The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-12-29

words, dependent upon the perfection
Of no single feature. Not in her hair,
fair as sunlight on the sea, not in her
eyes of autumnal brown, not in the
wonderful fneness of her skin or in
the daintiness of her features, not in
the graciousness CT her body, did he
find the beauty of her that surpassed
expression, but in the love she bore
him, in the sweetness of her inviolate
soul, in the steadfastness Of her i'm
pregnable heart. :
But it's doubtful if ever he had an
alyzed his passion for her so minute
ly. Mostly, think, at that moment OF
her abrupt disclosure to him, he long
ed unutterably for her lips and the
proffered wreath round his neck of her
slim, round, white arms.
Yet he would not. Trembling though
he was, with every instinct and every
fiber of his being straining toward her,
with the hunger for her keen pain in
his heart, he held himself back; or his
conception of honor held him back
That which he had voluntarily forfeit
ed and put away FROM him for his hon
or's sake, he would not take back
though it were offered freely to him
''So," he said, after a bit, shakily;
then pulled himself together, and
controlling his voice-"So twas your
self, after all, Beatrix! Me heart told
me no other woman could have sung
that song as ye did"
The woman dropped her arms. 'sYou1
heart, Terence?" she asked a little bit
terly.
What else? Do ye doubt it,"
She shook her head sadly, wistful
~. "1ov 90 know? How can tell?
Surely, dear, no two people were ever
happier than we-yet within a yea1
from our wedding YOU you left
me, ran away from me. !. =. Why?'
'Well ye know why, dearest, and
we'll ye know twas love Of ye alone
that drove me from ye. Could I lei
it be said We had a husband who was
Incapable of supporting ye? Could
let it be said that your husband lived
like a leech upon your fortunes?
Faith, didn't I have to 80 for your
sake?"
'tNo," she dissented with second
weary shake Of her pretty head; 81
think it was love Of yourself, little
Terence-that and your pride
Why should any of our world
have guessed you were not the rich
man you fancied yourself when We
were married? Who would have told
them that your landed heritage in
Ireland had turned out proftless? Not
I, my dear
q know that" he contended stub
bor2ly, but I know, too, sooner or
later it would have come out, and
they would have said: There she
goes with Eer fortune-hunter, the ad
venturer who married he; for her
money"
And if so? What earthly differ
ence could it make to US, sweetheart?
What can gossip matter to us-if you
love ne?'
''II!'' he cried, almost angrily. eff!
All, but no, darling! It's your
self knows there is no if about it, that
I'm sick with love Of ye this very
minute-sick and mad fer ye :"
Then" she pleaded, with desper'
ate lite break il her incompatible
voice: and again held out her arms
- ~, en- have ';+v ">n me. Oh. m
dearest one-have pity on me if only
for little WHILE
And suddenly he had caught her tc
him, and she lay in his arms, he1
young strong body nodded to his, he1
lips to his, her eyes half-veiled, the
sweet fragrance of her-too well re
notwithstanding him; lay su
pine in his embrace, yet held him
strongly to her, and trembled in sym
pathy with the deep, hurried pounding
of his heart.
In the south the horizon famed
li7id to the zenith, revealing a great
black wall Of cloud that had stole1
up out of Africa; beneath it the sea
shone momentarily with sickly silk
en luster. Then the dense blackness
of the night reigned again, as pro
found as though impenetrable, eternal
Later a. dull growl of thunder rolled
in across the waste. With it came the
first htful warnings of the impending
wind storm.
"'Twas ye who sang to me, dear
est?'
who else, you great silly boy;
. And when you followed me te
the door, making as much noise as
young elephant, Terence-1 was mind
ed TO punish you little, a very little