Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-05-26

see me now? Ungird me, Sir Rich
ard! Look at me, Covet me, Take
mel"
Apparently he half rose, shufied
toward her and stopped with a stihed
sound, half a sob, half a growl.
l dared not picture to myself what
he must have seen as she stood front
ing him, her hands, as l imagined, at
her bosom, tearing back her robes.
Again heard her voice go on, chal-
longing him. Strip me now, Sir
Richard, if you can! Take now what
you bought, if you find 1t here. You
cannot? You do not? All, then tell
me that miracle has been done! She
who was Helena Won Ritz, as you
knew her, or as you thought you knew
her, is not here"
Now fell long silence. / could hear
the breathing of them both, where 1
stood in the farther corner of my
room. I had dropped both the der
ringers back in my pockets now, be-
cause I knew there would be no need
for them. Her voice was softer as
she went on.
Tell me, Sir Richard. has not that
miracle been done?" she demanded.
Might not in great stress that thief
upon the cross have been a womane
Tell me, Sir Richard, am I not ~cIean?"
He flung his body into a seat. his
arm across the table. l heard his
groan.
God! Woman! What are your"
he exclaimed. Clean? By God, yes,
as a lily! l wish l were half as whits
myself"
"Sir Richard, did you ever love q
woman?"
"One other, beside yourself, long
ago"
MAY not we two ask that other
miracle of yourself?"
"How do you mean? You have beat
en- me already"
"Why, then, this! If I could keep
my promise, l would. If 1 could give
you myself, I would. Failing that, I
may give you gratitude. Sir Richard,
I would give o gratitude, did you
restore this treaty as it was, for that
new consideration. Come, now, these
savages here are the same vag
who once took that little island for
you yonder. Twice they have defeat
ed you. Do you wish a third war?
You say England wishes slavery abol-
ished. AS you know, Texas is wholly
lost to England. The armies of
America have swept Texas from your
reach forever, even at this hour. But
II you give a new state in the north
to these same savages, you go so far
against oppression, against slavery
you do that much for the doctrine Of
England and her altruism in the
world Cir iphor rnynr did hp-
lieve in hard bargains and never did
any great soul believe in such. 1
own to you that when I asked you
here this afternoon I intended to
wheedle from you all of Oregon to 81
degrees, 40 minutes. I find in you
lone some such miracle as in myself.
Neither of us is so bad as the world
has thought, as we ourselves have
thought. Do, then, that other miracle
for me. Let us compose our quarrel,
and so part friends"
How do o mean, madam"
Let us divide our dispute and stand
or this treaty as you wrote it yester-
day. Sir Richard, you are minister with
extraordinary powers Your govern
ment ratifies your acts without Ques
ton. Your signature is binding-and
there it is, writ already on the scroll.
See, there are waters there on the
table before you. Take them. Patch
together this treaty for me. That will
be your miracle, Sir Richard, and
twill be the mending of our quarrel.
Sir, l offered you my body and you
would not AXE it. l offer you my
hand. Will you have that, my lord?
1 ask this of a gentleman of England"
1t was not my right to hear the
sounds of a mans shame and humilia-
ton; or of his rising resolve, of his
reformed manhood; but l did hear 1T
all. l think that he took her hand
and kissed it. Presently 1 heard some
sort of shutting n crinkling of pa
per on the table. l heard him sigh,
as though he stood and looked at his
work. His heavy footballs crossed the
room as though he sought hat and
stick. Her lighter feet, as l heard,
followed him, as though she held out
10Th her hands to him. There was a
pause, and yet another; and so, with
a growing half sob, at last he passed
out of the door; and he closed it soft
ly after him.
When l entered, she was standing,
her arms spread out across the door,
her face pale, her eyes large and dark,
her attire still disarrayed. On the
table, as I saw, lay a parchment mend
ed with waters.
Slowly she came and put her two
arms across my shoulders. Mon
sieur." she said, Monsieur"
CTO BE CONTINUED)
Large Equipment Needed.
Little Robert, aged five, had ofte0