The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-10-07

,
come to claim her. OF all the TEEN
Ing millions which the world held, this
was he whom she would faln nave
avoided Rather anyone and every
one had come to her than he! What
would happen when these men met!
The story that she would have told
him to-day in her own way had 1he
ship not appeared, the story that she
would have told him on her decks
had that ship been other than 1t 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 10
aid her. Her Christianity trembled IN
the balance. She would fam nave
called invectives down upon his head'
and for the moment she swept the
whole sex together in one unreason1ns
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 constralnt Oh
these thoughts, and when he would
have approached her nearer, she
famed upon him in sudden anger that
left him appalled,. But under the in
fluence 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
figure, too far off 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 turned 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 the
! island were now matters OF lndlner'
} ence to him. She was angry. he
' could think Of nothing else and there
t was bewilderment in his dlsmay
e Nothing had given him power to solve
the enigma of her conduct. Where she
y gazed with serious intentness, ne
looked listlessly. Her heart smote
d her again. The sense of justice upo1
which she prided herself came to ne
e rescue. She stepped close to him an(
laid her hand upon his arm.
s. "Forgive mel" she murmured ant
her heart leaped within her bosom tt
d meet the great flush of pleasure in hi
u face as he responded Instantly to hf
e caress and he- appeal.
7, "You said you knew men, the ma1
it asked as they threaded their w
lg through the trees and won the n
along the familiar path, do you knds
it anyone on that ship. do you Think
w The question was an absurd one y
der almost any other circumstanq|
no than that. Yet chance had shown MI
ey the one point in her armor and L
ne innocent and casual question hi
nd driven into her soul a stab. Evas1E
should have been easy. Indeed, i
en- trust in her was SO great that dect
would have been simple. But she hi
always told him the truth and q
me could not begin now.
EYES," she said, Il think l do"
co. He stopped abruptly, illuminate
ism and anguish, the light of pain in !
=, SOUL.
"Was it because you know that M
lns that you suffered so on the hill?'
EYES," she said, again forcing b
''a' self to speak.
ecu "Ie he one Of those who loved yol
uiu "He said so, but"
iei "And you, did you love him?"
e0'' IT hate him."
'in- "Why?" asked the man ster]
w. "Had he injured you in some wal
ms In the greatest Way" she answe
80 h: with deepening gravity. And hepe
n's sense of justice pricked her. Blu
was partly my fault"
- "And have you forgiven him?'
- - asked with a little softening of
voice.
a w. To him forgiveness was as nat
49, and inevitable as breathing. In
ass ethics there was no other course.
aaa had never had anything to forgive
IT, it remembered. She was not so
to her standards as the man she
n;,a taught. The pupil was more dew
- than the master.
There are some things" she
NOD piled bitterly, that a woman ca
her forgive, never forgiyes.'
what things?" he persisted,
was dering ignorantly as to her mean
AZ to Don't ask me-" she. answered
patiently. Il told you I would tell
the story to-day and you will ha'
had wait until then"
when "But that comment Of the worlt
"You will hear it from that I
v ~ lips. if l mistake not" said the
.s.a,,;11, Uh,,t VIZ, rnnut rroo