The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-11-16

SiShuei anu Dcuutllul. 11p nUu never
forgotten, and an old, sckcning re-
morse Knocked at his heart He rose
ana climbed out Of the canon and to
the top OF the mesa. where he paced
to and fro and looked down into the
weird and mystic shadows, like the
darkness of his passion, and farther
on down the moon track and the gilt
tering stretches that vanished in the
cold blue horizon. In that endless
silent hall Of desert there was a
spirit; and Cameron felt lowering
near him what he imagined to be
phantoms Of peace.
lie returned to camp and sought
his Comrad..
II reckon we're two Of kind" he
said. ut was a woman who drove me
into the desert. But come to re.
member. Fhe deserts the only place
can do that"
"Wns she your wife2" asked the
elder man.
"No."
A long silence ensned The camp.
fire wore down to ruddy ashcn heap.
~ had n daughter" said Cumcron's
comradc. "Shc lost her mother at
birth. And II didn't know how to
bring up girl. She was pretty and
gay. 1t was thc--the old story"
His words were peculiarly signin
cant to Cameron. They distressed
him. He had been wrapped up in hIs
rcmorso. If ever in the past he had
thought OF anyone connected with
the girl he had wrongcd he had long
forgotten. But the consequences Of
such wrong were far-rcnchng. They
struck at the roots Of Il home.
"Wcll, tell me morcY asked Cam.
cron earnestly
at was the old old story My girl
was pretty and free. The young bucks
ran after her. guess She did not run
away from them. And was away II
good dral--woriing in another town
she was in love with wild fellow. |
knew nothing OF IT till too late He
was engaged TO marry her. But he
didn't come back. And when the dis
| grace became plain To all. my girl left
home. She went west. After while
| heard from her. She was we'll
workinS-living for her baby 4 long
time passed. | had no ties. driftctl
west. Her lover had also gone west
In those days everybody went west
| trailcd him, intending to kill him.
| But lost his trail. Neither could |
| find any trace of her She moved on.
driven, no doubt, by the hound Of her
past. Since that have taken to the
wilds, hunting gold on the desert"
Yes, It's the old. old story, only
saddcr | think" said Cameron; and
his voice was strained and unnatural
"Iardncr what Illinois town was 1t
you hailed from?"
Peoria"
"And your-your name?" vert on
Cameron. huskiIy.
"Warren-JOnaS Warren"
That name might as we'll have been
bullet. Cameron stood erect, mo.
tionlcSS, as men sometimes stand mo.
mentnrily when shot straight through
the heart In an instant, when
thoughts rcsurgcd like binding flashes
of lightning through his mind, he was
swaying, quivcrng, terror stricken
man. He mumblcd something hoarse.
~ and backed into the shadow. But
however surely his agitation might
have betrayed him. Warren sat brood
ing over the campfire, oblivIous Of his
comradc, absorbed In the past.
Cameron swiftly walked away In
the gloom, with the blood drumming
thick In his ears. whispering over and
over:
"Mcrciful Cd! Nell was his daugh-
teri"
AS thought and feeling multiplied,
Cameron was overwhelmed Beyond
belief. indeed, was 1t that out of the
millions of men in the world two who
had never seen each other could have
been driven into the desert by memory
OF the same woman. 1t brought the
past so close. 1t showed Cameron
how inevitably all his spiritual life
was governed by what had happened
long ago. That which made life sig.
nificant to him was wandering In
silent places where no eye could see
him with his secret. Some fntcful
chance had thrown him with the IN.
ther of the girl he had wrecked. IT
was incomprchcnSible II was terrible.
1t was the one thing Of all possible
happenings In the world Of chance
that both father and lover would have
found uncndurablc
Something within him cried ont to
him to reveal his Identity. Warren
would Kill him; but It was not fcnr of
death that put Cameron on the rack.
He Ind faced death too often TO be
afraid 1t was the thought Of adding
torture to this l6ng.suffcrlng man All
Mt once Cameron SwOrc that he would
not augment Warrcn's trouble, or let
him stain his hands with blood. lie
WNllll foil tho lrltl Of Nnllc cod ctnn,.