Columbia College - Columbian Yearbook (Columbia, SC)

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loved her as 1 C2111 n01'01' l111'e again. S110 11088058011 111-1' 1vl111le l1ei11g, 31111 sl1e loved 1110. I never' saw such 10111101' g1111t10ness, s111-l1 1-1111111ani11nsl1i11, such 2111017111011 as she Ul'liQI'O1l. She s1'011101l 1111112111171 1v1t1111111 111111 sl1e 11111111111 111.1 111 11103 sl1e depended 11111111 1110. We were COll1l1111illl'1' t11ge111e1'. We 151211011 1f0g'C1llQl'1 we studied togetherg we 1i11ish1-d the lower schools together 11'h0n sl1e was 111gl1t0011 a1111 l was t1v011ty. 'llll0I1. 111 OI'ilCl' 111 1-11111111010 11ur e1l111'a1ion, we 112111 111 1.12111--lilll' 11111 lirst 111110. I 11'11111 111 a lll111'Ol'SlIf' 211111 sl1e entered a c11n1'0n1 nearby. lt was 1'I'llCll.Y 132111111111 to leave her. 1 felt like she 110011011 1110 an11 .1 0011111 hardly bring 111-VSCl'1i 111 intrust her 111 the 2ll1lJOSS. I-101' l11vel.1' face l1a11nted 1116 an1l, tl11111gl1 sl10 1vr1110 very often her 112113111 1-l1ara1'101'is1i1' letters, S0lll011lll1l1Q' SCOIIIOLI lacking in llly life. H0 paused, 11 11-11111-r light shining 111 111s eyes 211111 a delicate l'll1Sl1 1111 l1is 11ale 1'21L'0. '.l'l10 traces 111' s11rro11' l1ad 1lisa1111ear01l-l1e 1vas happy agai11. 'EIIIIIUII Slllllttflllllg very beautiful 211111 sweet 0111110 111111 111-11 lil'0 a111l 110111011 111 fill 1110 v11id. Arnong my school fellows was a 1101110 y1111tl1 of lll-Y 111vn age, also an 11l'1Jll2ll1 211111 l11n0l,1'. .l'Il'Olll 1110 'first 1ve were attracted 111 11110 a11111l10r an1l a deep I'1'i01111sl1i11 resulted. Besides llly l11ve for Louise, I have never lil10W11 so tender a l'l'Clll1g as was 1111110 for Le11 I1'It11111.v ll11'0lll1l12ll'lly, 1 glanced t11war11 1116 lkiilvlltllilll n1e11111ria1 1vi11d111v. He s111i1ed sadly H1111 a SIIZICIOIV of 11ain passed over his face. '4Yes, 11 is the sa111e. . . . Leo 1'Gt1l1'1lGL1 llly l11ve 1vitl1 all 1110 S1Zl'G11g1Zl1 111' 111s ardent l1il1llTL'. We 110ca111e l11SG1Jt11'3lJlG, 211111 1vl1en our education was complete I took 111111 11111110 wi1l1 me. He 11101 Lo11ise, 1vl1o had 111111110111 1110 0o11vent, and 111v111l l1er. 1 could not b11t see t11at 111s l11ve was 1'G11l1'1lG11. No 1en1ler word was S1J01iCll, 11111 their 11021113 seemed united in an understanding passion. It l1U1'1Z 1110 to think of l0si11g Louise, but 10 no one would I have given l1er as gladly as 10 Leo Mann. N ever 11111 sl1e speak 10 1116 of l1er feelings toward Leo, nor did Leo talk of L011ise. My o1vn eyes told me tl1e 1v110le story, and I was happy because L1111ise was. Leo, however, SEC-3111611 strangely thoughtful and sa1l. Often 110 would start when spoken 10 as 11101115211 110 1vere brooding over some secret sorrow. 1 1111111-ed an11 w11ndered, but did not in1111d0, for well 1 knew tl1at if Leo nee11e1l 1110 he 111711111 0111110 himself. Would to God 110 had. His hand 1115111611811 its grasp 11111111 1111110 and 111s face was contorted. A 12111 1110 rest is grief and pain and crime. One n1gl1t Leo disappeared 11111's10ri1111sly. There was no fare1vell, no explanation, no hint of l1is wl1e1'ea11ou1s. 1 l't'lllG1lll10l'CCl l1is 1noodi110ss and was troubled. My pride wasbitterly wounded, 11111, t11at 110 sl1111111l treat me so, but after I saw Lou1se's face, it 1vas my heart i11stea11. From that day sl1e was different. She lost l1er old gay spirits and clung 111 1110 1v1tl1 all l1er strengtl1. Her face became pale, l1er body thin and delicate 5 and her grace and beauty fast disa1111eared. How I 11111011 her and loved her! Something between anger and hatred seemed tearing at my heart as I saw her fade day by day. 1 never 111entione11 Leo nor did she, but IIGI' eyes would follow D16 pathetically, asking for 11e1vs. No news came, and after months of tl1e most dreadful anguish, I saw Lo111se go. As sl1e lay in 1110 hour of death, in an uncontrollable burst of grief and rage I cried out, 'May Leo Mann be eternally cursed! God give me strengtl1 to avenge l1er deathl' Housed from her state of lethargy by the loved 11111110, sl1e looked at me pleadingly. 'Don't, dear, dear brother 5 bless and curse not,' she quoted softly, l1er eyes shining. :Leo has not wronged me. Promise me, ll1'Olfl191', 111'o111ise me you-will-do-no-' Her voice died away and sl1e was gone. I was glad, yes, I was glad sl1e went 171011, for I could not have refused her last request, and a hatred for Leo Mann as deep as my former love was burning n1y 82

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heart up. 'I' saw her buried, and for days I could not leave her grave. She seemed calling to me. I could think of only one thing-Louise was dead. The hand I held was like ice, the priestis itace was stonily expressionless, his eyes glassy. Frightened, I begged him not to go on, but with a gesture of pain, he said : No, nog I must go on. I must tell the whole tale or my heart will break. I have often wished I might have died and been buried, an innocent man, by the side ot my pure sister, but a stronger Will led me through the fire to receive me puritied beyond. it. My first feeling after my grief had somewhat subsided, was one of overwhelming hatred. I started out to tind Leo Mann. I knew if I found him I would kill him, Init in my turmoil of spirit I cared not. I followed him relentlessly and found him one atternoon on this very spot, kneeling in prayer. For a moment there was an awful struggle in my heart. 'llhe sight ot his face halt revived the old love, but a vision ot Louise, pale and weak, came to me and I steeled my heart, though the sweet eyes reproached me. At the noise of my approach, Leo turned, and, as he recognized me, a look ol' pleasure brightened his face. Ile sprang eagerly forward, but when he saw the look o11 my face, recoiled. afllogli I cried hardly knowing what I said. 'llogl It is well you pray. Pray, yes, Init do you think your black heart can ever know I7orgiveness ?' Aston- ished and wounded, he cried out, 'David I' 'No, don't speak to me. I hate you and I have sworn to kill you as you killed my sister. Coward., At the mention ol' Louise's death a look ol' horror swept across his 'I'ace, then a look ol' torture. Isle opened his lips to speak, then closed them, and I shot him blindlyg shot the man whom I really loved with all my heartft There was a deep silence. 'llhe man buried his lace in his hands and his form was shaken with hard, dry sobs. Becoming calmer. he continued: As I shot, I swooned, and when I revived. Leo was lying hy me. his hand in mine. Isle tenderly pressed my hand to his icy lips saying. 'tlod forgive you, Ilavid. as I do. It was all a mistake. I have only a l'ew moments'-with a shudder I saw the blood still pouring I'rom the bullet wound- no, you can do nothing for me except forgive me iI'or not telling you before what I am going to tell you now. Would to God I had, but it all seemed so sacred and holy I could not speak of it. fl, loved your sister, David. Itlow I loved her you can never know. I loved her with my whole soul, but I could never tell her ol' it. I struggled against it, oh. such a struggle! I knew I could never have her l'or my own. l'or I had sworn to my father on his dying bed that I would take the vows ol' priesthood as a kind ot atonement iI'or some imagined guilt ol' his. I never regretted this vow till I saw that Louise knew ol' my love and returned it. 'I'hcn the torture on her account was dreadlul. I did not mind my own grief. hut I could not hear to see her suffer. I could. not rest, and at last I decided to drop out ol' your lives. I came here to minister to these people in preparation l'or priesthood. and here I have hecn since. Can you .torgive me. dear. dear Ilavid. that I did not tell you this before ?' 'llhe dying man was in my arms. Never can I Forget' the anguish ot it all. 'Forgive you! Oh, Iieo, Leol' I cried, as I wept and kissed him again aml again. I'Ie smiled up at me. I 'Ilon't. weep. Ilavid. ltfs all right. I am going to Louise, my darling wife, Louise. It's so happy to die in your arms. Ilavid. and then meet your sweet sister in the great beyond. Ilavid. I-you-you'-his voice faltered: his face shone with a great light-he was with Louise. S3

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A L ULLAB Y T'S sleepy time fl0XV,'iIIlCl a queer little man TS coming to see you as fast as he can: V He is holding aloft a silvery wand, And soon you will drenin ofa fair, bright lancl. The fairies are reveling on hill and lawn, They dance in the starlight till hreak of tl1e dawn' Then far thro' the air in 21 cloud of gold v Tl1e fairy queen drifts to a cast-le so old- The castle of flrearns like a misty veil. That nestles alone in the shadowy dale- And after their queen has left thein alone. The fair sprites sing i11 a low, rlreain-V tone: And often you hear them i11 IIlllSlC and song, For they rest i11 the flowers tilll' whole clay long, And whenever the soft suinnier hreezes hlow. Anfl the Sllll o'er the mountain is sinking low, The music so sweet in the twilight gray ls the whispers of fays for their queen far away. And when nxothers are singing their evening lays To the sleepy hahes, then the soft sound strays To the castle of clreauus where tl1e fair queen waits, And swiftly she glides thro' tl1e shadowy gates. Ancl whenever the soft su1nn1er hreezes hlow, And the su11 in the far clistant lYest sinks low. There comes a still11ess so soft und deep, For the fairies are singing you fast asleep. MARIE DAYlS gr 40 l