He must never look
In them again nor ever more deflle
with his the brave lips that had trem-
bled. truly, but vet spoken comfortable
words up to the end.
And here Tom lay In cuipable pow
erty and dishonorable rags, fallen al
ready to an ultimate deep. So now,
too late. as through the gates of hell,
must come this message Of angelic
love! +
He read 1t again, tore Off the clean
half sheet and, sitting cross legged,
wrote as follows in pencil upon his
knee: ~4
1t means that am BLACKBOARD and
no longer worthy to be even your friend
The Jumna was ten days behind her
advertised time of sailing, and | was
miserable. You might have pitied me
then: ! neither ask nor deserve any pity
now. / had vile thoughts. Even IL /
made my fortune, your father would hate
Il
1t could never be. You would marry In
due course. How could you help your
self? Those were my thoughts. And
then / met friendl
He showed ME the town. He helped
me to forget. He won most of my money
and took the rest by fraud. / never even
booked my passage. And now only live
to spill the fellows blood.
But that's all he did. He didn't dis
i
all my promises TO the noble girl of whom
I never was worthy and must therefore
see her no more. 1t would be no good
Why should l insult you too? I have
done so enough In coming to this Simply
forget me. for am not worth your scorn.
Forget me utterly. l am too ashamed TO
sign my name.
This he folded up. addressed with
his pencil and sealed On a fashion,
with the waters which had been used
already. Her lips had touched them
before his. Then he sat where be was
and noted the other moral corpses
stretched upon that daily battlefield
and wondered If any of them had
wrecked their lives as willfulIy as he
his. And then he thought OF his ia.
Tiers white hairs and thanked God
they had won to the grave without this
to bring them there.
Then he lay down again and wres-
tied with hunger and anguish alter
nately and both together. 1t was even
Ing when he left the park heavily
laden with u fact remembered on the
way. He lacked the price Of a two
penny stamp. Not farthing had he
left nor a thing to pawn save his long
silk purse so ignobly emptied, and that
had been his fathers before him. II
should not go even for this, yet the
letter must. Then how?
He sat down again on a bench, for
he was weak for want of food, and in
his weakness came temptation that
was indeed more like an inspiration, so
luminous was its flash. He might take
his letter and leave Ii himself In the
keyhOle Of the garden gate. Why not;
Then she would get IL at once-that
evening.
Why not? He had already given the
reasons in the letter itself. And see
her he would-he must-if once he got
as far as that garden gate. So the rea-
sons in the letter held very good In
deed. And how weak to be himself the
first to fly In their face! But, then,
weakness was his present portion.
whereas the temptation grew stronger
and stronger-only to see her face once
more. only to hear her voice, although
It dashed him with the reproaches he so
richly deserved. Yet he did not give