| Show l akl l HIS GREAT REMORSE by MARY MAKY LLOYD F EVANS VAN always the footsteps behind me dull hollow hallow but echoing never before did they but precede I 1 might have had hope tor for then they might guide me to some haven of rest peace for my tired heart I 1 was not a wicked man nor a mean man nor a dissipated man I 1 was only a murderer to the world never that but to my own conscience yes A thousand deaths were in my heart and one poor victory if I 1 could call it that 1 I consent to the marriage secret of course it must be that way under the circumstances cum stances burned into my brain were these three sentences for they started the train of circumstances that resulted la in a terrible tragedy it was six weeks since that I 1 overheard huldah evans speak the file first vane telford made reply then her final words my love my adored one she whom I 1 worshiped was a party to a clandestine complication ith a rival I 1 had never feared nor before that even suspected he had come to the village a stranger he had made several calls on huldah I 1 was curious but she never apprised me as to the personality of her new acquaintance nor his motive in visiting her that vividly remembered afternoon I 1 was lining a high hedge surrounding the evans evana place when I 1 heard the brief colloquy noted I 1 had come spot with my heart full of hope and love I 1 left it vengeful embittered my soul immersed in the blackest despair I 1 wandered towards the narrow but deep rolling stream at the edge of the town my spirit dazed my heart distracted tr this then was the end of it all she loved another I 1 flung myself on the grassy bank watching the swift eddies just above the waterfall it was an unfrequented spot tor for the present for the old foot bridge had been condemned as all the regular townsmen knew a new structure being proposed and the roadway on either side of the stream was blockaded some distance back there signs were up warning the approaching driver and pedestrian of peril I 1 sat in a daze staring blankly at the rushing waters madly tempted to plunge beneath their surface and az ato my manhood cowered hatred cowardice guilt held me spellbound end all my misery it was getting on toward dusk when a sharp cheery whistle attracted my attention there not fifty yards distant was telford he was warbling a careless carol swinging along like a man in love with life as it he had just heard some joyful news in a flash I 1 pictured the situation ile he my hated rival was beloved by huldah I 1 was the despised one A blur of 0 blood passed before my eyes end and then ho he is headed tor for the bridge he know I 1 uttered breathlessly I 1 started up in wild mild alarm in a flash I 1 saw that making a short cut for the town by an unaccustomed route telford had bad struck into the road at a point ahead ot of the blockade he had missed the danger sign siga he had no knowledge of the condition of the bridge two days previous a horse and wagon had gone through the rotted plan kway a great hole gaped in the center of the bridge and some ot of the stringers were mere hanging suspended by mere splinters stop p the word vord died in my throat mean Jn legless gless for or the devil had seized me what was this man to me that I 1 should not allow him to go headlong on his careless way he had embittered my existence why should I 1 seek to save his bis life my manhood cowered fl hatred atred cowardice guilt held me spellbound beyond the saving moment crash a shriek a splash a gurgle and all was over all save the footsteps oot steps proceeding across the hollow hoi echoing plan kway tramp tramp tramp cut but now all that was human within me was aroused in ill horror I 1 regarded my willful act of crime I 1 ran to the ed a cf t le tle bridge I 1 shouted wildly 11 tore down the dim aim shore madly the name of the man I 1 had I 1 murdered only the sound round of the waves the r roar 0 ar of the falls below the night b birds thrill answered me tho the void it had ad opened up and swallowed my byj rival huldah was free but 1 I tramp tramp tramp ever the accusing foot steps and always behind roe me p kursu ursu ing challenging accusingly looking back bach now I 1 marvel how I 1 passed those dreadful days those wakeful nights of 0 the two weeks suc sue i ceding twice I 1 had called upon HUI dah I 1 was amazed at the fact that she betrayed no anxiety none of tho the suspense of a bride expectant whose object of devotion had mysteriously disappeared my aly guilt drova me to make my visits brief and constrained although huldah seemed glad to seo see me she had with her now a cousin a pale faced hopeless eyed girl whoa who seemed an invalid martha dawes no word of the fate of telford had reached the newspapers I 1 had lined the river for miles making cautious inquiries but with no result then one evening those torturing footsteps footstep sl drove mo me to a resolution I 1 would see huldah once more confess and leave the place forever it was twilight when I 1 reached her home she sat in a rustic chair in the tha garden humming a low lov tune miss I 1 dawes near by was gazing with sad faraway far tar away eyes at the crescent moon I 1 leaned over the chair and said to toa huldah 1 I wish to tell you something of vanco vance telford she started glanced quickly at her guest and her finger on her lip led me to a distance what of mr telford sho she chan chal ledged with a certain sternness that thae chilled me he is dead and I 1 am his raul mur rl derer erl and then the words leaped over each other tumultuously as I 1 told my story all of it without reservation she grasped a tree tor for support her face a white void go away she faltered waving her hand band distractedly 1 I must think think 1 it was all over she hated me she despised me I 1 wandered about aimlessly but the influence of fatality drew me to the river ever it seemed sailing calling to me tor for miles I 1 trod its lanks banks the footsteps tramp tramp i tramp beating incessantly on my agonized ears I 1 must have gone several miles when I 1 drew behind a bush near the shelving shore of the stream to avoid meeting a man progressing slowly with tho the aid ot of a cane I 1 was in no mood for companionship I 1 moved too far my foot slipped I 1 went headlong anam and was as conscious of my head striking the water and a rock at the same time then I 1 was insensible my blood curdled as I 1 regained consciousness ness tor for I 1 recognized that the man bending over me had bad dragged me to safety and that man in form I 1 and substance vance telford within an hour I 1 knew all the story of his rescue down the stream his convalescence his hegira now to the evans home and then I 1 learned that it was the sad hearted miss dawes who loved him and that huldah had bad arranged for their clandes tine fine marriage because her cousin could not live without him her family did not like telford nor did huldah but it was arranged that telford was to wed miss dawes secretly and then go away and make a man of himself for he had been a sad profligate but now I 1 knew the man was in earnest when lie hs told me how his narrow graze of biath had reformed him arm in arm we went to the evans home to make two anxious hearts happy for really loved me and then the footsteps died out forever copyright 1314 1914 by W G chapman |
