The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-06-20

"a poor compliment, Mr.. St Clail
and scarcely worth the breath 1t COST
He bowed, and the expression of hi
eyes grew more marked.
II beg your pardon" he said, "but yo
mistake my meaning. / did not inten,
to compliment you, but l was weary O
silence, and the sound of any voice woul,
have been music to me-"
Miss Beltone's face flushed, and
hardly perceptable motion lifted her eye
brows. In an instant she was smoOtl
and stately again.
Excuse me-" she said, and then silent
ly went on
1t had been thus during all his visit
and it seemed that, as the days went on
these two people were drawing more ant
more away from each other. st. Clai
was to go away soon, and not, as manl
others had gone, with the sting of re
lection and defeat ranking in his soul
for he had never been a sutton, and 81
had no blighted hopes to grleve over
He had no thought of love with hi:
many thoughts of this woman, and a.
for Olivia Beltone, her woman's natur,
had accepted his antagonism as a declar
alton of war, and she hated him. Tha
is she held him bound in a cold indif
ference that seemed to preclude all pos
sibility of affection for him existing il
her soul. Yet they both knew and ap
preciated the fact that there was grea
worth of manIiness and womanllness in
each other and, while differing, admired
the independence that refused to yield
favOrs unsought.
AS they reached the broad flight Of
steps leading up to the main entrance
st. Clair said, 81 shall go away the day
after tomorrow, and must therefore ask
that you will to-day fulfill your offer tC
show me that cave on the Rocky Torn
1t Is so warm and bright that it would
be good time to see it, l Think
Z" will hold myself ready to go with
you. What time will you start?'
THAT is for you to say"
AFTER luncheon then. We will go on
horseback, and that will make the walk
very short. Do you wish a servant to
carry the torches ~
"Oh, no; can do that"
"Then l will have luncheon early, and
the horses shall be ready Immediately af
terward," and she bowed and left him.
He sought the library and chatted
with Mr.. Beltone, who had been a col.
lege chum of his fathers and then went
to his room to prepare for the excursion.
1t was near ~ O'Clock, and he had not
much time, but he hastily fixed d few
wax candles as torches and, when the
bell rang, went down to luncheon. Miss
Beltone was equipped in a short riding
habit, and as they had often gone on
riding excursions during the afternoon,
no questions concerning their move
ments were asked, and they set out, leav-
ing the people of the place ignorant of
their intended route.
The RockyTOrn was a bluff, pine-clad,
mountain peak. Its steep sides and the
roughness caused by the beetllng cliffs
that juted abruptly out among the trees,
showing grim faces of sOmbre gray, de-
TERED any but hardy climbers from ven
turing up its activity, but Miss Beltone
was used to rough scenes, and had a
fondness for viewing nature from the
crests of mountains, so that she had more
than once conquered the difficulties OF
the Rocky Torn, and in one of these
excursions had discovered and partly ex-
plored a romantic cave.
She had told st. Clair of this cave, and
as he had penchant for visiting such
places, he had reminded her of heI
promise to show it to him, and thus
brought about this expedition.
For time their way led along a level
road running between orchards and
fields of grain, then it struck into a thick
wood and began to ascend. Through
this wood they could see glimpses OF
gray rocks rising in steep masses, and al
last emerged from the forest shadows un
dor frowning precipice. Here the way
became steep, but their steeds were sure
footed and carried them safely on, some
times through thick masses of trees, and
then along bit of clearing that gave
them view of miles of level farms ly
inn h. :
their new robes of green.
There was little said during the ride
and what little was said had the same
old antagonism that had marked theil
intercourse. At last the path reached g
steep bank that stopped all further pro
gress on horseback, and Miss Beltont
said, 1--WE will have to dismount here
and do the rest of the ascent on foot"
st. Clair sprang to the ground and
assisted her to alight, and then secured
the horses to some young trees. This
done, he took his bundle of torches and
led by Miss Beltone, began scramblinG
up the side of the mountain. His com
paniOn was fine pedestrian, and, though
an adept IN these rough rambles, st
Clair'S strength was taxed to its utmost
to keep pace with her. At last they
reached narrow ledge that ran circling
around the Torn and, after ascending BY
this some hundreds of yards, they came
to small plateau. Steep and moss
grown cliffs rose back of this, and to
ward these Miss BeItone passed.
She paused after turning a juttine
abutment which hid an arched fissure in
the rock.
This is the entrance to my cave" she
said. ut grows dark very suddenly af
ter you enter, so you had best light q
torch, and then we will not have to stoI
while exploring"
He did so, and they entered the fissurt
and began descending, the narrow gal
lery leading away from the day, having
a gradual downward slope After 3
rapid walk of few minutes the walls OF
rock on either hand began to recede, and
the flame OF the torch was reflected back
from long, white stalactites, that caught
the light and sprang out in the recesses
growing with the glory of a myriad
of natural prisms.
This is beautiful" said st. Clair
Miss BeltOnep ?"
81 cannot say, but / left a handker
chief fastened to a curious black pillar
rising from the flOor'
Then we will find it, and go further, y
and he swung his torch, sending the
light in waves far up among the hoilows
of the roof.
The gallery kept growing wider, but
there rose from the floor masses of sta
lagmltes, which left a clear space run
ming on through them, making a clear
way to follow. 1t still kept descending
not steeply, but with a natural decline
that carried them deeper into the earth
Soon they came to square chamber
with many tiny spires of white rising
from its floor, and in the center of this
standing by the clear walk and rising
some distance above its fellows, was q
slender black column with a filmy
handkerchief from its point.
ut was here stopped and turned y
said Miss Beltone
"a gorgeous sepulchre for your hand
kerchief," said ST. Clair; az propose
that we leave it, ana go on farther"
al am willing" She answered. and
they went slowly on, passing through a
narrow opening that led from the cham
Der they were in.
Beyond this opened a circular apart
ment that rose gradually up in success
slve heights OF glittering pillars to a
grand gallery, and then rounded off into
perfect dome
"a palace Mt for a god" said st. Clair
lighting several torches and fitting then
in inches from where their light was re
fiected back over the opposite wall, thu:
forming cross rays Of color.
Having enjoyed this scene a shor
time, they again proceeded, leaving the
lights burning. The passage had growr
narrow again, and they felt that a new
1 I.,ka Al a