Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-09-16


ate the prison food and sang the
prison-hymns; when l placed myself
beside the bench In the workshop to
make things that would bring cash to
my felI2w-prisoners in their need
when I saw a minister Of religion or
heard the Litany; when 1 counted up
the days, first that had spent In Jail
and then the days I had still to spend
In jail; when | read the books from
the prison library Of the land where
you had gone, and Of the. struggle
there; when l saw you, In my minds
eye, in the cotton fields or on the ve-
randa Of your house In Virginia; 1
had but one thought, and that was the
look In your face at Playmore and
Limerick, the sound Of your voice as
you came singing up the hill just be-
fore first met you, the joyous beauty
of your body"
"And at sea?" she whispered with q
gesture at once beautiful and pathetic,
for 1t had the motion Of helplessness
and hopelessness.
"At sea-" he answered, with his eyes
full Of intense feeling-"at sea, was
free at last, doomed as thought, an
guished in spirit, and yet with wild
hope that out of 1t would come deliv-
erance. l expected to lose my life,
and l lived each day as though 1t
would be my last. l was chief rogue
In a shipful Of rogues, chief sinner
in hell Of sinners, and yet I had no
remorse and no regret. I had done
all with an honest purpose, with the
good Of the sailors in my mind; and
so I lived in daily touch with death.
honor and dlshonor. Yet l never saw
sailor In the shrouds, or heard the
night watch call .All's we'll! in the
midst of the night and mutlny, that l
did not long for q word from you that
would take away the sting of death.
Those days at sea for ten long weeks
were never free from anxiety, not
anxiety for myself, only for the men
who had put me where I was. had
given me captains rank, had"
Suddenly he stopped, and took from
his pocket the letter he was writing on
the very day she landed In Jamaica.
He opened 1t and studied 1t for mo-
ment with dark look in his face.
This / wrote even as you were land
Ing in Jamaica, and l knew naught OF
your coming. 1t was an outbreak or
my soul. 1t was the truth written to
you and for you, and yet with the
feeling that you would never see 1t. l
was still writing it when Michael
Clones came up the drive to tell me
you and your mother were here. Here
II Is with all the truth and terror In
it-aye, theretwas terror, for 1t gave
the soul of my life to one / never
thought to see again; and, If seeing,
should be compelled to do what have
done-tell her the whole truth at once
and so have it over.
But do not think that In telling II
now repent of my secrecy. l repent
of nothing; would not alter anything.
What was to be Is, and what Is has its
place in the book Of destiny. No,
repent nothing, yet here now l give
YOU this to read while still my story OF
the days Of which you know Is in your
ears. Here 1t Is. 1t will tell the whole
story; for when you have read 1t and
do understand, then we part to meet no
more as friends. You will 80 back to
Virginia, and l will stay here. You
will not regret coming here; but you
will desire our friendship to cease; and
what has been to be no more, while
the tincture of life Is in your veins.
Sheila, read this thing, for 1t Is the rest
of the story until now"
He handed her the papers, and she
took them with an inclination Of the
head which said: Give 1t to me. !
will read 1t now while my eyes can
still bear to read 1t. 1 have laid on my
heart the nettle Of shame, and while
II is still burning there will read all
that you have to teach me-"
81 will 60 out in the garden while
YOU read It," he said. IN half-hour
| will come back, and then we can say
good-by," he added, with pain in his
voice. but firmly.
mo, do not CO." she urged. "Sit here
on the bench-at the end Of 1t here, "
she said. motionlng with her hand.
He shook his head In negation. mo,
will 90 and say to your mother that
| have told you, and ease her mind,
for l know she herself meant to tell
YOU"
AS he went he looked at her face
closely. 1t was so young, so pathetic,
so pale, yet so strangely beautiful, and
her forehead was serene. That was one
of her characteristics. In all her life,
| her forehead remained untrOubled and
unlined. Only at her mouth and In her
eyes did misery or sorrow show. He
looked into her eyes now, and he was
pleased with what he saw; for they
had I'm them the glow Of understanding
and the note of will which said: You
and | are parted, but l believe In you,
and | will not show l am weak WON.
an by futile horror. We shall meet no
more, but | shall remember YOU"
AS he turned away, it was with the
sharp conviction that he had dealt a
blow from which the girl would re-
cover, but wouNl never be the same
again. She was rich beyond the
dreams of avarice," but that would not
console her. She had resources within
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