New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29


the boat, she could find the same silent protee-
ton of mere surrounding that the car had anordea.
some of those whom she know had preceded her,
though this formed no real part OF her present
quick-formed scheme. , "a.
Suppose that do 60 with you," she said. Al
what time would be able to get homei .u-.-
SIocumbs grasp materially loosened; why,
any time at all !" he exclaimed: The boats run
till bout two o'clock OF so, am
His sentence was cut short in its valuable expla.
nation by sudden dsengagng spring on the part
of Claire. She ran with her best speed toward tne
boat. She now perceived that it was Just leaving
the pier BY the time that she had gained almost
the extreme edge of the latter voice from the re-
cedng boat itself cried out to her, /" Don't Jump"
She saw. then, that long. curved crevice was
widening in very rapid way at a sngnt space
beyond the spot where she had abruptly matted, "A
madness; now 1t needed nerve agility anu anu
| was. indeed q venture. But Siecumo E sLVUa
behind her; The risk was worth the prize U,ao
waited perhaps ten seconds the creylce had giYwh
fssure; she saw the murky water give dull hash
or two. far below it. Then she Jumped: ,,o. Cha
The space had not been more than three teet Sne
cleared il we'll But Whdt she had cleared sent sharp
terror through her the instant after both feet nad
| touched the firm bourne OF the deck FOR utti ,
| while she stood quite STILL shiverng, with neT BACK
to the dock thus boldly quilted Her MIND was
wholly in a whirl. She did not hear the halt
growled words of one of the men who had lately
Embossed the boat Gliding her upon her ioily' IN
| gruit contempt of syntaX.
But very soon this access of intense alarm les
sened. She partly ceased to fix her thought upon
what she had done recalling. instead, why she had
done 1t. She turned giving two Hurried looks to
right and left doubtless from sense that the az.
borred one might have breasted the same peru us
| herself-in his case far lighter OF course.
Her gaze swept the opposite pier, III cleaned
| drowsv and obscure, with the effect oil some grave
marine monster just risen from the muddy toes pc
| low it, Strangely also. the lights at either side
| gave it the semblance of two malgn olaZlng
| eyes. And in the gllmmer thus made Clare saw
| Slocumb
| He had not taken the leap. At first amazcment
| had wrought in him Its briof yet telling e1ect'
| I'D bod tn4h nA no M M
tarIly furious at thus being baked But In asecond
| his fury had cooled. And something had cooled IT,
new to HIM, though very forcible inns wasp,y.
| He might easily have cleared the interspace. But
he forboIe TO do He thrust both hands INTO MS
| pockets, and with lowered head moved away; In
an instant more it too late for him to nave
changed his novel resolve, even had he so wished
| Bv the time that Claires look, lighted upon
| the pier he was nowhere visible, no nao
| disappeared from her sight forever, as also
| from her life. He had been dread though pllel
| experience--a glimpse given her into the melah,
| choly darkness of human wrong me SHADOWS nau
seemed 10 take him back among themselves Where
he rightly belonged. Perhaps the episode OF ms
nsolence wrought some sort of effect upon her
future acts 1t is certain that she never quite Tor
got the miserable dismay he had reused; ana When
the struggle for worldly success afterward spurred
her with so keen q goad some vague remembrance
of tonight may have quickened her aspiring I'M
pulses and made what we call the socially pest gam
fresh worth in her eyes by contrast with such ioul
deeps as lie below il.
Once confident that Slocumb had not followed
her, she managed. with unsteady pace, 10 reach the
outer rail of the deck and lean against 1t while the
| boat traversed the river. She was trembling
| good deal and felt an extreme weakness az well.
| But glow of triumph upbore her. she had es-
| capped at last
The ugly boat as it sped along seemed
sentient accomplice of her final good-ior-
| tune. She had fancy that ITS thick wooden rail-
dumbly throbbed beneath her grasp; Her posture
was haf-cowerng onei the spell of her poignant
fears had not yet passed. Her head leaned Itself
peerDgy from stopped shoulders in such way
that its slim neck took the sort OF curve we see III
frightened deer's.
A somewhat late moon had recently risen, whose
advent had altered the whole face OF the heavens,
| flooding 1t with a spectral, yellowish light. But
borne rapidly across the moons blurred disc. on
some high, fleet rush OF ar, scudded volumes OF
rolling and muia6le yapor They constantly S1ntei
masses. then thinning and lengthonDg as they
came midway between zenith and horizon. While
Claire watched these strange and volatile clouds.
so incessant III their motion and so swift in their
continual upward stream they took, for her confused
fancy the semblance OF pursuant phantom
shapes. Tney formed themselves INTO visages
and bodies they stretched forth uncouth
yet life-lIke arms they clenched hands OF misty
gloom and shook them. far above her, with ghOstly,
imminent defiance Her former transit across the
river had been fraught with sweet poetic mystery
her present voyage was one touched with KIND OF
But the boat soon found its second wharfage.
Claire sped out through the two cabins in time TO
ioin the crowd of disembarkpg passengers Once |
back In Grecnpoint. she hurried along certain
familiar streets until she arrived at her own dwell
had an instinct that il about this time. Above
the high piazza both parlor- windows were dark, |
but below II the windows OF the basement portion |
brightly Int. She passed into the scant space
OF garden and sought the lower door; she pulled |
the bell, set III the woodwork at Der night, and |
waited
No answer came. and she rang again. One Of the |
the hall beyond. She presently saw her |
mother appear, Mrs. Twinng opeaod tho door.
1t not till she and her daughter stood face |
to face that the latter made certain sharp abrupt
discovery.
strange. Is il because staid away SO longP |
NO." replied Mrs. Twinlng
Claire grasped her mothers arm with both hands. |
"Then what is it ~ she questioned. You don't |
mean that-that Fathers slckf DO your
Mrs. Twining was white as death and had dark |
rings round her line black eyes she laughed, with |
great bitterness, as she closed the door.
Clairen
These few words teemed. somehow, with fright |
full irony. CLAIRE knew her mothers moods 50 well |
that she staggered backward little, as the |
two faced each other In this narrow hallway.
Mother" she SAID, with gasp, what do you |
mean Has anything happened to Fatherf
Yes" sand Mrs. Twnlng with q cruelty that |
Claire never forgot and never iorgayo. |
" Your fathers dead. lie died at nine o'clock. The
doctors here now. lie SAYS it's heart-disease |
You're nice gadabout. TO be off tor hours nobody
knows where. and come home TO lind
Mrs. Iwining ended her sentence at lust this |
point, for Claire had dropped in a before the |
word could be spoken, upon the oil cloth of the
little hall when her own hands had so often swept
VII.
That night was one of anguish and horror. AS
soon as enough strength had come TO her with the |
return of consciousness Claire insisted upon being
taken to where her father lay. Not tear left her
eyes as she knelt beside his body. She was very |
white and seemed perfectly calm She kissed the dead
man. now and then, on forehead and cheek. Once |
sue rose. went 10 the window. aud set both arms |
lengthvise upon its sash. propping her chm against
her casped hands In this attitude she starad |
forth at the heaven, still full of moony light |
and still alive with its black pageantrv of |
hurryng clouds. But their motion was more |
quick. now; the wind had grown |