River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-22


70 Paradise. but the man was not 10 be
seen.
All this and the stories which one and
another told of other men who had acted
strangely began 10 affect the little com
munity and, al length, on Sunday after
noon, Nancy Daere, unwilling that the
uneasiness should continue, left her home
and walked along the beach toward Par
sdise. Some Of the children began 20 fol-
low her
@Come back! Come back their
mother cried Nancy VIII 20. No one
viii harm her. But you must wait TIL
she has been" ...
. Nancy herself was not unwilling 10 go
alone. The cool breezes blew freshly be-
meath the warm July sun, and the long,
swooping DIP Of the sea-gulls gave her
sense of freedom and life. The rare
times when she left work snd people be
hind her brought some such keen sense OF
life. She stepped quickly forward, and
each step seemed = make Der more buoy
ant. Victory is fabled 70 be winged, and
this woman's life had not been without
its overcoming.
She passed round the rocky ledge and
came out IN view Of Paradise, with the
gray locks which formed lis northern
boundary. Midway she saw the cross
standing. Ii could not fail a. enoe 10
take her exc; and at its foot the man was
kneeling. bis head nearly leaning upon
il. while bis hands seemed busy. lie did
not at once perceive her, and She stood
not far of on the sand watching him.
She saw that he had a KNIFE in his hand,
and was cutting into the wood. Present
IL he laid his knife aside; and, going
little way of, fell upon his breast and,
propping his chin between his hands,
looked fixedly upon the cross
The woman for moment WAS disturb
ed. She seemed 20 enter this mans clos
ct. and 10 break in upon his secret deyo-
tiozs Yet to 60 wOuN be to disturb him
more. She remained mlotonless, her
eyes fixed upon him. Then she saw his
face drop into his hands, and she could
no longer hesitate. She went toward
! him. He heard the sound Of her dress and
rose hastily His face showed sig2s Of
/ great emotions, bun the sight Of Nancy
wrought s change 10 il. lie came 10 her
and looked in her face.
Are you the woman who gave me my
supper in the house yonder,and asked me
10 stayg
Yes, ] am.
And you are not afraid Of meg"
No; / should not have come here if
f had been. j came 70 see you. ] did not
I know but might help you"
You are good woman. ] am bad
man"
You cannot be wholly bad. You have
raised this cross here.
4 - n, x-oss 4hfuLr no Won Sf8fH
be cried eagerly. ~Oh, look 81 me: tell
me that again"
f Nancy looked steadily al him, trying
again 10 recall has features.
"NO. she said, syou are not wholly bad,
and you have suffered much for what you
have done. ~
have suffered the torrents Of hell
for teu wears. You are q good woman.
have told nobody. Yes, ! have AZ last
told the world. Let me tell you here
( He seized her hand and drew her near the
/ cross. do you see the erossT Do you
see of how many pieces OF wood II IA
/ builtl ! have been ten years building H.
! Yes ten years-it was ten years ago. bee,
that piece = from Malaga. was born In
/ Malaga, and I went back there first: 5ut
I / could not stay there. And that is from
Brazil And that is from Alexandria.
I bought II Of Greek. He said il was
bit Of the True Cross; but lac lied. IgsTe
him all / had for il, aud put il in the
middle-see there; but il never drove II
ont of my heart. And there's not q eoun-
try where I've not been and brought away
bit Of the wood. It's all the work Of my
own hands; and ] thought when Id
finished the cross il would 90 ay az. And
/ worked patiently though the men mock
ed me. And its not gone away. Then
] thought if [ planted il right here,
Z right here. that would he the end;
but il wasn't And now ] have cut
my name and what ] did on il, that
ali the world may see; and, o, God it's
on me yet Where shall ! got Shall ]
Law myseE down there, side Of him and
The boy . Te're tired. Sit We down and
IL tell il all TO you Nor Yen not SIT
down. Yell stand by the crossf It's all
cut on il. Ye can read IL. That's the
story. Requtesoat IN pace! Daniel Mora,
4 seaman. did. in passion, kill the skip
per Of the schooner Nancy and his boy,
aud scutfle the Nancy, about TIVE leagues
to the eastward of this cross, which / set
az. and NAV God have mercy on my
soul = Yen say now I'm not q bad mani
/ o. blessed Mother take If away Take il
away Yes, il was of there, where yere
Z looFing OH But il was terrible. Why
/ don't ye spe.ks Do We see anything
/ Oh do We see it2 ] bound them in the
1 cabin after latter they were-I didn't
take any money. II was not for that.
+ There was nothing but ballast in the
+ lading. NV God the Judgment Day.
I out Of the blue water, under the sun
\ SET sky. slowly there was rising, ss they
4 looked, the masts and then the hull Of e
4 spectral schooner, half-eareened over,
F watef-lOgged, shiny. No sound was
+ heard; but the silent witness TO Daniel
Mora's words lav before them, moving
siuggishly on the water. To-day the in
+ cessant rolling OF ten wears had released
( the last weight that held Il down.
Mora'g ewes started from beneath tiieif
shaggy brows, as he gTasped the cross
and fhen clutehed ar has companions
dress. He did pot see her. Iie only
saw the witness. on which hls eyes bxed
with look Of despair.
aDacrel John Dsere,' he cried,
stretching cut his hands imploringly TO
The hulk.
Ave aye said a voice at his side,
and he turned suddenly. The woman
stood before him, Der hands clasped
tightly before her.
He was Iay husband. That boy was
my child The man fell at her feet.
. Rise. Daniel Mora. i am not thy
Judge am q sinner, ike YOU. But
she herself bowed low upon the ground.
Her forehead touched the cross, which
carried the tale Of her old grief and this
man s crime. Daniel Mora creDt thither
also, until at length he felt two cold hands
laid on his head
God be merciful 70 US sinners" she
said. And be repeated the prayer slteI
her.-Horace T.. seuader, IN n. i. Lpcle-