The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-07-02
CHAPTER xvlll-Continued.

famed into a quarrel which reached
It's elimination when he mentioned
divers name with a taunt, which the
boy. for all his obstinate clinging to
his journalistic idea, did not deserve.
Knowing my own temper. | drew
back into the Hollow.
He followed me.
tried to speak.
He took the word out OF my mouth.
This may have been with the intent
of quelllng my anger, but the tone
was rasping, and. noting this and not
his words. my hand frightened insen-
sibly about the stick which the devil
Tor John Scovillel had put in my hand.
Did he see this, or vas he prompted
by some old memory of boyish quar-
rels that he should give u%tterance to
that quick, sharp laugh of scorn.
shall never know, but ere the sound
had ceased the stick was whirling over
my head-there came a crash and he
fell. My friend. My friend!
Next moment the earth seemed too
narrow, the heavens too contracted
for my misery. That he was dead
that my blow had killed him, l never
doubted for an instant. | knew it, as
We know the face of Doom when once
1t has risen upon us. Never, never
again would this lump of clay, which
a few minutes before had filled the
Hollow with shrillest whistling.
breathe or think or speak. He was
dead, dead, dead,-And I? What was |?
The name which no man hears I'M
moved. no amount of repetition makes
easy To the tongue or welcome to the
ear. the name which | had
heard launched in full forensic elo-
Quence so many times in accusation
against the wretches | had hardly re
garded as being in the same human
class as myself rang in my ears as
though intoned from the very mouth
of hell. ! could not escape it. | should
never be able to escape 1t again.
Though l was standing in a familiar
scene | had known and fire.
quentei from childhood, I felt myself
as isolated from my past and as com
pleteIy set apart from my fellows as
the shipwrecked mariner tossed to
precari0us foothold on his wave
dashed rock. | forgot that other
criminals existed.
In that one awful moment ! was in
my v eyes the only blot upon the
u~niverse-the sole inhabitant OF the
new world into which l had plunged
the wCrld of crime-the world upon
which | had sat in judgment before
knew
What broke the spell? God knows,
all | can say is that. drawn by some
other will than my own, l found N.
glance travelling up the opposing bluff
TILL at its top, framed between tn
ragged wall and towering chimney o
Spencer's Folly. l saw the presenc
had dreaded, the witness who wa
10 undo me.
u was a woman-a with
little child In hand, | did not see he
face. for she was Just on the point c
turning away from the dizzy verge, BIT
nothing could have been palmer tina
the silhouette which these two mad
against the flush Of that early evenin
sky.
As long as I could catch a glimps
Of this woman's fluttering skirt as 81
retreated through the ruins, I stoc
there, sel~f-convicted, above the man
had slain, staring up at that blotch
shining sky which was as the gate
hell to me. Not till their two fgur
had disappeared and 1t was quite Gle
again did the instinct OF %self-presery
ton return, and with 1t the thong
Of fight.
But where could l fly? No spot
the whole world val secret enough
conceal me now. I was a marked ma
Better to stand my ground. and ia
the consequences than to act the co
ards part and stink away like the
other men OF blood | had so often
IN Judgment upon.
Had I but followed this impult
Had but gone among my felloV
shown them the mark Of Cain up
my forehead and prayed. not for
diligence, but punishment, what de
Of gnawing misery l should have BIZ
spared!
The horror Of what lay at my I
drove me from the Hollow. As
steps fell mechanically into the Il
down which | had come In innccel
and kindly purpose only a few miSu
before, a startling thought a
through my benumbed mind.
woman had shown no haste In
turning! There had been a natu
ness In her movement, a dignity an
grace which spoke Of ease, not she
What If she had not seen! Whaf
my deed was as yet unknown! Mi
I not have time for-for what?
not stop to think; | Just pressed
saying to myself, Let Providence
eide n | meet any one before | re
my own door my doom is settled.
/ do not"
And I did not. AS | turned into
lane from the ravine | heard a 80
far down the slope, but 1t was too