Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-05-27

lighted luxurious cabin. He had dis
missed the attendants some time
since with orders not to reappear I'M
less he summoned them, and they were
alone. There was no likelihood of any
interruption whatsoever. The man,
who was leaning back in his chair,
bent forward when she opened the
door. He laughed %viciously. If she
had reflected, she would have mar
veled at the change that a few weeks
had wrought in one whom she had
hitherto deemed worthy Of her affec-
ton, but she had eyes and thought for
nothing except the business in hand.
so you've come out, hay your" he
stammered triumphantly. Come of
your own free will! You've found out,
have you, that I am master and you
are coming to heel?"
He whistled to her derisively, whis-
tied as if to a dog!
WHO is this?" asked the woman in
a voice carefully suppressed, yet which
shook with wrath.
She held the photograph in its
heavy silver frame up before i'm.
That's my wife," he said equally,
with no surprise or CONSERVATION.
1--WE haven't lived tog for some
years." he went on with drunken good
nature, cor I'd take you back to San
Francisco and Introduce you to her"
Your wife," exclaimed the woman
in that same low, tense voice. Then
what am II"
my Mistress" said the man, blunt
ly, throwing the last shred of conceal
ment and decency to the winds, and
a damned o~bstreperous one at that"
he went on.
Now, the woman believed in no
Providence, but a trick got from her
ancestry wrung the words from her
lips.
my God! My God!" she whispered.
You haven't any" sneered the
man. You told me SO yourself" He
laughed. And 1 believed o l
would have believed anything to get
you"
Well, there was no God the woman
realized, but she would be her own
god. Her body shrank together a lit
tie, her hands cIenched. The feline
vas uppermost. She could have sprung
upon him, but she waited, waited for
sue KNEW uOL WHAT.
Whom the gods Destroy" ran the
ancient phrase, they first make mad"
He rushed to his doom with blind
folly.
You needn't be Jealous OF her, my
dear" he mumbled on. II used to
think I loved her and we were mar
ried, damned f~oolishness, as you might
say. She can't hold a candle to you,
if you are a little touched" he tapped
his forehead impudently-"in the up
per story"
And this man, this degraded thing,
regarded her as a mad woman. There
might be no God, but there was a devil
n he stood before her. There might
be nc heaven, but there was a hell
and she was in it.
ION second thoughts" he rambled
on, II couldn't introduce you to her.
You aren't respectable and she is"
He stopped and poured himself an
other drink.
"Respectable!" he laughed. ITO hell
with responsibility. We know a better
thing that that! Soul to soul, heart
to heart, the union of equals without
the trammels of conventional bonds
for weaker beings Yes, that's what
you said"
And she recognized with horror that
he was quoting her own words.
But it doesn't go, you see. It's
all very we'll in theory, but it doesn't
work out in practice. The worlds
got some ideas of it's own. It's been
holding EN- for a good many thou
sands of years and you can't change
'em. You belong to me now. To hell
with your equality! You are nothing
more nor less than my property, and
mark you" he reached u a trem-
bling finger and shook it at her, your
salvation is with me. If l cast you of,
you go into the gutter"
She wondered vaguely how much
more of this h could tar n live.
But don't be afraid" he went on
with a drunken attempt at reassur-
ance, you are too fine and too hand
some, even if you are cracked, for
that-yet. I'm glad to see you've come
to you senses"
He rose heavily as he spoke and
felt his way around the table hand
over hand. He approached her. She
let him do it. She shrank a little
closer together, every muscle tense for
action. She was no longer a woman
she was a human tigress and her phil
osophy was gone. He was too drunk
to see it, too incapacitated to take
warning.
That's right" he continued as he
lurched nearer to her. Stay right
there. I'm coming to you as fast as
l can and when I get close to you,
we'll kiss, and"
He was by her side now. He
Strengthened himself up with a spas
modic effort, released his hold on the
table and stretched out his arms to-