The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-26
from 4is,;;ss'tSi.'s z4isP,;;ss'ti.' J5yu,,uui.
A WORK OF RBTRlDUTION.
CHAPTER v.

a very safe and delightful retreat this
cave seemed TO tAem when they found
themselves sheltered within it-notwit.,.
standing the facts tha. they were i'm deer
darkness, and wet aiu1tst to the skin.
"Stand STILL" said Thurstcn, releasing
Miss Loring's hand for She first time
"and will strike mstch."
"Is it possible you blvc matches with
yOuf" she asked.
~ am an old soldienand an inyeters.e
smoker" he answered 81 am never
caught without matches and carry nv
case wrapped in leatke1 so that damp
ness cannot affect them. See here!"
The next instant f@ble, short-lived
blaze lighted up their place of refuge,
and showed Miss Lcfng stone, on
which she Immediately s.t down.
I'VE are at least sheltered from the
rain," said Thurston, - the temporary
illumination died away, tand safe from
the electricity, since wateIis q non-con-
ductor. Now, if yop can possess your
soul i'll patience for whit / hope that
the storm will exhaust itseI, and we may
60 home by moonlight after ALL"
II can possess my soul in patience
very easily" she answered. "It Is better
TO be here than to be riding along o.
iorest-road in such q storm aa This. How
the rain pours
And lightnings, as they play,
But show where rocks cur path %, q o,,set
Or gild the torrents spray.'n
"You cannot be very nervous, Miss
Lorlng, or you would not b. able to
quote poetry"
II am not at all nervous" she replied.
pray set your mind arrest on that point.
| have always felt that if Il yue called
upon to face death ITSELF me,n death
in some sudden and violent form-I
should be as calm and collected as l am
this moment"
"You might find yourself mistaken.
Facing death is not such an easy matter
rs you think. 1, who have facedit many
times, know whereof speak,"
"But there was always doubt in that,
was there not? If you were absolutely
certain that death was before you-say,
for instance, that ynn were OH q sinking
ship in mid-occan-you would have no
fear Of losing composure, would yOu? 2"
II suppose not-the inevitable is said
to have always O. sustaining power I'm
3 der some circumstances, however l can
imagine that, apart from courage, man
might shrink from the prospect Of leav-
& ing those whom he loved helpless behind
8 him."
q "And would that be your case ?"
The abrupt question did not sound as
1T would have sounded ut another time
and in another place. So utterly uncon-
7entioIa. we're their surroundings. so
strange the darkness encompassing them,
that tbs ordinary rules governing social
life seemed for the present laid aside,
.ol ,,..x
thought:
"Not at all. If this stream before us
were able to rise and overwhelm US, I
should have the satisfaction of feeling
that l left no human being in the world
worse for my death, and but one person
wEio |ould feel any active sentiment of
regret"
She laughed slightly-not mirthiul
laugh, by any means.
"Then you have an advantange over
me in the possession of that one person.
should leave several human beinps
better for my death, inasmuch as nv for
tune would be divided among them, and
not one who would mourn me beyond a
week." s,
The instinct of distrust was 30 strong
in him with regard to everything which
she said or did, that he set this speech
down to mere striving after effect, and
answered more lightly than he would
otherwise have done:
you have surely forgotten all YOU
admirers"
THANK you foi reminding me o.
thcm," she said, but her tone changed
from earncstncss to mockery. 81 wonder
how many among them would mourn me
week Well, we reap as we have
sc"ed, ! suppose. People call me bril-
liant, beautiful, and fascinating, but
many a commonplace woman is richer ir
love than am"
It was impossible even for Thurston te
doubt the sincerity with which these
words were uttered. Half bitter, and
wholly sad, the magnetic voice sounded
and he felt his heart strongly stirred by
its tones. - A doubt of hfmself-of his
own capabilities of resisting this woman's
power-began for the first time to cross
his mind. Had Mrs. Jennings been
right? Was he, after all, playing with
fire2
eff you are poor in love-" he said, tit
is because yon have flung it away from
you i'll c&relessness or scorn. / k,,op
Miss Loring, that devotion the most pas.
sionate aud true has been poured out
like wnter ut your feet"
"Do you know it?" she asked; and
there was not little skepticism in her
tone. "Then you are wiser than am.
But confess have always been incred-
ulous where protestations of passion were
involved. Perhaps I did not feel interest
enough to put them TO any test Life is
a riddle to which have never found n
key, and l have often thought that it is
not worth searching. for"
There was something so pathetic in
the half-weary, half.reckless ring of her
voice that Thnrston said, involuntarily
"You are too young, and far too lib
orally endowed with everp good gift OF
Nature, to feel anything like that Sure
ly, you cannot seriously do So" :.
She did net answer, for aa he spd2e
;..o 1.vs: ,i,ii. i...si. % .:s .s.;i. ...,,..
they had yet seen illuminated the Whole
wild scene with an unearthly glare, leap
ing from point to point among the crags
while the roar of the thunder overhead
seemed to shake the solid rocks around
them.
When darkness again fell, yelling from
sight the white sheets of rain, the surg
ing, whirling torrent, Agatha said /: ~
'Can, we not go farther back? The
rain or the spray from the stream is fall.
ing ever me-" i1
Certainly Certainly &c csn," &c anew ::..ssSee.S;. 4.
Let me, strike o match. Now, give me
your hand."', .s.
In the farthest corner of the rock k-recess
he placed her, and then established him.
,oIf hAf l. 4rc c1 Il l. Il