The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-02-25
CHAPTER II.
The New Judiths

Esas to consciousness like some ex-
3austed diver from the black depths
70 he star-smitten surface of q night
scand pool. i:l, Il
md for a little she lay unstirring,
her half-numb wits fumbling with
eheir business Of renewing acquaint-
2nas with the world
first she could by no means rec
re her surroundings. This rude
nber of rough plank walls and
'r;znitive furnishings; this wide, hard
&c ;h she shared with her stii slum-
ing sister, Rose; the view revealed
- an open window at the bedside;
air perspective of tree-clad noun
ta;zs through which a wide-bosomed
lyon rolled down to an emerald
PAN, conveyed nothing to her intel
;isecoe.
formless sense of some epochal
eh2age in the habits and mental proc
e=Sess Of young lifetime, added to
confusion.
no was she herselS strange
creature who edihere so calmly
oy me SIDE oS-se0se? If she were
@Eo'tn IT'S how came she to be
s? Irreconcilable opposites in
esry phase of character, the sisters
;ss sedulously avoided association
., each other ever since childhood:
- had not shared the shelter Of
walls overnight since time be-
.z.G the bounds Of Judith's memory.
t, then, had so changed them both
they should be found in such
oloza company?
lat, indeed, had become of the
Tiid thing, Judith Trine Of yesterday?
Surely she had little enough in COM
aoG with this Judith of today, in
lose heart was no more room for
s.s, hatred, malice or any uncharit-
....sless, so full was it of love which,
a2&gh it was focused upon the person
=: ne man, none the less embraced
- he world-even her sister and
S,ieeessful rival in that one mans af-
1=c.ions.
r7his change had not come upon her
rilbout warning. She had been al
.1es: insensibly aware Of its advent
ugh the gradual softening OF that
Old Judith's hard and vengeful nature
= The course of the last few days.
ser now that the revolution was &C
con oEshed, she hardly knew herself
s;.s hardly knew the world, indeed,
50 differently did she regard it-not
sllaout something Of the wide-eyed
NC ierment Of a child to find all
..13I. IS so new and strange and beauti-
Ea
nd this was the work of Love!
~ the chain of memories was
qu,ts complete, no link lacking in its
c. inuity. She recalled clearly every
,..e,;lent that had marked the slow
~ nth Of this great love she had for
Slaa Law, from that first Gay, not yet
: onth old, when he had escaped the
1la-v deathtrap she had set for him
azs repaid her only by risking his life
aasv to save her from destruction,
aawn to this very morning when the
am from hydraulic nozzle had
t over the brink Of three hun
foot precipice crimson racing
..a mobile containing two desperate
bent upon comprising the death
,r beloved.
that. act of sheer self-defense
1, world was richer for the loss Of
black-hearted blackguards, and
Law might now be considered
saz5 from further persecution-since
1ere now remained not one soul loyal
ugh to Seneca Trine to prosecute
private war Of vengeance against
zl l. And though that aged mono
7aa lac had means whereby he might
r chase other scoundrels and cor
,: them to his hideous purposes,
9TH was determined that he should
- er again have any opportunity so
= 10. Though Alan, she knew, would
er lift mis- hand to hinder her
ler's freedom of action, she, Judith,
ant to take such steps as his perse-
- ion called for. If there were any
tice in the land-if there were any
: ,nists capable of discriminating be-
zen Trine's apparent sanity and his
sp-rooted mania-then surely not
ny days more should pass into his
s.y without witnessing his consign-
mt to an institution for the crimi-
insane
;he, Judith, would see to that, and
nsn...
The woman sighed once more.
Then Rose and Alan would marry
I'D Iiye happily ever after.
But what Of Judith?
She made small gesture OF resig-
cation to her destiny What became
Of her no longer mattered, SO that
Z Ian were made happy in such nap
;nessas. ne coveted
And now tlSe thought stirred her
5 siarply that fwhat was TO be done
eonst be done quickly, if at all.
And the almost level rays of the
ssciining sun, striking in through the
sen window, counseled haste if Judith
Sere to acco gp1ish her intention OF
aaYing this place and finding her
ather again before nightfall.
With the Y aaost care she rose from
a6 Bed, erep to the door Of the room
now rscogni led as the quarters OF the
oreman OF e hydraulic mining out
ID and out ntc the room adjoining.
And. there, pulling the door to gently
ehind her, ne paused and for many
,inutes stooS in tensestrung contenl-
laticn Of Il man she loved-Alan
fsEsss 9 e ssles
Is head piild
THIS was Ie
-And he vi
Far.beteaa