The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-08-28

bent it upon her in cold appraisal.
She met 1t with f1rmness, and the
thought came to him: "She is a Pen
ningtUn!' And hope died out In his
heart. He began pleading in maudlin
fashion for mercy, for compromise.
But the girl was obdurate.
II am showing you more mercy than
YOU deSPrve-yOu to whom mercy was
ever Il sign of weakness, Of vacillation.
There is gulf between us. Uncle
Seth-a gulf which for long time
| have dimly sensed and which, be-
cause Of my recent discoveries, has
widened until it can no longer De
bridged."
He wrung his hands in desperation
and slid to his knees before her; with
hypOcritical endearmentS he strOve to
take her hand, hut she drew away from
him. Don't touch me-" she cried
sharply and with q breaking note in
her voice. "YOu planned to kill Bryce
Cardigan! And for that-anG that
alone-I shall never forgive you"
She fled from the office. leaving him
cringing and grOvelling on the floor.
There will be no directors meeting.
Mr.. Sexton" she informed the mana
ger as she passed through the general
office. at is postponed"
That trying interview had wrenche(.
Shlriey's soul TO Il degree that left her
faint and weak. She at once set out
on n long drive, in the hope that he
fore she turned hOmeward again she
might regain something of her Gus
tOmury cOmpOsure.
Presently the asphaltum-paved
street gave way to a dirt road and
terminated abruptly at the boundaries
of & field that Sloped gently upward
"A field studded with huge black red
wood stumps showing diSmally
through cOrOnetS of young redwOOdS
that grew riOtOusly around the base
of the departed parent trees. From
the fringe of the thicket thus formed.
the terminus of an old Skid-rOad
showed and a signbOard. freshly paint
ed, pointed the way 10 the Valley of
the Giants.
Shirley had nOt intended TO come
here, but now that she had arrived.
it occurred TO her that il was here
she wanted to come Parking her car
by the side of the road she alghted
and proceeded up the old skid. now
newly planlsed and with the encrOach-
ing fOrestratiOn cut away so thPt the
over the gentle divide she went and
down toward the amphitheater where
the primeval giants grew. And as
she approached IL, the sound that Is
silence in the redwOOds-the thunder
Gus diapason OF the centuries-wOve
its spell upon her: quickly, impercept-
IDLY there faded from her mind the
memory of that grOvelling Thing she
had left behind in the mill-Office. and
in its place there came a subtle peace.
Il feeling Of awe, of wOnder-such
feeling. indeed, as must come TO one
in the realization that man is distant
but God is near
A cluster of wild orchids pendent
from the great fungus-cOvered roots
of giant challenged her attention.
She gathered them. Farther on. In
a spot where shaft of sunlight fell.
she plucked an armful OF golden Cal
ifrOnia peoples and flaming rhodOden-
dren. and with fRr delicate burden
she came at length to the giant-guard-
ed clearing where the halo of sunlight
fell upon the grave Of Bryce Cardi-
gan's mother. There were red roses
on it-a couple OF dozen, at least. and
these She rearranged ia order TO make
room for her own offering.
''POor dear!" she murmured aud
IDLY God didn't spare you for much
happiness. did he?"
A voice. deep. resonant. kindly.
spoke few feet away. "WhO is lt?"
Shirley. startled. turned swiftly.
Seated across the little amphitheater
in Iumheriack's easy-chair fashioned