Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-15

cclorless as though a veil had descend
ed between them and the world
"Jenny--Jenny lass, do you know me?"
There was a movement of the evelids
and the heavy hands. lying on the coun-
terpane. beat feebly together A sound
that was scarcely human, like some
words spoken by an animal suddenly en-
lowed with speech. issued from the swol-
len lips, The old man fell on his knees
to bring his head more nearly TO the level
of the head sunk so deep in the pillow.
Quick as his movement was. the word
born into sound out of so much effort and
anguish escaped him. and look of angry
disappointment crept into the dull eyes
giving them a semblance Of life for a mo-
ment Then the weighted lids fell. and
the lethargy that was so like death de-
scended once more
But though he had not heard with his
ears, instinct told him what this word.
born out of pain, was. Ii rang in the
desolate heart with a jealous ring Paul,
Paul. The name of the man who had
married this woman-married and mar
ried her
Jenny He bent over the bed again.
wllfully misunderstanding her It was no
part Of his scheme that. should the worst
come-should death beat down this bar
rler which stood between Paul SAKE and
his desire-he should lei the man know
| that il had fallen. Was it Bess you we're
asking for-little Bess9 She's here.
sleeping near YOU Jenny, do you hear
me-
No sign from the woman in the bed
The old man Strengthened himself and
rose slowly from his knees. To send for
Paul SAKE. He could not bring himself
to do It, He looked at the woman in the
bed with a sort of desperat ton She must
not die: she must not, Why should she?
The doctors who had been called in at
her first seizure, little more than year
ago, had spoken pityingly Of the long
scroll of useless life that lay before her
| Why should she die now-to set the man
who hated her free? 1t was the one
| thought that had upheld him through
months of bitterness, the one thought
| that had sealed his tongue, given servil-
| ty to word and look under Paul SAKE S
| insclence-this thought that while Jenny
lived she was Paul Saxe's wife, and he
man tied and bound, All this year he
had thought nothing of himself of his
own life that was bounded now by the
four walls of a sick room all the ener-
gies of his mind and body had been con
centrated on this one supreme desire
I that this woman might live-that Paul
SAKE might be held in bondage
| He leaned forward. his elbows on his
| knees, his chin resting on the palm of
his hand, watching the stiM form, thing
ing his own thoughts. weaving his own
web; and once or twice-as he sat there
thinking an ugly, shriveled little spider
with death at his elbow, the death he
dreeded-he smiled, and as he smiled the
aquilne nose came down little too far
over the colorless lips, and the thick eye
brows went up 4 little too high and the
Swallowed profile cast on the wall was
sinister to degree
! Grandad-Grandadw
He must have dozed as he sat there
watching and brooding sleep had stolen
on him out of the ambush of his utter
WEAKNESS and fatigue The chld's voice
shrtll and frightened, reused him with
start There was daylight in the room
the cold daylight of early morning that
gave a cruel distinctness to every object
/ in the shadoWed room and turned the
pickering light of the diving lamp to an
| Intellectual blur of yellow
Grandad, mammys awake She cried
out-somethlne awful, Paul-Paull That's
is name, Amt III"
Jex made so savage gesture with his
]
for the moment It had required no sec
ond glance to show him that while he
slept the battle had been fought out and
decided, and that death had won
Paul" There was no mistaking it
now. the name cried out in that awful
voice which was like no voice that he
had ever heard before And again.
Paul. followed by a babble of words
that instinct, rather than reason, told
him spoke of terror, Of q dread of that
yelled death that even her duled eyes
perceived now lurking beside the bed
He slipped on his knees
Jenny. you're asking for Paul. Do you
wish me to send for him."
| 1t was the eyes that answered. an
swered and appealed. The head moved,
and, slight as the movement was it also
was eloquent OF desire lex touched her
hand with hts own, tenderly
SWEET MEMORIES,
Jenny after the way he treated YOU.
You can't want to see this man Lass.
if l sound cruel, It's to save you worse
| suffering What can the sight of him
bring you out PAIN Curse him, who
never brought you aught but pain The
eyes wide open now looking into his
own. spoke g message that he could not
understand The woman. whose feet were
wing so far across the borderland, was
thinking of what this man had brought
| her in the past. love, a few months OF
delirious happiness, a blossom more ex
quisite and fragrant than the thorns OF
disillusionment had been bitter, or so II
seemed to her now In this moment II
was the lover and not the husband she
| thought of-the father Of her child-not
the callousJ beast who had refused to ac
cept the responsibilities of parenage, and
had decreed that his child he brought up
no more gently than she herself had been.
"'o say good bye. Other words
forced themselves out Of the swollen lips.
Bending his head Jex could hear them
dreadful, hating words that seemed to
cut their way to his heart and write
Themselves there He felt his eyes burn
and smart knowing Of whom thev were
spoken dreading the disappointment that
was inevitable Even if he sent for the
| man would he come
! Turning suddenly, Jex saw The child
( standing before him staring Al him with
| her bright malicious eyes
$50 Paul's my father" she said and at
something in the old mans face, added.
j laFA L