Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-13
CHAPTER V.

afreSh with the problem OF eScdIt, anu
planning to desert the Belle Julie at
the next landing, Charlotte Farnham
was sitting behind the locked door OF
her stateroom with a writing pad on
her knee over which for many min
utes the suspended pen merely how
cred. She had fancied that her re-
solve, once fairly taken, would not
stumble over a simple matter Of de-
tail. But when she had tried dozen
times to begin the letter to Mr.. CAL
braith, the simplicities vanished and
complexity stood in their room.
Try as she might to put the sham
deck-han into his proper place as an
impersonal unit Of a class with which
society is at war, he previously re-
fused to surrender his individuality.
At the end of every fresh effort she
was confronted by the inexorable sum-
ming-up: in a word Of phantoms there
were only two real persons; a man
who had sinned and woman who was
about to make him pay the penalty.
1t was all very well to reason about
it, and to say that he ought to be
made to pay the penalty; but that did
not make it any less shocking that
she, Charlotte Farnham, should be the
one to set the retributive machinery
in motion. Yet she knew she had the
thing to do, and so, after many in
cffectual attempts. the letter was writ
ten and sealed and addressed, and she
went out to mail it at the clerks office.
AS it CHANGED, the engines Of the
steamer were slowing for a landing
when she latched her stateroom door.
The doors giving upon the forward
saloon deck were open, and she heard
the harsh voice of the mate exploding
in sharp commands as the steamer
lost way and edged slowly up to the
river bank moment later she was
outside leaning on the rail and look
ing down upon the crew grouped about
the inboard end Of the uplifted landing
stage. He was there; the man for
whose destiny accident and the con-
ventional sense Of duty had made her
responsible; and as she looked she
had a fleeting glimpse Of his face.
1t was curiously haggard and wo-
begone; so sorrowfully changed that
for an instant she almost doubted his
identity The sudden Transformation
added fresh questionings, and she be-
gan to ask herself thoughtfully what
had brought it about. Then the man
turned slowly and looked up at her as
if the finger Of her thought had
touched him. There was no sign of
recognition in his eyes; and she con-
strained herself to gaze down upon
him coldly But when Belle jules
bow touched the bank, and the wait
ing crew melted suddenly into a tenu-
Gus line of burden bearers, she fed
through the deserted saloon to her
stateroom and hid the fatal letter un-
der the pillows in her berth.
That evening. after dinner, she
went forward with some Of the other
passengers to the rallied promenade
which was the common evening rem
devious. The Belle Julie had tied up
at a small town on the western bank
of the great river, and the ant pro-
cession Of roustabouts was in motion,
going laden up the swing stage and re-
turning empty by the foot plank. Left
to herself for a moment, Charlotte
faced the rail and again sought to
single out the man whose fate she
must decide.
She distinguished him presently; a
grimy, perspiring unit in the crew
tramping back and forth mechanical
ly, staggering under the heaviest
loads, and staring stonily at the back
of his file leader in endless round; a
picture Of misery and despair. Char
lotte thought, and she was turning
away with the dangerous rebellion
against the conventions swelling in her
heart when Capt. Mayfield joined her
'I just wanted to show you," he
said; and he pointed out a gang OF
men repairing a slip in the levee en-
bankment below the town landing. 1t
The figures of the convicts were
struck out sharply against the dark
background of underground and the
reflection of the sunset glow on the
river lighted up their sullen faces and
FURNISHED the use-worn links in their
leg-fetters.
"The chaingang," said the captain
briefly. That's about where the fell
low that robbed the Bayou State Sc
curity will bring up, if they catch him
He'll have to be mighty tough and
well-seasoned if he lives to worry
through twenty years Of that, don't
you think?"
But Miss Farnham could not an
swer: and even the unobservant cap.
tain of river boats saw that she was
moved and was sorry he had spoken.
In any path of performance there
is but one step which is irrevocable
namely, the final one, and in Charlotte
Farnham's besetment this step was the
Many times during the evening she
wrought herself up to the plungins
point, only to recoil on the very brink
and when at length she gave up tho
struggle and went to bed. the sealed
letter was still under her pillow
Now it is a we'll accepted truisn
that an eXasperated sense Of duty
like remorse and grief. fights best il
the night watches 1t was of no avail
to protest that her intention was still
mistaken. Conscience urged that de
lay was little less culpable than rcfus
al, since every hour gave the crimina
an added chance of escape. The min
utes dragged leaden- winged, and t.
sit quietly in the silence and solitude
of the great saloon became nerve
racking impOssiblity. When it wen
past endurance, she rose and stepped
out upon the promenade deck.
The Belle Julie was approaching
n landing The electric searchligh
o,.a np tho hurricane dock WAS ms