Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-03-24

place, but must forever Iiso anu Gun
view of shores that must be unattained'
Her heart beat with the falling stroke,
and her life seemed stiled within her TIL
the sound should cease. Suddenly 1t did
,ease. and she dared no. look at the youth
before her, who had at last seemed to iii
the fraii thing that separated her from the
yielding unimpassioned water, at every
turn of his strong wrist.
"Myra, said he. "if upset you. would
you throw yourself into my arms for pro-
lection You have no other recourse"
No answer.
"Myra'-a little more softly-"my arm
is very strong; my feet can walk those
waves saw you shrink from. Could you
trust them? Would you?"
No answer.
"Myra, you wouldn't sink with my help
at hand. You would rather give your
life to my keeping-tell me, that you
would"
The waves, the boat, the shores, the
clouds, the very sun, hushed ana bent
themselves TO listen; but no answer
came.
..Are YOU spell. bound, Myra, or before
You will speak at all shall tell you all l
mean? 1t seems like this to me: Life Is
before us, with its smooth surface and Its
hidden dangers. Circumstance has set US
in the same frail bark, and SO l solemnly
believe it was intended. l ain strong,
strangely strong, it seems to me, when l
think OF you as treasure to be safely
borne. 1 know, | feel. that l can carry
YOU, without a wreck; but Myra, if you
trust to one less devoted, less eager to
save you at any cost, can you be sure OF
escaping the treacherous and fatal rocks ?
long to take your dreamy nature and
make solid resting place for it, so that
it can dream on and never have rude
awakening. l believe you are almost
heavenly, and yet, somehow, l cannot so
much WOO you as to tell you that | must
hear from your lips the assurance that you
will be mine. | must now be doubly sure
of that of which | will not feel uncertain
that you will be my wife, my own for
ever. OMyra, remember this is no time
for the caprice which has tried me a
thousand times. am in earnest. My soul
is listening. and you must answer with
your own"
A pair of white lips moved, but no
sound came. Again they stirred.
Elmer, they said, "you are so cruel
that believe l hate you. feel as if
should die, and almost hope it; for can
never answer you. and l cannot believe
you think ever gave you cause for such
words"
Two blanched faces were uplifted; two
pairs of eyes full of agony, gazed each
into the other.
"Elmer! Elmer Halstead where are
you going? What are you thinking about ?
Don't you know the strong side-current
there, and the sunken rocks p'' rang sharp
~ across the water.
Too late Too late. At the instant
came grating, crushing sound, and, with
drawing as of some mighty and rest
less hand beneath, the waves closed over
boosted strength and conscious weakness.
As they felt the horrible sucking of the
water, to Myra it was but the fitting close OF
despair, to Elmer it was fearful awaken
ing to the vision of his own foolhardinesS,
violence, and unintentonal brutality. In
his Utmost heart he knew that Myra did
not fully love him; but his unframed ma
ture had determined upon the wild ex-
pertinent of leaving her no escape which
would not be harder for her sensitive soul
than an acceptance. After that he would
be gentleness itself, and she would love
him in her Utmost being.
He had not dreamed of such course
until that very morning, but suddenly she
had suggested possible determined def
ance, and his fierce soul could not brook
it. She must be made his before she had
time to study her heart more, and ventured
to act upon her new knowledge. Her ig-
norance had been his hope Her long and
thoughtless reliance upon him must serve
him n nlacQ nf nprfant affa0.
ton, and that once must be the fatal time.
Was it to be the fatal time. indeed? 1t
seemed so. And Elmer's better nature
woke with such bound that he really
hardly dared touch the drowning girl
whom but moment before he could al
most have held beneath the water until
she had promised to be his. He could not
speak to her-lhe fervent names he called
her in his dreams died away utterly as he
clutched her and lifted her into the SUM-
shine of the upper world once more. Life
less she lay upon his arm, simply support
ed. while the boat that had hailed them
drew near with its Mortified occupants.
The strong man who thought to walk the
waves if only he might carry such bur-
den. just sinking under the task of keeping
it where life could find it. had hardly pow
CT W I'LL ncr pfcciouS WelSut lntO lDe saw
ing bark. He climbed in and took Myra's
dripping form as the rowers turned silent
~ down stream. not to the landing from
which they came, but to the little settle
ment below, where they could obtain a
carriage.
Before she had been placed within it the
fair girl quivered with returning life, and
Elmer only feared that full consciousness
would come ere he could reach her home.
Should it do so, how could he meet her
gaze!
He could not speak to her or touch her
beyond the absolute necessity of support
ing her. How could he ever even think of
her again? Her beautiful hair lay wet
and matted on her brow, but less guilty
hands than his must smooth it back. In
that short ride he was absolutely racked
with horror and remorse; and, as he laid
her down in the home her presence had
made so joyous, it seemed that his heart
must burst with anguish.
"The moon may come with weeping,
The winds may cease to blow,
But the gay Coquette is sleeping
A thousand fathoms low"
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