Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-02
ssThere is the risk of striking the arch

"There is the risk of striking the arch
as I rise-that's all. I'm asgood swim
mer, Doctor, as YOU know. think it
can be done. You can guess, ',lwith a
sort of pale smile, chow I have been
counting on this meeting; and toy1eave
her alone and frightened, and NOT I'd go
to her, is simply impossible. | shall
manage it--neyerffear." IA -
The boat came. They saw it rowed
out-Paul taking the bearings carefully.
shifting positions once, and yet again.
before satisfied. Then he looked up
with bright, confident eyes and nod,
and clasped his hands over his head. A
s~plash-he was gone, and the water
closed over him.
Within the cave, Esther watched the
strange moving phantom which dark.
ened the entrance. The splash reached
without startling her, but in another
second a flashing object whirled down
and inward, and, rising, the waves re-
vealed a face with wet hair. In the
pale, unearthly glow, it wore the aspect
of death. It drew nearer; she covered
her face with her hands. Was the sea
giving up it's dead, that here, in this
fearful solitude, the vision OF he1
drowned Paul confronted her-or was
she going mad?
Another second and the hands were
withdrawn, the peril, the excitement o.
the past hour, the strangeness M un'
reality of the spot, combined to k1ndlf
within her an unnatural exaltatlon O
=, feeling. Had she not craved this? L
u they met as spirits in this land of spirits,
IL was she TO be afraid of Paul Or shrinB
J. from himP No, a thousand times no!
= The face was close upon her. With
= npid strokes it drew near-a form
- energed--it was upon the rocks. With
ashriek, she held out her arms. Cole
hands clasped hers-a voice (did dead
MN sIpeak?) cried "Queenie, Queenie!'
. The old pet namei It was Paul's
. ghst, but none the less Paul. "]
know you are Dead" she said, "but
!, amaot afraid of you," and felt unter
: rifiei, a strong arm enfolding her. Blu
, the lreast upon which her cheek rested
was hrobbing with such living pulsa'
tionsthat, half aroused, she began tc
shudter in a terrible blended hope anC
fear, md she shrank away from hi:
touch.
"O,Paul! are we both dead, Or onl,
you? s this the other world?n
, "Wk, darling" gently seating he,
on the Dck, "you are in a dream
. Wake VI, love; leok at me, Esther.
\ am not , dead man, but your living
: Paul. Feel my hand-it is warm, yol
see. Goahas restored US to each other
: and now, if his mercy permits, we viii
, never be parted again"
; "Paul! PAUL." cried Esther, con
D WINGED al last.
| They were very happy. Prosy folks
could they have looked in, would hav
seen only two exceedingly wet yOunI
persons seated high upon a rocky ledge
with receding waters ripping abou
their feet; but they, all aglow with lif
( and happiness, scarcely knew of tn
lapse of time before the shimmerin;
4 line of light appeared at the mouth O
the cave.
With blessed tears streaming dow,
her cheeks, Esther heard his story
. how, picked up-the sole survivor Q
: that dreadful wreck-by an India
bound trader, her lover had lain deliri
= Gus for many weeks in a far land, una
% ~ w lCI1 Il AhiIS vi cGOI StAINs /
part recovered, started at once TO
= home, and landed in advance of the let
l ters which told of his safety. AND s
they had met here, mid "coral an
= tangle and almondine," and, as sh
l heard the story of his perils, Esthe
clasped the hand she held as if she neve
= again could let it 60.
That provident little Helen-bles
her hearth builded better than sh
knew" in providing such a store o
damp sandwiches and refreshing win
for those drenched and happy love rs
And when at last the receding It'd
opened again, the rocBJ gate and til
vista of the sea tinged with rosy sunset
and Esther, aided by strong arms, lei
her prison, it was with a glow like tn
t sunset upon her cheeks, and in her eye
t such a radiance of happiness that fairl
dazzled the forlorn, bedraggled grou
above. Mrs. Gray embraced her fondly
and fell into a fit of long-deferred hy<
terics. The boys executed a war-danc
of congrs.tulation, and Helen and Isabt
5 laughed and cried for joy. And q
Esther turned with Paul for a last loo
at the scene of her deliverance, tn
(, chime and murmur of the sea SCENE
full of blessing-the blessing of til
dear Lord who had compassion upo
her weakness, restoring her to life, an
to that life it's lost Joy. With thankfr
heart she went her way.-Sprtngfel
(lfass.) Republican.