Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-07-15

this man in compliance with any sug-
gestion of the world, following any
dictate of society, subservient to n
convention. l cannot see but that |
would be doing as great or a greater
wrong than l did before in haunt-
ing all of these forces. l have learned
what love is and what marriage should
be. l will not give my hand and yield
up my person where cannot yield my
heart. And there Is no expiation or
reparattOn that requires tt OF me, no
voice that can coerce me into 1t |
will not marry you, Valentine Lang
ford. | will accept your expressions
as evidenced by yOu words, by your
presence here, as testimony to your
regret. Indeed, rcnlize that your con-
fession was itself a great humiliation
to a man.like you. And perhaps | have
spoken harshly Of 1t. But the bare
fact remains, l do not love you l could
not love you, l don't ever wan to love
you. My heart, my soul goes to this
man." she turned to her companion of
the island, whom up to to-day l have
made and fashioned n taught and
trained until these hours when he has
DIOh0u away HUN Lie. L IONS IAAO
man who stands silent, who thinks of
me as a thing spotted, polluted,
damned. Him | love, though he Stay
me, yet will l love him. Him l trust.
though he disobey me, yet will l love
him. Him l will serve, though he cast
me off, yet will l love him. And with
this in my heart in which l glory and
which l confess as openly and with
as little hesitation as you confessed
your shame, give vol my final, abso-
lutte, utterly irrevOcable decision. l
will not marry you, l will not go back
with you. No, not for anything that
you can proffer, nor for any reason
that you can urge, will l come to you
when in my sUu l belong to another.
There may be no end to this but my
despair. This man may cast me off.
This man may trample me under loot.
The spots upon my soul may loom
larger in his view and hide what else
is there. l know l have been for
given by God. l will not be for
given by men, but I tell you here and
now, again and again, that l will not
be your wife. l will be his wife or
no mans"
LdnR1OEU JU1n0u away ana Q1O his
face in his hands. Whitaker stepped
forward and laid his hand upon the
shoulder of the man of the island.
He shook him for a moment.
You stand immobile," he cried,
sharply, after such a confession as
that, after such an appeal? What
have you to say, man? You ought to
get down on your knees and thank
God &c" the love of such a woman"
Aye, aye" burst out the deep tones
of the old coxswain of the cutter. so
say all Of u.s."
God help me-" cried the man, lift
ing his hand and releasing his shout
der from the grasp of the officer, Il did
love this woman. Think how it was,
think how l believed in her. No Chris.
tian ever believed in his god as be
1ieved in her. She told me what purity
was, what innocence was, what sweet
ness was, what light was, what truth
was, and l looked at her and saw
them"
And you can look at her and sSe
them now" cried the officer.
No said the man, Il can never
look t her and see her the same."@
"Oh, Man! MAN." cried the woman
The test was upon him. He was
failing. Her sorrow, her G! lief were
more for him than for herself.
Don't mistake me-" said the man
Il can't help loving you, whatever you
are. If you al been as guilty as
when he Began to speak and when
you corr-~Tated him. / fancied tha