Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13

moonlight"
Perhaps" said he. But neither of
them had any trust in the hope.
He had seen in the moment when
they looked at each other that she was
indeed younger than his first suppose
ton, thotgh hardly so young as his sec
ond. She might be Internationally. 1t
was-n0t the face of a girl. She had re-
turned TO her former position, and now,
leaning back against the chimney, lift.
ed up her face TO the sky. Her ewes
were closed and her lips drawn in.
There WAS hut time to look once before
the lips curved again into a smile and
the eyes opened to a calm gaze.
The man sitting by he- heard the
changing and deepening tone of the
water as 1t came up and up.
I" You are too young for this" said
he, abruptly.
His voice had changed and deepened
like the tono of the water.
" No, no." she answered, after mo-
ment. "Don't trouble about me-"
81 do trouble about you. It's horri-
blel horrible!'
She again kept silence for n little
space; then she said: "When heard
you say-that in the boat. and Get up
to say, felt, suddenly, as if it was
cruel thing not to stay with you. too
as well as to save them.''
She had been obliged to speak the
last words loudly; for the wind rose
suddenly and fiercely. and the shock of
the water broke noisily on the walls.
And as she ceased came terrible
crash; the whole building creaked and
swayed; there were heavy splashes in
the water, and water spouted over
them as they caught and chung to each
other. Long hair was blown before his
face. They held each other fast. pant
ing and trembling. She freed hand
and drew aside her hair. There was a
sound of water, running. trickling and
dropping. The calm moon, pui suing
her leisurely pathway, passed out from
behind n cloud, and showed them that
the platform at the other end of the
house had given way, and the stack of
chimneys opposite had fallen.
''lf il had been theser' said she.
They crOuched nearer together, each
still holding to the other. The fear in
each mind now was the fear of being
divided, of losing all human compan-
ionship. The waters were rising faster,
rising. as it seemed, with a malignant,
hungry Joy.
at cant be long now," said the man.
NO" said she.
There were few more lifelong mo-
ments in which they sat silent, breath
ing hard. The wild gust of win1 abat-
ed; the moon found wide, open arch
way among the clouds; the face of the
waters grew by comparison still again.
''And So" said he, lit was for me
you staid, and even at the end can't
go away in peace without pulling down
somo one else. And you, who staid,
are n stranger. and we. shall die here
strangers. Oh, the irony of
this world All my life l have been
solitary and deserted 1t has been my
fault; and now life is over. It's all 200
late, and there's no time
She remained silent, and the monoto-
nous pulse of the water throbbcd be-
low.
"Do we? Well, the depths, perhaps,
OF each other. but not the shadows. If
we were to be saved we should feel like
friends till we came to land. and then
you would go your way and l mine;
and II we were to meet once a week
for a twelve-month VIC should speak to
each other at first, and then we should
nod and smile. and by and by we
should pass and take no notice. No,
what knowledge or friendship we have
does not belong to this lifel'
"You believe, then, in aaother?"
cit is hardly that believe in another
life, so much as that | can't believe in
DEATH We could not be capable of SO
much, and DESTROYS of so much, and
nothing come. We have not half
enough. feel so much, much more.
No. am not afraid. There's more"
He in his turn was silent Perhaps
he fOrebore, out of pity, to put forth a
word against her hope; perhaps, in his
soul, too, n like hope. which he had
taken to be leng dead began TO stir
and murmur.
The moon had put on, minute by
fuller glory; it was illumin-
ing an arch of clouds, and beyond the
arch lay measureleSs, liquid, lucid
depths. She looked and pointed up
ward. The full glow shone on her
face. He saw in her dark eyes slow
ineffable softening; in all the lines OF
her features breathed a spirit of ex-
ultant reception.
The open doorway of iniinity," said
he, fitting to this radiance its apt poetic
but without anything of the
poets rapture or belief Her lips moved
to n recognizing smile.
And can you look up to that and
despair" she asked.
That has no voice for me. Il j.
too far of, too silent, too unmoved.
That glory may come back, as serene,
to look down on my drowned face. But
you have to die with me. What hope
there is in life or death you have shown
me. l don't know that it is lasting OF
that it is good for much; but such as il
is, 1t comes from YOU"
Again the waters came rushing over
the fallen chimneys, and they looked
out IN momentary apprehension. But
the sudden torrent subsidized, and the
waters went on rising again slowly as
before.
He then quietly proceeded: lone
thinks of life rs the life one has known.
Tonight a glimpse has come to me of
something that seems to make lie
worth going on with. II NAV be life
on the other side of divisions; l can't
tell l don't want to be carried back
into the old life, but l do want life-the
life that 1 nearly saw just now, when
we thought that our time was upon us.
And 1 have found you, standing with
me upon the brink. We do not know
each other, you say; we are not friends,
and we can't be. don't know. only
know that would neither go on nor
back. alone"
Her hand. which still chung to his arm,
trembled and was withdrawn, and in
the next moment stole softly into his.
They sat quite silent, and the endless
night drew on. Memories rose before
each of them of hopes and dreams that
had once been all in all. and now were
small and faint and UNNECESSARILY
distant Around them, rising always.
surged the persistent waters. Now and
again gusts OF wind awoke suddenly
and brought a sweep of waves over the
submerged masonry.