The Tupelo journal., 1912-10-04

~ we'll have 30 good q chance to talk
again"
Yes she admitted simply. Tiers
was a little catch in her voice and he
fancied her hips Quivered like the lips
Of g tired child as she looked away
from him, seeking again the sight Of
the sea AZ II she drew from It some
solace, some sorely needed strength
against her trials. I'VE must talk, OF
course. have been trying
all night to think but every
thing seems 80. !. .
She left the sentence incomplete.
raising her hands to press them
against her temples and then dropping
them with q gesture Of utter wearf-
ness.
"Oh," she cried, why did you come
back? You promised, you went away.
and I'll was sorry for you and prayed
you might find happiness. Garrett
You promised, and-you came back
came back like a ghost to haunt me
with memories and regrets" Her
voice rose to q pitch Of wildness.
Sometimes, last night, l thought that
surely you must be a ghost-that you
had been executed, killed and buried.
and were come back to be his punish
ment and mine, and mine!"
His punishment-his?" he echoed.
"Then, Katherine, then you do be-
lieve-!"
"Ah, how do l know? What do / be-
leve-what can I believe? | don't
know. l can't think right: It's all 80
-so terrible" Her tone fell to a
low pitch of fatigue, detection and be-
wilderment. She leaned . heavily
against the wall, watching the sullen,
interminable succession of the surges.
"You sowed doubt in my mind and
fear in my heart when you babe me
weigh what l once knew of the good
in you against what l have learned OF
him. l tried-so hard!-tc do so
Justly and still believe you the guilty
one +. !. You swept the ground
from under mo with argumenaa, your
attitude, your explanations; and
though they were your unsupported
words. / never kDoA you to
Lie to me, 0aErett, and couldn't.
cant believe you would bring me a lie
to torture me, inst for revenge. .
You made ms think, and-at times l
feared l should 60 mad, and then
again l vas afraid / wouldn't . ;.
She turned suddenly to him and grasp.
ing his arms, lifting frantic, piteous
eyes to his. "Oh, Garrett, Garrett"
she pleaded. half Historically, tell me
you lied, tell me 1t isn't true, tell me
1t was you-!"
He shook his head sorrowfully, and
with a short dry sob she released him
and fell back against the wall, shaken
and trembling.
eff" he said, slowly-'ff / thought
1t would make you happy, If | believed
that any good of any sort could come
of 1t to you, Katherine. if could even
think 1t safe, l would lierI'd lie with
a clear conscience and tell you it was
who killed Van Tuyl. I've taken
time to think it over and I've tried
to think straight. to think the way that
would be best for you, and -.
Well, I've come back"
But why?" she repeated abruptly.
why? What good can you do? Can
you lift this weight from my heart,
can you right the wrong to yourself,
by being here? Can you bring Van
Tuyl back to life or make my-the
man l married less than a muir.
derer-?"
II came to protect you; you were
alone and ~friendless."
"He would not harm me-" she said
in an uncertain voice.
do you believe that? Do you ex.
pect me to believe 1t when have seen
the marks Of his brutality upon your
arm?"
"He didn't mean it, Garrett. He
has his temper and-and sometimes he
forgets and doesn't realize his strength
but he would lever do worse. II
it's true-and, oh, | know it must be!
that he did-what you were accused
Oft has been a lesson to him. I'm
sure it has. He"
Garrett shook his head. Then what
made you write that message last
night?" he asked.
What do you mean? Oh
/ don't know. l was afraid
"And l was afraid" he said gravely
land still am. That's why l couldn't
stay away. The only man 0 could
turn to in case Of need vas gone
"Mr. Power?' She flashed him q
startled look.
How did you know that yesterday:
And how did you find another man te
take his place-his name, and every
thing? So that you dared come here
In his stead i"
Il found 1t out before ! left the
island yesterday morning." he SAID
slowly, wondering how much he dared
tell her.
CONTINUED Next Week.)