In an illuminating flash she sees the Truth—sees all the minute incidents of the past months, the looks, the gestures, the things unsaid, which, unnoted by her at the time, were yet registered in her subconsciousness, and which make so plain, now that she reads them aright, all her father’s thoughts and sufferings and sacrifice from the moment when he had cried, "But a _negro_, Helen! How could you!" until the time he had rushed away after kissing her negro baby—rushed away to die! .... She knew! ... _Despoiled herself!—polluted her blood beyond cleansing!—brought to life a mongrel fright, and brought to death her father!_—with a scream of horror she staggered to her feet.... At the door she met the nurse, who was hurrying to her, still holding in her arms the baby whom she had not tarried to put down. "Take it away! _Take it away_!" shrieked Helen, pushing it from her so violently as to hurl it from the nurse’s arms, and staggered on through the hall, out the door, and down the path toward the lake. *CHAPTER XXXIX* The candidates for the Senate were come to Spartanburg in their canvass of the State before the primary election. The campaign was about half finished and had already reached the very personal stage of discussion so dear and so interesting to the South Carolina heart. LaRoque, Rutledge, Preston and Darlington were all out after Mr. Killam’s scalp, and that gentleman was making it sufficiently entertaining for the four of them and for the crowds who flocked to hear. Major Darlington and "Judge" Preston were running each in the hope that "something might happen:" Mr. Rutledge and Colonel LaRoque each in an effort to poll the largest vote next to Mr. Killam and thus be left to try conclusions alone with the old man in a second primary—provided the four of them in an unformulated coalition could keep the old man from winning out of hand in the first trial. At the hotels on the Saturday morning of the Spartanburg meeting, each of the candidates was surrounded by a coming and going crowd of his admirers and supporters and persons curious to see what he looked like. Senator Killam, as by right, was the centre of the largest interest. Nearest about him were his most trusted lieutenants in the county, who did not come and go with the changing crowd but stood by to whisper confidences to the Senator, to receive his more intimate disclosures, and to present formally sundry citizens who desired to shake the great man’s hand and be called by name.