The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-29

meet her, Merriam. You'll propose to her,
| too"
To make hard story soft, Merriam did
meet her and propose to her. He found
her to be a woman in black with hair the
color of bronze turkeys wings, and
mysterious remembering eyes that-well
that looked as she might have been a
trained nurse looking on when Eve was
created. Her words and manner, though,
were translucent, as Bibb had said. She
spoke. vaguely, of friends in California
and some of the lower parishes in Lou
isiana. The tropical climate and indolent
life suited her; she had thought OF buying
an orange grove later on; La Paz, all in
all, charmed her.
Merriam's courtship of the Sphinx last
ed three months, although hM did not
know that he was counting her as an
antidote for remorse, until he had found,
too late, that he had acquired the habit
During that time he had received no news
from home. Wade did not know where
he was; and he was not sure or Wade's
exact address, and was afraid to write.
He thought he had better let matters rest
as they were for a while.
One afternoon he and Mrs. Conant hired
two ponies and rode out along the noun
tain trial as far as the little cold river
that came tumbling down the foothills.
There they stopped for drink, and Mer-
riam spoke his piece-he proposed, as
Bibb had prophesied.
| Mrs Conant gave him one glance OF
brilliant tenderness, and then her race
took on such strange, haggard look that
Merriam was shaken out Of his intoxica-
ton and back to his senses.
II beg your pardon, Florence he said
releasing her hand, "but I'll have to
| hedge on part of what said. I can't ask
you to marry me- of course. I killed a
man in New York-a man who was my
friend-shot him down-in quite coward
~ manner, / understand or course, the
drinking didn't excuse 1t. Well, / couldn't
| resist having my say; and I'll always
mean it. I'm here as Il fugitive from JUS
tice. and-I suppose that ends our ac-
quaintance."
Mrs. Conenat plucked little leaves assid-
uously from the low-hanging branch of a
lime tree.
II suppose So" she said, in a low and
oddly uneven tones; but that depends
upon you. III be honest as you were.
] poisoned my husband. I'm self-made
widoz. A man cannot love a murder
ess. So I suppose that ends our acquaint-
/ ance."
| She looked up at him slowly. His face
turned a little pale, and he stared at her
blankly. like a deaf and dumb man who
was wondering what it was ail about.
| She took a swift step toward him. with
| stiffened arms and blazing eyes.
| Don't look at me like that she cried,
! as though she were in acute pain. Curse
me. or turn your back on me, but don't
| look that way. Am | woman to he
! beaten? If l could show you, here on
| fly arm and Oh my back are scarsTand
! n has been more than year-scars that
| he made in his brutal RACES. A holy nun
would have risen and struck the f1end
| down Yes, ! killed him. The foul and
horrible words that he hurled at me that
lest day are repeated in my ears every
! night when I sleep. And then came his
, hlosys. and the end of my endurance. l
! eot the poison that afternoon 1t was his
! custom to drink every night in the library
before going to bed hot punch made or
| r,,n, and wine. Only from my fair hands
I'D he receive it-because he knew the
sumes of spirits always siclSened me.
| rbat night when the maid brought 1t to
| mo sent hor downstairs on an errand.
| before taking him his drink went to my
| ,ittle priyate cabinet and poured into 1t
| ,,ore than a teaspoonful OF tincture of
aconite-enough to kill three men, so
had learned. had drawn $4,000 that had