Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-25
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were jealous of Harriet

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"And you were jealous of Harriet
Woodman?"
No! No! What could put such a
thing into your head?"
You saw in the Sunday papers, the
day before his death, the sketch Of
Harriets life and the fact that she was
going to sing abroad?"
Yes, yes, but what OF it?"
You saw her in my arms the night
Of her triumph and you knew that I
was going to sail on the same ship?"
For Gods sake, are you accusing
me?" she cried, in anguish.
He asked you for medicine, Nan?"
he went on remorselessly.
yes, powder"
"A poisonous powder-and you gave
him one?"
Yes"
But he begged for two?"
Yes"
"And you're sure you gave him but
one?"
He was begging for two-I might
have given them both-it's possible, Of
course"
He gazed at her with look of pity.
81 know that you did, Nan, know it
as certain as If I stood by your side
and saw you press it to his lips.
You know, Jim?" she cried feebly,
her head dropping low.
And you have no consciousness Of
crime in the act?"
II only did what he wished. l
couldn't know that it would be fatal"
And you feel no remorse?"
why should I? His death seemed
only a question of days.
The woman began to sob.
MY only crime has been my love!"
From the bottom of my heart I pity
you!" Stuart broke in, softly. mot
merely because know that you have
committed murder, but because you
lack the moral power to realize that
it is a crime. The state will never
reach your act with the law. But the
big thing is you have no consciousness
of guilt, and feel no remorse because
you have only desires and impulses.
You must have these desires fulfilled
each moment. That's why you couldn't
wait for me to earn my fortune hon
estly, and so betrayed me for gold. I
can see it all now. Your beauty has
blinded me. The touch of your hand,
the perfume of your breath, the sweet
memories of our young life together
have held me in SPELL"
For Gods sake, Jim!" she cried
fercely-"don't-do talk like that!
can't endure it! You don't mean, you
can't mean that you are going to turn
from me now! Just when I've found
your love. Tell me that you hate me,
if you will, strike me, tell me I was a
murderess when 1 stabbed your heart
twelve years ago, but you must 10 re
me or I'll die! We love because we
love. I'd love you if you had killed a
hundred men!"
Stuart looked at her through a mis-:
of tears.
THE spell is broken, Nan, dear, our
romance is ended. 1 don't say it in
pride or anger, 1 say it in sorrow a
great deep, plying sorrow, that cuts
and hurts!"
Nan suddenly threw her arms around
his neck and held him convulsively.
MY darling, you can't leave me!
I'm pleading for life! Had I been rbe
shallow, soulless creature which you
believe surely I might have been con-
tent with my gilded toys. But I was
not. l was just a woman with heart
that could break. Suppose 1 have
committed a crime? I dared it for
love-a love so great, so wonderful,
that l, who am weak and timid, afraid
to be alone in the dark, faced death
and hell for you"
mo, dear, offered you my life and
love, at least without the stain of
crime. 1 offered to go with you to the
ends of the earth. You didn't do this
thing for love-"
He slowly drew the rounded arms
from his neck, and looked long and
tenderly into the depths of her eyes.
The pleading voice ceased. The wo-
man saw and understood She had at
last passed out of his world. Only
the memory of a girl he had once loved
and idealize remained, and that men,
ory was now unapproachable. The
living woman was no longer the figure
in the mental picture. The struggle
was over.
He extended his hand, clasped hers,
bowed and kissed it, turned and walk
ed quickly toward the door.
With a half smothered cry she fol-
lowed.
Jim"
He paused and turned again, facing
her with a look of infinite sadness.
"Remember," she said brokenly, 81
never expect to see you again-we can
not meet after this. l am looking into
your dear face now with the anguish
of a broken heart strangling me. You
can not leave like this, we have been
too much to each other"
He took her in his arms and held her
close.
Forgive me, DEAR" he whispered
reverently kissing her as he would
have pressed the lips of the dead. u
didn't mean TO be cruel-goodbye"
The door of the great house softly
closed, and he was gone. A few mo-
ments later the servants found heI
limp form lying in a swoon on the floor
CHAPTER X.
An Epilogue.
Strangers no longer live in the cot