Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-23
WeGALl9fhe
C(MBERLANDS
81 CHARLES NEVILLE bUClI
wiTH ILLUSTRATORS FRQM, ,e?1S;1l'I Pt1iSO;1ll'QIGlsR!s ls!s

know that YOU have only to tell me-"
For a moment she said nothing
then shook her head again.
Issue your orders" he insisted. y
am waiting to obey"
She hesitated again, then said,
slowly:
Have your hair cut. It's the one
uncivilized thing about you"
For an instant Samson's face hard
ened.
NO" he said; II don't care to dc
that"
"Oh, very WE'LL" she laughed lightly
I'm that event, Of course, you shouldn't
do it." But her smile faded, and after
a moment he explained.
"You see. it wouldn't do"
What do you mean?"
81 mean that I've got to keep some
thing as it was to remind me OF a prior
claim on my life"
For an instant the griPs face cloud
ed and grew deeply troubled.
an outburst Of interest more vehement
than she had meant to show, or real
lied she was showing-"you don't
mean that you still adhere to ideas OF
the vendetta?" Then she broke of
with a laugh, a rather nervous laugh
"Of course not" she answered her
self. THAT would be too absurd"
Would it?" Samson asked, simply
He glanced at his watch. Two min
utes up," he announced. "The model
will please resume the pose. By the
way, may / drive with you tomorrow
afternoon"
The next afternoon Samson ran up
the street steps Of the Lescott house
and rang the bell, and q few moments
later Adrienne appeared. The car was
waiting outside, and, as the girl came
down the stairs in motor coat and
veil, she paused and her fingers on the
banister frightened in surprise as she
looked at the man who stood below
holding his hat in his hand, with his
face upturned. The well-shaped head
was no longer marred by the name
which it had formerly worn, but was
close cropped, and under the trans
forming influence Of the change the
forehead seemed bolder and higher
and to her thinking the strength OF
the purposeful features was enhanced
and yet, had she known it, the man
felt that he had for the first time sur
donment of something akin to prin-
ciple.
She said nothing, but as she took
his hand in greeting her fingers
pressed his own in handclasp more
lingering than usual.
Late that evening, when Samson re-
turned to the studio, he found q mis-
sive in his letter box, and, as he took
il out, his eyes fell on the postmark
1t was dated from Hixon, Kentucky
and, as the man slowly climbed the
stairs, he turned the envelope over In
his hand with a strange sense OF mis-
giving and premonition.
The letter was written in the
cramped hand Of Brother Spicer
Through it's faulty diction ran a plain
ly discernible undertone Of disapprova
for Samson, though there was no wore
Of reproof or criticism. 1t was plain
that 1t was sent as a matter Of cour-
tesy to one who, having proved ar
apostate, scarcely merited such consid-
Grafton. 1t informed him that ole
Spicer South had been mighty pore
ly," but was now better, barring the
breaking Of age. Everyone was "tol'
erable." Then came the announce
ment which the letetr had been writ.
ten to convey.
The term Of the South -Hollmn truce
had ended, and it had been renewed fol
an indefinite period.
Some of your folks thought they
ought to let you know because they
promised to give you a say" wrote
the informant. But they decided tha
it couldn't hardly make no difference
to you, since you have left the noun
tains, and if you cared anything abou
1t, you knew the time, and could O.
been here. Hoping this finds yo'
we'll"
Samson's face clouded. He threw
the soiled and scribbled missive dowl
on the table and sat with unseeint
eyes fixed on the studio wall. So, the.
had cast him out Of their councils
They already thought Of him as on
who had been.
In that passionate rush Of feeling
| everything that had happened sine
| he had left Misery seemed artificia
and dreamlike. He longed for tn
realities that were forfeited. He want
ed to press himself close to the great
gray shoulders Of rock that brok
through the greenery like giants tear
ing off soft raiment. Those were hi
people back there. He should be run
ming with the wolf pack, not coursini
with eagles.
He had been telling himself that h
was loyal and now he realized that h
was drifting like the lotus eaters.
He rose and paced the floor, wit
teeth and hands clenched and tn
sweat standing out on his forehead
His advisers had Of late been urgin
him to go to Paris. He had refused
and his unconfessed reason had bee
that in Paris he could not answer
sudden call. He would go back t
them now and compel them to admi
his leadership.
Then his eyes fell on the unfinishe
portrait Of Adrienne. The face gaze
at him with it's grave sweetness; 1t
fragrant subtlety and its fine-graine
delicacy. Her picture lips were silent
| ly arguing for the life he had foun
among strangers, and her victor
would have been an easy one, bu
for the fact that just now his con
science seemed to be on the other side
Samsons civilization was two year
old-a thin veneer over a century @
feudalism-and now the century wa
laundering it's call Of blood bondage