The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1916-04-14


ed . finger towa& ls u0EE the
manner Of one G ri 16o Wit
ness. and demand
rs there any = - ottnch
ment between 10 r - 1cfoodant
Anse Havey?"
There was q n - - e1tence
In the courtroom o So tua'
nita's face 60 VII T. ~ n 80 heI
finger nails whit. / ~ ~ ~ 81 hey
lap and q suddei q r7z&n1 % her
face
| She looked tow to <1zue ss q
| once the lawyer ~ - 3><rra@ vas
on his feet will r. s.fsf~r on +.
THE question IL rn<<<xex-
other. the girl drew . long breath.
and the man whose life was In the
balance turned pale. too. not because
OF this, but because the woman he
loved had been asked the question
which was more to him than life and
death-a question he had never dared
to ask himself.
Il think" ruled the court. the ques-
ton is relevant az going to prove the
credibility Of the Witness"
So she must answer.
The prisoners finger nails bit into
his palms and he smothered . low
oath between his cienched teeth. but
Juanita Holland only looked at the
crOss-examiner with q clear-eyed and
serene glance OF scorn under which he
seemed to shriveL She replied with
the dignity OF young queen who can
afford to ignore insults from the gut
ter.
None whatever"
The defendant sat back in his chair
and the smile left his lips az though
he had been struck by a thunderbolt-
He knew that his case was won. and
yet as he saw her leave the witness
stand and the courtroom. he felt sicker
at heart than he had felt since he
could remember. He would almost
have preferred condemnation with the
hope against hope left somewhere
deep in his heart that there slept In
hers an echo to his unuttered love.
The question he had never dared to
ask she had answered-answered un-
der oath. and liberty seemed now
very barren gift.
When he had been acquitted and
was going out he saw . figure in con-
sultation with the prosecutors figure
which had not been inside the doors
during the trial. Il was Mr.. Trevor OF
louisville and 3 va teettly saytng:
~Oh. well. tAeeQ f1r 10ao ways Of
kiIIlne : ct thac 6<1uk \ nth
!. 49,. -. 81 -. -. :. !.
9: 8 /: {: s.! s: :; J: ):
Juanita Was going away 70 enlist
her star Of teachers and arrange Tor
tho equipment Of the little hospital.
and Anse did not tell her OF his inse-
curity.
You'll promise to be very careful:
while I'm gone. won't your" she de-
manded. ~ they sat together the night
before she left.
-I1lstry to last till you get back" he
smiled. He was sitting with . pipe In
his hand-a pipe which had gone out
and been forgotten.
In the darkness Of the porch every
thing was vague but herself. She
seemed to him to be luminous BY some
light OF her own. She was . very
wonderful and desirable star shining
TAR out of reach Of his world.
Suddenly she laughed. and he
asked:
what 10 IT."
Il was just thinking what . fool I
was when 1 came here" she answered.
did you know that brought q piano
with me as far an Peril? It's been
there over . year"
"A piano!" he echoed. then they
both laughed.
Il might as we'll have tried to bring
along the Philadelphia city hail." she
admitted. Just the same. there have
been times when It would have meant
. lot to me. an awful lot, II could
have had that piano. don't know
whether music means 20 much to you.
but TO me-"
| Il know" he broke In. Il some
times low that life amt much else en-
cept the summin' up Of the things .
teller dreams. Music u like dreams
1T makes dreams. Yes. know some
thin about that"
She went sway and. though she was
not long gone. her absence seemed In
terminable to Anse Havey. He met
her at the train on her return with =
starved idolatry IN his eyes. and to-
gether they rode hack across the
ridge.
But when she entered the building
which had been the 6rst schoolhouse
the man drew hack . step or two and
watched - surrepGitiously - . boy
who has In due sec1ocy planned SUR
prise.
She went in and then suddenly halt
ed and Stood noar tho threshold In
smassment. Her go began 70 dance
and abe Oavo = lltGDa gasp q dolighl
Thsro aGn11ne - Wa1l stood her
she tuunon - 49,. losply novsd.
and amer - 1sse - q 1sllght hsr
go WDeo N1Goy.
J Il vonnnr - - 80 .opene -
oelR1 oulnopoes onvuo c.,
Peak ". UugogoGDs . o1111 otnoon1
II - = = - -