Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-07-01

capped. Undoubtedly it bore the man
from whom she a fed. He had
come to claim her. OF all the TEEN
ing millions which the world held, this
was he whom she would fain have
avoided. Rather anyone and every
one had come Il her than he! What
would happen when these men met?
The story thai she would have told
him to-day in her own way had the
ship not appeared, the story that hi
would have told him OF her decks,
had tina ship been other than it was,
he must now learn by the brutal force
Of circumstances, through some com
pelling necessity which she could not
in any way influence or alter. She
loathed the man who was coming to
aid her. Her Christianity trembled in
the balance. She would fain have
called invectives down upon his head,
and for the moment h swept the
whole sex together in one unreasoning
hatred and resentment in which the
man of the island participated. What
sorry jest had blind fate played upon
her?
She moved farther away from her
companion under the constraint OF
these thoughts, and when he would
have approached her carer, she
famed upon him in sudden anger that
left him appalled,. But under the in
fuence of It he kept his distance. She
saw the way of the yacht checked. She
saw the boat dropped from the davits
and manned by the men. She saw a
figure, too far of to recognize, but
which she OWNED must be his, de-
scend the battens from the gangway.
She saw the little boat headed toward
the shore. Then she urn to the
man. He was standing with folded
arms, his brow black as midnight,
staring out to sea. He knew nothing,
understood nothing, comprehended
nothing, suspected nothing. His only
realization was that she, his gentle
goddess, whom he had loved, was
angry with him, SO far as he was con-
cerned, without rhyme or reason or
cause.
The stoppage Of the ship, the lower
ing of the boat, its approach to b
island we're now matters of indiffer-
ence to him. She was angry. He
could think Of nothing else and there
was bewi1derment in his dismay.
Nothing had given him power TO solve
the enigma Of her conduct. Where she
gazed with serious intentness, he
looked listlessly. Her heart smote
her again. The sense of Justice upon
which she prided herself came to her
rescue. She stepped close to him and
laid her land upon his arm.
Forgive mel" she murmured and
her heart leaped within her bosom to
meet the great flush of pleasure In his
face as he responded instantly to her
caress and her appeal.
You said you knew men," the man
asked as they threaded their way
through the trees and won the hill
along the familiar path, do you know
anyone on that ship. do you think?"
The question was an absurd one un-
der almost n other circumstances
than that. Yet chance had shown him
the one point in her armor and his
innocent and casual question had
driven into her soul a stab. Evasion
should have been easy. Indeed, his
trust in her was SO great that deceit
would have been simple. But she had
always told him the truth and she
could not begin now.
Yes" she said, Il think l do"
He stopped abruptly, Illumination
soul.
WAS it because you know hat man
that you suffered so on the hill?"
Yes" she said, again forcing her.
self to speak.
"Ie he one of those who loved your
II said so, but"
And you did you love him."
II hate him"
"Why?' asked the man sternly
Had he injured you in some way?'
I'm the greatest way" she answered
with deepening gravity. And here her
sense of justice pricked her. But il
was partly my fault"
And have you forgiven him?" he
asked with a little s~oftening of his
voice.
To him forgiveness was as natural
and inevitable as breathing. In his
ethics there was no other course. He
had never had anything to forgive, be
it remembered. She was not so true
to her standards as the man she had
taught. The pupil was more devoted
than the master.
There are some things" she re
piled bitterly, that a woman cannot
forgive, never forgives."
What things?" he persisted, won
dering ~ignorantly as to her meaning.
Don't ask me-" she answered, i'm
patiently. II IL you 1 would tell yor
the story to-day and you will have tc
wait until then"
"But that comment of the world?"
"You will hear it from that mans
lips, if I mistake not" said the WON
an, YEARLY, but you must press me
no further. See, they are close to the