The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-02-28

pouy 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 il was not in her pow
er 20 control the unreasoning, resist
less thing that stands for love in wom-
an; he was her lover. the master of
her impulses. Dead he was an I'M
wholesome, unlovely clod. pallid
thing to be scorned. hulk OF worth
less clay. His blood was cold. He
could no longer warm her with e. IL
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 a 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. II swerved from side to
side, skidded and leaped with terri
flying suddenness. but held its 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. He
had loved her In HIS wild, ruthless
way. lie 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 doglike fidelity for the touch OF
his cunning hand But he had taken
his last fight. lie would not come
back again. II was all over Once too
often be 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 forgiying than hers
had struck him dead.
Somehow, she envied the woman TO
whom that hand belonged. It had
been her divine right to kill. and yet
another took II from her.
Back there at the Inn she had said
to tho astonished sheriff:
Poor thing, II she can escape pun
lshment for this, let 1t be SO | shall
not help the law to kill her simply
because she took 1t in her own hands
to pay that man what she owed him
/ shall not be the one TO say that he
did not deserve death at her hands,
whoever she may be. No, shall offer
no reward. II you catch her, shall
be sorry for her. Mr. Sheriff Believe
me. l bear her no grudge."
But she robbed him." the sheriff
had cried.
| In, that hasn't anything to do with the
case" was her significant reply
"of course, am not defending
him"
Nor am defending her." she had
retorted. 1T would appear that she is
able to defend herself"
Now. on the cold, trackless road. she
was saying 10 herself that she did
have a 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
rifled creature would do when taken
and made to pay for the thing abe had
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 now
as have seen him all these years.
They will know him as they have
never known him Thank God for
that"
The man looked at her stupidity and
muttered something under his breath
She heard him, and recalling her wits,
asked which turn she was TO take for
the station The fellow Topped back
In the seat, too drunk TO reply.
For a moment she was dismayed,
frightened Then she resolutely
reached out and shook him by the
shoulder. She had brought the car
to full stop.
Arouse yourself. mani" she cried
do you want 10 freeze to death?
Where is the station?"
lie Strengthened up with an effort,
and. after vainly seeking light In the
darkness fell back again with a grunt.
but managed to wave his hand toward