Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-12-21

this land there is no law. / bring my
swn law with me, my oath, and a smile
and a word Of flattering love babe me
put it aside, and / let 1t slip from me.
Now / must redeem myself"
He stood at the window. Gamecocks
were growing the dawn, a courageous
challenge to all the world. No, there
would be no weakening now. The
9weetish comedy had been played.
Swiftly he dressed himself, stole
downstairs, out Of the house. down to
the river. There was no boat, but no
matter. he would walk to Willow Head.
Realizing that It was yet too early for
the execution Of his grim purpose. he
halted at a wayside place, ate break
fast and waited for the sun. Then not
In nurried haste, but deliberate In
strength, he walked on to Willow
Head, crossed over. found his neglected
rope where, in a hollow stump in
backsllding weakness he had hidden 1t,
buttoned It beneath his coat and strobe
down into the swamp.
II was a long way to his near
the Muscadine Isle, and then a long
rull to Pertwinkle house, but there
was time enough. Stepho would not
90 away till Thursday. All. he would
60 away no more. for now on Tuesday
he must settle with the spirit Of Alfred
Drace.
Mists lowered about, but the island
was In a blaze Of light. Silently the
canoe slit the satin water. Silently
he landed. Determined vengeance may
pick its way as softly as eager love;
and in the cane, sharper Of whisper
now that the, weather was cool, he
made not q sound. Out into the open
he peered. No n within sight. On
the bark OF the live oak were the dead
flowers of yesterday. There in the
shade was the box that had served as
table, once so prettily strewn with
yfolets.
In spite of his vow of vengeance and
his hatred of Stepho, these things
caught at Braces heart, shook his
fixed purpose Of action. For many
minutes he w~aited-no sign of Stepho,
Of anyone. And then his blood leaped ;
for soft hands suddenly blinded him
from behind, soft laughter bubbled
over at his establishment. And dark
thoughts and dark purposes fled on
the wind as he caught Nadine and
Rugged her close.
snow for your punishment" And
he kissed her.
'Oh, you must not again e.
Virgil, ] cannot like you when you are
rude. f. You must not"
81 don't want you just to like me-"
"You do not? ThenI will try not to.
Come and sit down, Virgil.
You worked SO hard fer your kisses
you must be tired. . How did
sou guessr
"Guess what7" he asked as she led
him oAthe sofa and he sat gazing en-
tranced as she captured and impris-
oned her guerrilla bands of hair.
'sThat Father and Tony Lad gone
hunting today. But they may be back
ct any time, Virgil. You must not
stay"
"But 1 must stay you hold me pris-
Oner. ] must stay until you love me
az madly asT do you.p sS
"As madly as you do mef That
might not be SO much mad, Virgil.
But why should I love youT"
Because you r to be my wife. We
are engaged"
"ArS wei / did not know that,
Why you not tell me %sooner?"
81 did, and now You must know It,
"But / did not. Then / must be
stupid, yesT
s"The whole universe Is stupid II II
denies II. The angels are stupid II
they fall to see It."
oh, you must not talk Ike that. II
is worse than swearing the big oath
And ! am to be your wife, Mrs
Virgil? Then what do w do? &c
about and sing with the iddle"
"No, we 90 to the beautiful places
on earth and look upon them-togeth
er. We"
"No, no, you must not think like
that. You take my father by the wris'
and he hate you. And ! do 81
wrong TO see you. / am the sinner, bu'
/ believe that the Blessed One, sh'
ask for my forgiveness. +. . No
Virgil, we can only play together ant
then 1t will live III the mind
our childhood here. My ia
Their is not well all the time now, ant
/ must be good to him. 0nl!
I must see You, sometimes. That I
the only wrong / do him.
"For I'll love you. . / did no
want to tell you, but I cannot keep I
all the time down in my heart. .
/ dream of you all Of the night, and
kneel down and pray that you Away
love me. There, / have tol,
you SO much. And / kiss you, toe
Now-you may stay for a littl
time, and then you must go"
Boy and girl they played, not fror
the book but from loves eVer-varyin
text. In his canoe they padded afa
of where the liIy-pads paved the SUI
face of the pond. They landed on
knoll where was spread over persin
mon saplings an arbor Of mnscadine
here an adventurous catblrd had he
nest OF young. She cried and iuf
tered about IN great alarm, but whe
she saw that they were not her er
esuies. that they caught grasshopper
to feed her brood, she sat high anon
tha vines calling her mate. the mus