Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-16
Illustrated By
Dennan Fink
so 9Novs1 By REX BEACH
AUTHOR OF THE SPOILERS"

Meade Burren never knew how he gain
ed his quarters. but when he had done so
he locked his door behind him. then loos-
ed hts hold on things material He ragged
about the room like a wild animal, and
vented his spite on every animate thing
that lay within reach. His voice was
strange IN his own ears as was the de-
structive frenzy that possessed him. In
time he grew Quieter. as the physical en-
ergy Of this brutal impulse spent itself;
but there came no surcease Of his mental
disquiet. AS yet his mind grasped
but duly the fact that she
was TO marry another. but gradually
this thought in turn took possession of
him. She would be a wife in two days.
That great, roistering. brown man would
fold her TO himself-she would yield to
him every inch OF her palpitant. passion
ate body. The thought drove the lover
frantic. and he felt that madness lay
that way II he dwelt on such fancies for
long. OF a sudden he realized all that
she meant TO him, and cursed himself
anew. While ne had the power to pos
sess her he had dallied and hesitated,
but now that he had no voice In IL, now
that she was irretrievably beyond his
reach. he vowed to snatch her and hold
her against the world
As he grew calmer his reason began TO
dissect the scene that had taken place
IN the store, and he wondered whether
she had been lying to him, after all No
doubt she had been engaged 70 the
Frsnchman, and had always planned TO
wed Poleon, for that was not out Of rea-
son: she might even have set out mis-
chievousIy 70 amuse herself with him, but
AT the recollection OF those rapturous
hours they had spent together, he de-
clared aloud that she had loved him and
him only. EVC.y instinct in him shout
ed that she loved him. In spite OF her
cruel protestations.
All that afternoon he stayed locked in
his room. and during those solitary hours
be came TO know his own soul he saw
what life meant: what part love plays
IN Il, how dwarfed and withered al
things are when pitted against II
a man came with his supper, but he
called to him 70 be gone. The night set
tied slowly, and with the darkness came
such a feeling Of despair and lonesome
ness that Burren lighted every lamp and
candle in the place TO dispel. In some
MEASURE. the gloom that had fallen up
on him. There are those who believe
that In passing from daylight TO dark
ness a subtle transition occurs akin TO
the change from positive TO negative in
an electrical current, and that this intan-
AIN4Er
exerts a definite. psychical effect upon
men and their modes OF thought Be this
as II may. II Is certain that as the night
grew darker the Lieutenants mood
CHANGED He lost his fierce anger at the
gfrl. and reasoned that he owed IL 10 her
70 set himself right in her eyes; that in
All Justice TO her he ought to prove his
own sincerity, and assure her that what
ever her own state OF mind had been,
she wronged him when she said he had
made sport OF her for his own pleasure.
she might then dismiss him and proceed
with her marriage. but first she must
nov this much OF the truth at least. So
he argued. insensIble to the sOphistry OF
his reasoning, which was in reality i'm
uelled By the hunger to see her and hear
her voice again. He snatched his hat and
bolted out, almost running In his eager
ness.
A rp-river steamboat was Just land
ing as he neared the trading post-a
freighter, as he noted by her lights In
the glare at the river bank he saw Po-
leon and the trader, who had evidently
returned from Lees Creek. and without
accosting them he hurried on to the
store. Peering in from the darkness he
saw AIluna; no doubt Necia was alone in
the house behind So he stumbled around
70 the back TO find the window OF her
room agIow behind its curtain, and, re-
ceivfng no answer to his knock, he en-
tered. for it was customary at Gales
to waive ceremony Inside the big room
he paused. then stepped swiftly across
and raped at her door, falling back
pace as she came out.
Instead OF speaking at once, as he
had planned to prevent h9
escaping. he was strukc speechless, for
the vision that met his eyes was that
which he had seen one blithe spring morn
ing three months before; but tonight
there was no shawl TO conceal her sweet
II rounded neck and shoulders, whose
whiteness was startling against the black
Of the ball room gown. The slim gold
chain hung around her neck and her hair
was piled high, as before. He noted every
smallest detail as she stood there waiting
for him to speak. forgetful Of everything
else.
she had put on the gown again TO
see II, perchance, there might be some
mark OF her blood or breed that had
escaped her previous scrutiny, and, as
there was no one to observe her, she
had atttred herself slowly, absorbed In
her whimsy. Her wistful beauty dazed
the young man and robbed him OF the