The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-27
PArHE PHOTO PLAY THIS GREAT NOVEL

one thing to do. You win go from
that home" he cried, with increasing
passion. 81 want you to go, and go
now, and never cross my path again!"
"Wait!" she cried, with her hand on
her heart. Listen to"
ut is too latc for words, i said.
Until you leave this house L cannot
breathe In it,
"But did nothing wrong. Oh, God.
IL had only known! If L"
But now / know" cut in the man
of iron.
The woman stared at him, wide
eyed, breathing quick and short.
And you believe that" she
gasped.
Il want you to go" he repeated.
They stood confronting each other.
their glances locked like the antlers
of embattled stays. for several mo-
ments. The woman slowly turned
about and walked from the room.
Golden's hands trembled as she
passed out through the door. but
otherwise he gave no sign of the feel
ings swaying him.
he took great breath, strobe
across the room, passed down the
silent hall and threw open the mas
sive oak door that led TO the manor
cellars.
These cellars were a series Of gloomy
chambers. almost dungeonlike in the
massiveness OF their walls, a relic of
the older slave days when Windward
Island was both a distributing point
for the African traders and a raiding
place for the Caribbean freebooters.
In the largest of these chambers still
stood the ttme-worn whipping post,
the archaic branding irons, the heavy
oak stocks in which recalcitrants were
punished, together with that flower
OF inquisitional ferocity, the Spanish
screw jack, an elaboration of the
thumb screw, in which a prisoner s
hand could be inserted and slowly
crushed to pulp.
That is the hand that polluted her
body" his heart kept crying. as he
commanded the blacks to force Pail
doris free arm iato the screw jack,
And now crush it" he called aloud
He waited for some outcry as the
But the Italian remained silent.
Golden, now white to the lips, ordered
The negro beside him TO take up the
banding iron. For that is the face,
voice within the frenzied mans
heart kept crying, that violated her
faceT"
The negro knocked the coal cinders
from the glowing iron. Palidori $
muscles hardened. But still fhe was
silent.
Brand the dog" commanded
Golden. And after today l warrant
his handsome face will bring dis
honor into fewer homes!' *s
Once, and once only. as the heated
metal scared the flesh, Palidori
screamed aloud. Goldens own face
twitched ana worked as he saw the
smoke curling up between the NOV
ing black bodies.
That's enough" he suddenly
gasped. as he steadied himself against
one of the cellar pillars Now turn
him loose. And IL he Is seen on this
island, after an hours time. shoot
him like a dog"
@ A nervous sweat still showed in a
scattering Of high lights across the
planters sinewy face as he locked
himself In his study and stared
-Liankiy about the empty room. The
wine OF rage had already ebbed from
his blood Exultation no longer
shone in his steely eyes He crossed
to the window and closed 1t.
RE failed to see, as he did so, the
stricken figure that skunk like a.
wounded snake out through the
garden shruhbery, the figure that
nursed crushed hand, yet. at the
brink of the manor garden, turned
wfathfully about and held his I'M
injured arm above his head as he
said: May my other hand wither
off. Ii you do not pay, and pay a
thousand fold. for this!"
But Golden neither saw nor heard,
for all his being was conferred about
his own misery of mind.
His face was still buried in his
hands when the old negro nurse
opened the door and his little daugh-
ter, Margory, in her nightdress and
holding a doll under her arm, crept
in TO her fathers side. He looked at
the child hungrily. torn by the re-
semblance of that innocent young
face to the face in the locket.
Where is mamma3" asked the
child. at her fathers knee. Golden
steadied himself with an effort.
1t was too much for the torn and
passion-tossed father.
Take her away" he cried out to
the old negress. For Gods sake
take her away!" And he strobe TO
the window, mopping his face as the
child was led out.
Yet, even when alone again. his
agony of mind remained with him
and again he sat In g. stupor OF mis-
cry before his desk.
He stiIl sat there staring into space.
How long he remained in that cata-
lepsy of bitterness he had no means
Of knowing. But he was reused by
the sudden clamor OF voices, the
excited cries of running negroes. He
stared stupidity about him, pulling
himself together. Then he rose and
went to the window. AS he did sc
O negro, hatless and coatiess. stag
gered in through the study door.
\ 4 +
"Mista, the seas gwine to git us!'
painted the black.
What do you mean by that?'
barked out the master OF the manor
Some ones done opened all the
sluice gates. The seas a-fioodin' the
island"
The seas comm in! The seas