The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, July 31, 1902, Image 2
4
ICOPTRIGHT, ROBEBI B#
-.. ' -CHAPTER XX.
" (Continued.)
^*'Hush!" said Beatrice, comnianolDgl.v,
lifting her face for an instant
If ATT?n Unoe TV?nt?A WOO ll f
?v n ai u iuui na.i a iruur.
ight upon her face and a soft note in
"her musical voice. "This is only a
srwoon, Bess, she 'will be better presently?she
must be better presently!
|There! See! She is smiling! Alecin.
dearest, you are better now? It was
dreadful, but it is all over. Rub her
hands, Bess, and we'll make her stay
conscious.''
But Alecia Graham had always been
a remarkably nerfect woman physically,
and even this blow upon her
head, although it left her nervous and
weak for several days, proved no
more serious. The thoughtful attentions
of her friends was very delight- I
iui xo ner during mese days 01 inn- |
guor, though not one of them guesseil
the thoughts that tilled every waking
hour and throbbed in her heart and
her soul. John Winthrop hail saved
her; had saved her when else she
would have died, they said, saying
nothing of his condition, lest it needlessly
startle her?and what was John
iWinthrop's life or death to her? And
yet John Winthmrop had not come to ,
her or sent her any message during all '
those days.
She would not ask the cause; she ,
was too proud to crave his tenderness; |
she could speak quite calmly of the j
accident, and Mr. Winthrop's kind- j
ness. but she did not once ask why he I
remained away, never dreaming of the j
cause. How could she know that lie
was lying deadly ill but three doors !
from her across the corridor? To be
sure she had asked at first with her I
i
usual thoughtfnlness if he were in- .
jured. but her friends turned the ques- I
tion aside, and she never guessed that j
he was dying giving her back to life. 1
Even Mrs. Winthrop came to her
when she was not with her sou; and
still no one told her. How could they
know what it meant to this proud
woman whether or not her husband's
enemy came to her? Perhaps Beatrice
guessed, but if she did she gave no
sign. She had not forgiven John Winthrop.
even though he lay dying after
saving her sister's life.
"How strangely quiet the house is,"
Alecia said one day, lying back among
the cushions of her lounging chair at
the window, turning her sunny head
and meeting Beatrice's eyes. "I have
noticed it so often these last few days.
."Why is it. Bee? Do they think that I
am very ill, or is there anything truly
;wrong more than I know?"
She leaned forward in sudden newborn
excitement, reaching out her j
hands to her sister, a faint, quivering
smile upon her lips, her eyes striving
t? seajch_out the truth iu the other's i
quiet face. 'JZ&'Jiil. ?must
uot excite yourself, Aleeia,"
said Beatrice, quite calmly, ^ak- i
ing her sister's hauds in hers* and paf"-- j
ting them affectionately. "Why should !
you, indeed? The heat is intense" j
enough, surely, to make any one quiet. I
It may be because you are in this j
room, instead of out of doors that you
notice the quiet."
Alecia turned away her head restlessly
upon the cushions, and watching
the groun upon the sands, and the
lifting and falling of the breakers, a
soft sigh on her lips.
"Perhaps you are right, dear," she
said, gently. "Only if you are deceiv- I
ing me in any way I shall find it hard
to forgive you. Bee! Life is too short
for misunderstandings! I have
learned that, lying here."
She turned back to her sister again 1
after a moment, a new touch upon her
face. . 7" .i/.. ?m?* ?
^'Xuere is always good in life. Bee." j
Idie added, softly, a wistful look in
her eyes, a slow, radiant smile on her
lips, "if we take it at its best and
make it better! No one is ever all Erul
?r all good, and looking for the mote
in another's eye one may overlook the
deadly beam in one's oy/n!"
Beatrice enangca coior, anu iw'u
laughed, rising as Frances entered,
and stooping to kiss Alecia ere she
left the room.
"So wonder philosophers choose soli-;
tude," she said, lightly, "if it brings
such wisdom, Alecia!"
"I wish that this had never happened."
said Beatrice, as she descended
the staircase on leaving Alecia's
room. "Who knows what it may lead
to if he should recover? Alecia has
such strauge ideas of honor! But after
all there is little fear, when they
sav that he can scarcely survive tomorrow,
poor fellow!" .
Softness was slowly creeping into
her heart for this man who uad rescued
her sister in spite of his own con-i
ditiou. but in her pride she fought
back even the thought, aud would acknowledge
it to no one. She recognized
the kindly thought under Ale-'
cia's words, and realized that, she was
unjustly harsh toward John Winthrop
when her own heart was hard,
but even so soe would not yield her
pride.
Tiinnrvo nrrr *t<
inKuro ULrtAi.a
jjosti.
KATE LUDLUM
.sxlu's 6o.\f, 18m.j
flregory Beusonhurst "was in Uio
vilion as sue approached. and she
would not turn back now. He saw
her also and rose to meet her. perfectly
courteous, otherwise merely a
friend, llis lazy brown eyes lightened
and flashed looking into hers,
but that was all.
"You have just come from your sistor.
Miss Beatrice? 1 trust that she
is improving? This deadly heat is
overpowering to any one. especially
one who is weak. They say that Win- I
throi) is sinking fast, poor fellow!
Tt? 1 >" 1
XUCJ- 1IU?C l?U UUIIVI5 11UW, VUll
know, from the city, and they never
leave him, hut what can they do.
when he is so low? Some mental
trouble, too. they said. I think. .Some
weight upon his mind that makes it
worse for him to pull along. It is
very sad. Winthrop's a thoroughly
good man."
"It is very sad." said Beatrice genx
tly. She could not drive him awayj
when he was speaking of death, and
she could not find ft in her heart to 1m?
other than truly sorry for the man so
ill.
"And your sister. Miss Beatrice?"
"Alecia is recovering more every
day." she answered, steadily. "It
seems strange, does it not. that they
two should he the ones to have been
most hurt. Mr. Bensonhurst?"
Then she hit her lip and paused,
shaking out her parasol to raise it. It
were better to forget that day on
hoard the Banjo?better every way,
for remembering it she must also remember
the strength of his arm ar.d
his tender words in her fear. She felt
the deepening color in her face and
hastened to raise her parasol.
"It is so provoking!" she said impatiently.
T T t AAI* Ji feAm BAH vtrltl* Aiiint
authority, and. raising it, hold it over
Iter, "walking at her side. They "were
upon the sands and alone, save a few
straying far up the beach.
"Beatrice," he said, and she knew
what he would say from the gentleness
of his voice, although he did not
offer to touch even her hand, "some
time ago you sent me away with a
riddle on your lips. You did not tell
me that you did not love me. but you
sent me away. Perhaps you told me
there was no hope, but I would not allow
myself to believe that, for I loved
you too truly. So I waited with wonderful
patience, hoping that you would
recall me, but you did not. Beatrice.
mat any wnen an or us mignt nave
met (loath, I know that I had waited
long enough to learn your heart. I
can be patient no longer. I ask you
again to-day if you can tell me truly,
as you would tell the man who loves
you. if still there is no hope?"
She frowned, her eyes studiously
bent upon the sand, trying to keep her
lips steady and stern. But she must
answer hint: she would not let him
think her weak and foolish and inoapabfc.
of sending him away if she
"I am waiting, dearest," said Gregory
Bensonhurst. quietly.
And then, as though some powerful,
wave had risen and swept away her
anger and her pride and left only love,
she lifted her eyes softly and sweetly
to his, uttering no word, and clasped
her two hands around his arm, her
lips trembling, hex* face radiant.
"Alecia was right." be said, by and
by, as they sat on the sands, watclxinp
the ocean and the ships and the
light summer clouds, but very happy
in their indolence. "All things do
come to him who waits, my dearest."
"Yes." said Beatrice, slowly and reluctantly,
as though even in her own
happiness she could not wish happiness
to come to the man she had so
resolutely hated. "And who knows
but it may come even to John Winthrop,
Gregory? I have Jeared so. I
am wise", too. maybe, if I a 111*110: Alecia.
* Perhaps the great mantle cf
charity Hiat we "hear so much about,
but seldom see, has been foldeij away
so long, save a scant corner that is
draceed heavilv unon some shoulder.
that we have almost forgotten to unfold
it as we do our other good wrappings,
to discover whether the moths
have gotten in it or no. We sometimes
unfold precious old stuffs. you know,
only to find that they fall to dust and
ashes In our hands. And who knows
but death may be the moth that discovers
the forgotten mantle, Gregory
?death lays bare so many things!"
"What do you mean, dearest?" questioned
her lover.
But Beatrice shook her head and
would say no more, though he shrewdly
knew that it was of John Winthrop
she spoke!
But oue might have thought she
knew as well as her lover of what
was passing unseen, for at that moment
Mrs. Wintlirop, tapping ..upon
Alecia's door, and being summoned
to enter, crossed swiftly to her side,
a smile on the beautiful woman's face
lifted to hers bonding above her, as
she held out her hands, keeping her
voice steady by strong will, as she '
j said !n her geullc voice vriih the tcn[
dor accent:
"Mrs. Graham! If thee loves me.
or if thee loves my son. com;' ;o mm.
lie is dyirik and calls for thecl"
CHAPTER XXI.
r.ETr.IBUTIOX.
Mrs. Graham's face was like the
face of one dead, as sue sal for a moment
speechless and stunned by the
sudden rush of the truth upon her
mind. Those who loved her had kept
this from her. believing that it was
right for them so to do. Beatrice had
put her question aside only an hour
before, and she had told her?what
had she told her save that she would
tind it hard to forgive should she discover
that they were deceiving her.
And while she had been holding bitter
thoughts iu her heart of .lohu Winthrop
lie was lying at death's doorami
she had uot known.
He. her husband's enemy, the man
she loved?for she knew that she did
love him iu that one swift moment
whoa truth struck deep in her soul.
Cowardly, perhaps, to kiss the hand
that wounded; undoubtedly disloyal to
lier husband's memory; but she was
facing truth, and this was truth.
Frances crossed the room swiftly to
her sister's side, seeing this change
upon her face. She stooped tenderly
beside her, in her great love.
"You should not have told her. Mrs.
Winthrop!" she exclaimed, an indignant
Hash in her usually steady eyes.
'"She did not know?you knew that we
kept it from her?and it is a severe
shock to her in her weakness. Why
should your sou always work her
harm V"
But the sorrow in the gentle face
disarmed her anger, and her voice was
soft like music as she added:
"Forgive lue, dear Mrs. YVintbrop!
I am so very sorry for you! But you
do not know?how can you know what
my sister has suffered through him!"
"Thee does uot know my son." said
Mrs. Winthrop, simply. "Will thee
come to him, Mrs. (Jraham? He
asked for thee or I should not have
come. Remember that he is dying."
Alecia crushed down the tumult in
lier heart. She pushed gently aside
her sister's detaining hands and arose.
Was it a wonder that even her husband's
enemy should call for her when
he lay dying Frances thought bitterly,
watching her as she moved slowly
but resolutely across the room, her
hand In Mrs. Winthrop's very warm
and close.
No words passed between them as
they crossed the corridors to John Winthrop's
room. Some subtle magnetism
made known to each the other's
heart, without the need of speech. At
his doorway they paused for an instant,
for Alecia was still very weak,
to regain composure, aud then Quietly
entered the silent room.
The sick man's eyes were closed, but
they opened instantly, resting upon
Alecia's face, and a smile stirred the
white lips. He reached out his hand
falteringly, and she crossed over, taking
it in hers, her smile answering his
in spite of her trembling lips and tearful
violet eyes. His love for her illumined
his face, wan and pallid though
it was, and broke down all barriers of
i. - r.r. .1 ....1,1a U 4 lw. n?.aoan/ka
im i n*u ui 1'i'iuv iii uiu jurwutc vi
ileatli* ^ *2^^i ? >
"My dearest!" lie said, faintly and
slowly. "Forgive me. I could not die
without seeing you once more, even
though I know how you seoru me!"
She bent pityingly above him.
"There is no scorn in all ray heart,"
she said, sweetly. "Do not think of
that any more, Mr. Winthrop."
The physicians had moved to the
windows out of hearing, and Mrs.
Winthrop would also have gone away,
but her son reached out his hand,
drawing her down upon the bed upon
the other side.
"Do not iro awav." he said, gently.
"You know how I love Alecia. mother.
Promise me that nothing shall come
between your friendship for her."
"Thee knows." said Mrs. Winthrop,
softly, "how I love her. John."
"No one." said Alecia, still very
sweetly, "could help loving your
mother, Mr. Winthrop! Need I promise
more than that?"
John Winthrop smiled. There was
some strange radiance in his face
lifted to hers.
"Such friendship," he said, slowly,
a pause between his words, "is the
height of my desire. Alecia Graham,
Jiving I would never have told you of
my love, knowing so well your scorn,
but, dying, may 1 not say what it has
been to me to know that even unsuccessfully
I have loved such a woman?
You called me hard and unjust. If I
sttoo oa u tttqci thrnnffh mistaken zeal.
and because then you had not come
into my life! Alecia Graham, every
tender chord of my heart was warned
and vibrated for you. I love you as I
think few men can love.
. "Doubtless, were it not that I am i
dying, even now you would turn from
me with scorn, as upon that other day
when I dared tell you of my love. I
will not. although I am dying attempt
to exonerate mysel' from the charges
of cruelty made against me by you
and your friends. I can see, perhaps,
clearer now, and recognize that I must
have seemed very hard to you with
your tender heart! I do not know why
I should have loved you; I seldom saw
you; but for three years your_face luyj
fc
! been in ray heart to soften my JudgI
mont! 1 struggled against it?for I
i am prcud, too, Alecia?but how can
' one crush out love like mine!"
lie paused, exhausted, hut would
rot let go the soft hand he held, nor >
clo.se his eyes for longer thau a moment
lest he lose sight of her face. A
quivering, beautiful, tender face, indeed,
for (lying eyes to rest upon!
She was struggling with her pride
and the memory of her hate, and had
not answer for a few moments. Then
her womanhood and gentleness overpowered
even this sfrorg harrier, and,
kneeling -lown beside the bed she laid
both hands over his. an exquisite flush
of color upon her face, her eyes purple
with the depth of her tenderness
and pity as she murmured, with soft
distinctness:
"John Wiuthrop. had they longer
?r?o th?tf vnti xruro qa 111
you would have never known but that
I still hated you. Perhaps I should
still hate you. Sometimes I could almost
hate myself for not doing so, for
you were very, very cruel and hard
with iue when you might have been
kind. Still, in spite of that, John Winthrop,
and in spite of everything?I
j love you!"
The sudden lightening of his face
| was like the glow of sunset. The old
I flash deepened in h:s eyes looking up
i to hers. Strength from her slim fingers
and musical voice seemed to run
along his blood.
"Alecia!" he said.
(To be con timed.)
Artist?"My last picture positively
can't be improved upon." Critic?
"Gracious! is it as bad as that?"
For Niagara Falls.
The Baltimore Steam Packet Co. in\
forms us that our readers, who are
! desirous of viewing these magnificent
falls this summer can do so, not only j
pleasantly by its route, but by select- j
i ing a date on which they have arj
ranged special excursions from Ports!
mouth and Norfolk, in connection
i with the B. and O. and the Pennsylvania
railroad, can make the round
i trip for $14.00. The dates from Portsmouth
and Norfolk are as follows:
August 1st, 6th, 15th. 20th and 20th; j
September 3rd, 17th and 24th; and j
October 1st. Sth and 15th.
i Thf> P.av I.ine also havp nlaced on !
I sale summer excursion tickets to all
the popular Northern and Eastern
; seaside resorts. 1
The route of the 'Old Bay Line."
* with its magnificent steamers, makes
the journey enjoyable as well as interesting;
as the spacious decks of
the "Alabama" and "Georgia" afTord i
the tourist the pleasures of prome- i
nading while running up the Chesa- ,
peake to Baltimore, where, after a |
good night's sleep, the steamers ar- ,
rive in time to make the early trains ,
!or Ashbury Park, N. J., Long Branch. ]
| Atlantic City, Ocean Grove and Cape (
May, N. J., and Harpers Ferry, W. ,
Va.; also for Philadelphia, New York,
Boston and the main points on the
Western Maryland railroad.
The "Bay Line" invites correspon- j j
dence from those of our readers con- j
templating taking advantage of any j <
of its cheap excursions. Full particu- ( ;
lars may be obtained of J. W. Brown, 1
Jr.. So. Pass Agt.; Key Compton, Gl.
' Agent., Norfolk, Va.
Teachers Killed in Cuba.
| Washington, Special.?The War De- j
! partnvcr.t has received the following
1 ?oVilo<rrnm rpenrrln thA School toaC'h- I
ers who have been missed from Cebu.
June 10th: "John L. Wells, 209 Montgomery
avenue. Providence, R. I? and ,
his ccusin, Louis A. Thomas, same address;
Ernest Heger, 1413 Vine street,
J Cincinnati, 0.; Clyde A. Fram e. Berea,
, 0., missing from Cebu. murdered by
| ladrones. Bodies recovered. Leader of
| the murderB killed: eight others cap;
tured by the constabulary."
I Fatal Fire at Albany. i
Albany, N. Y.. July 25.?One fireman ;
dead, one in the hospital, said to be
dying, and a number seriously injured
in addition to a monetary loss estimated
at $250,000, is the result of a fire
which broke out in the heart of the
business district, shortly before 3
o'clock this morning. The dead fireman
is D. K. Bishop, an auxiliary
member of the insurance patrol and
prominent in the city's social and financial
circles.
'$50 ,ooo Fire at Annapolis. I <
Annapolis. Md.. Special.?A fire that 1
broke out In the heart of Annapolis 1
Wednesday morning destroyed nine j
buildings, including St. Martin's Ger- t
man Lutheran church, and the large ]
general store of a. J. ETwell and caused {
a loss estimated at $50,000. The fire \
j started In the confectionary store of
| B. Wiegard, in State Circle. An over(heated
bake oven is supposed to have
been the cause.
Fissures Opened.
Santa Barbara, Cal., Special.?Meagre
advices from Los Animas, 45 miles t
from this place, report that un unusually
severe shock of earthquake occurred
about 11 o'clock Tuesday night,
doing damage to the property of the e
Western Oil Comptmy, estimated at c
from $12,000 to $15,000. At Harris sta- I
tion on the railroad a fissue is reported f
to have opened and from it a stream s
cf water two feet deep and IS inches r
wide is now flowing.
...... , .....
11T. PELEE AGAIN.
Volcanic Experts Make a Second Visit
4. iL. U
iu ine Jiuumaiu.
NO ACTIVE ERUPTION SINCE JUNE
??
No Danger of Renewed Action Apprehended,
but People are Advised.
Against Haste in Going There.
Fort-de-France, Island of Martinique
?By Cable.?Dr. T. A. Jaggar, of Harvard
University, representing the United
States Geological Survey in the
West Indies, arrived for the second
time at Fort-de-France on June 24 and
has since visited Mont Pelee twice. Ee
has also made excursions to the southern
end of Martinique and to the warm
springs of the interior of the island.
Dr. Jaggar came directly from St. Vincent.
As a result cf recent examinations
of the crater of Mont Pelee and exploration
of the track cf the devastating,
blast which destroyed St. Pierre it appears
that there is extraordinary similarity
between the eruptions of the
Soufriere volcano cf St. Vincent and
Mont Pelee. The products are the
same. Both are characterized by the
absence of lava and the work of de
struction, both to inanimate objectsand
to mankind, was accomplished
in much the same way.
Th^ destructive effects of the eruption
in St. Vincent covered a much
more extensive area, but the loss of
human life was much less. There has
been no active eruption of Mont
Pelee of importance since June 6. A
great cone of boulders and volcanic
bombs heaped within the Assure from
which the explosion came has grown
in size since the middle of May,
when Dr. Jaggar Arst saw it. Occasionally
there are sudden slides of
debris down this cone into the deep.^
gorge of the Riviere Blanc. These
slides produce great columns of
brown dust which resemble smoke
that rise in billows from the mountain
Aank, and give the impression of
an eruption when viewed from the
sea. At night these slidings of red
hot rocks make a -glowing streak in
the mountain slope. This accounts
for the many reports by passing vessels
of eruptions of hot lava and dust
falls. The phenomenon is merely a
superficial one. As at St. Vincent, the
many mud spouts, steam jets and
local craters that have been reported
as superficial have ceased byrainwater
draining into them.
.The volcanoes of St. Vincent and
Martinique were in eruption in sympathy
in May. Both have gradually
become less active since and it is
probable they will diminish ia activity.
to judge by the present signs,
in this opinion the FYench scientific
commission, headed by Prof. Lacroix.
cl Paris, concurs. Dr. Jaggar is
strong!* opposed, however to any rec.abitation
of the devastated slopes
)f the volcanoes until the respective
jovernments of the islands are wiling
to establish permanent experiment
stations to protect and warn
:he inhabitants.
Active Again.
Kingston, St. Vincent, By Cable.?
rhe Soufriere volcano has been
lightly in eruption twice since last
Monday. A severe earthquake shock,
accompanied by a tidal wave, affected
the northeast point of the island,
ivashing a fire-swept estate. No
further damage was done. Many people.
both of the wealthier classes and
laborers, are leaving the island, fear- ,
ng disaster. The government Is still
feeding 6,000 persons. The settlement
)f refugees in huts on acquired lands
In safe localities is progressing.
The Panama cabie repair ship
S'ewington. which is engaged in work
18 miles north of St. Vincent, reports
:hat the depth of the sea there has
.ncreased to a mile and a quarter. Attempts
to pick up the cable have
Seen futile owing to unfavorable
tveather.
nine Foreman Shot.
Pottsvillle, Pa., Special.?Daniel Linlerraan.
foreman at the Kohinoor coliery,
Shenandoah, was shot near his.
tome by a crowd of strikers. His foce
ind shoulders are torn with buckshot,
jut it is thought he will recover. Albert
Jnderman was also chased and shot
tnd four other non-union men badly
jeaten.
Results of Paris Fight.
Paris, By Cable.?Many persons inured,
ten of them seriously, and hunlreds
arrested, are the net results of
he street disturbances in which both
derical and anti-clerical denominaions,
brought about by the closing of
he unauthorized religious schools,
vere made. There were great crowds on
he boulevards throughout the city,
ingaged in rioting. A procession of stu!?nts
shouting and singing was disjersed
by the police and attempted red
lag demonstrations at the Strasiwrg
:tatus also were broken up. Quiet was
estored at midnight. The religious esablishments
in more than one departnent
have dissolved voluntarily.