The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-05-21
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BIZ s Of Her Hand
George Barr MoCutCheOn
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confronted her on this dreadful night, !
and yet she faced it with a fortitude |
that seems almost unholy
She had loved her handsome way
ward husband. He had hurt her deep
ly more times than she chose to re- |
member during the six years of their
married life, but she had loved him
in spite of the wounds up to the in
slant when she stood beside his dead
body in the cold little room at Bur
tons inn. She went there loving him
as he had lived, yet prepared, almost
foresWorn, to loathe him as he had
died, and she left him lying there
alone in that dreary room without a
spark Of the old affection in her soul.
Her love for him died in giving birth
to the hatred that now possessed her.
While he lived it was not in her pow
er to control the unreasoning, resist
less thing that stands for love in WON
an; he was her lover, the master of
her impulses. Dead, he was an I'M
wholesome, unlovely clod, a pallid
thing to be scorned, hulk of worth
less clay. His blood was cold. He
could no longer warm her with it; it
could no longer kill the chill that his
misdeeds cast about her tender sensi-
tiveness; his lips and eyes never more
could smile and conquer. He was
dead thing. Her love was a dead
thing. They lay separate and apart.
The tie was broken. With love died
the final spark of respect she had left
for him in her tired, loyal, betrayed
heart. He was at last thing to be
despised, even by her. She despised
him.
She sent the car down the slope and
across the moonless valley with small
regard for her own or her compan-
| ions safety. 1t swerved from side to
| side skidded and leaped with terri
| flying suddenness, but held it's way as
| straight as the bird that flies, driven
| by steady hand and a mind that had
| no thought for peril. A sober man at
| her side would have been afraid; this
! man swayed mildly to and fro and
| chuckled with drunken glee.
| Her bitter thoughts were not of the
| dead man back there, but Of the live
years that she was to bury with him:
years that would never pass beyond
her ken, that would never die. Ee
| mad loved her in his wild, ruthless
way. He had left her times without
number in the years gone by, but he
had always come back, gaily unchas-
| tened, to remold the love that waited
with dog-like fidelity for the touch of
his cunning hand. But he had taken
| his last flight. He would not come
| back again. 1t was all over Once too
often he had tried his reckless wings.
She would not have to forgive him
| again. Uppermost in her mind was
the curiously restful thought that his
troubles were over, and with them her
own. A hand less forgiving than hers
had struck him dead.
Somehow, she envied the woman to
whom that hand belonged. 1t had
been her divine right to kill, and yet
| another took it from her.
Back there at the inn she had said
to the astonished sheriff:
Poor thing, if she can escape pun
ishment for this, let it be so. l shall
not help the law to kill her simply
because she took it in her own hands
to pay that man what she owed him.
l shall not be the one to say that he
did not deserve death at her hands,
whoever she may be. No, l shall offer
no reward. If you catch her, l shall
be sorry for her. Mr.. Sheriff. Believe
me. bear her no grudge."
"But she robbed him. the sheriff
had cried.
From my point of view, Mr.. Sher-
iff that hasn't anything to do with the
case" was her significant reply.
"Of course, 1 am not defending
him.
Nor am I defending her." she had
retorted "It would appear that she is
able to defend herself"
Now, on the cold, trackless road, she
was saying to herself that she die
have grudge against the woman
who had destroyed the life that be
longed to her, who had killed the
thing that was hers to kill. She could
not mourn for him. She could only
wonder what the poor, hunted, ter
rified creature would do when taker
and made to pay for the thing she hat
done.
| Once, in the course of her bitter re
Elections, she spoke aloud in a shrill
tense voice, forgetful of the presence
of the man beside her:
Thank God they will see him nov
as l have seen him all these years
They will know him as they hav'
never known him. Thank God TO
that"
Y The man looked at her stupidity AM
| muttered something under his breath
She heard him, and recalling her wits
asked which turn she was to take TO
the station. The fellow Topped bacl
in the seat, too drunk to reply.
For a moment she was dismayed
;, frightened. Then she resolutel
reached out and shook him by tn
shoulder. She had brought the ca
s to full stop.
a Arouse yourself, mani" she criee
# do you want to freeze to death
n | Where is the statiOn?"
II He Strengthened up with an effor
and, after vainly seeking light il tn
n darkness, fell back again with a grun
d but managed to wave his hand towar
the left She took the chance. l
d five minutes she brought the car to
standstill beside the station. Throug