, 1884-10-05

90
to
The Two bodies we're no,s coming In atog
~ rfs f-Hminy surf, with no help or hie
r 40 u their own, and, closely locked l.
- co., we're swept swiftly tshore with otb1
D ii the elem snts. They were narrow,
J Is -s from ;he greedy NAV OF the return
ns af. and carried with all speed to III
d. -' where everything was in readinc
20 ore colsciouiress 10 the one and fos;e
3, % he oshcr.
ma pa sci away as tuddeniy as T.
s. II rale glow OF twilight deepenf4
aishL There wa. no moon, but the stan
2 ossr the bay and harbor, and the du *,
T. e u-rm9'iory. To look at the geait
Of wnfes tapping lazily along the sof
WIT AMI tai could hardly believe that 80
htt.c 'iii G n "a two men had been dona al
mas- to their death. He could scarcely stag
ger mt into the wooden porch Of the inn to
breathe the cold, sea-seented afr. And es for
Joe, God only knew what would befall him.
He hal ieen brought pack to life, but not 70
con c-ouines- Polly had managed to get
word to the town physician, but the way was
long and the sand was heavy.
II must have been about midnight; Phil
could not tel the exact time. His watch was
in his waistcoat, under Miss Moitimer's heal,
In the bed of the landlady. Phil had told
them not to awaken Miss Mortimer; under no
circumstances he was so glad she was asleep
and It would he impossible TO say how glad
he was. The latch Of the door clicked behind
him. Pills heart sank. He WIS afraid Miss
Mortimer had, after all, been awakened. But
a faltering. uncertain step reached him. aud
the cold little hrnd OF Polly Barrett clutched
his arm
Any one but Phil would never AVE known
her. The last remnant Of her soft round
raWu.la.ana .-.w. .-.N -.- Ia IL.
storm. All her womanly crimps ind ripper
les were gone. She wore an Uniting gown
of the landlady's Her whole face was of a
wan gray pallor, like the waves under the
cold light OF the stars.
as Joe betterii stammered PhiL Does
he know
"He knows everything and perhaps he's
better. Oh, Phili Philn Polly repressed her
sobs and motioned Phil to the door. "He is
determined 1 shall try ard get some sleep
and you shall watch with him for awhile.
As il could got to sleepl But go TO him, Phil;
don't thwart him-gof"
Phil went in 10 Joe. He will never forget
the low-ceiled room. the two wooden chairs,
the pine table whereon a mop of ragged wick
fsred from a saucer OF oil, the bottle OF
liquor within reach, and the coarse green
glass, the grim old clock in the corner, tick
ing off the seconds, and Joes CHASTITY face
and motionless form upon the camp cot in
the corner. Joe tried to stretch out his hand
10 Phil, but IL fell back heavily upon the
patchwork guilt of the landlady.
You did your best, PHIL he said; you
brought me ashore, but the trouble was done
out there; something seized me, God knows
vhat-paralysis. cramps, palsy-who can tell.
Anyway Pm done for old man. l can't
move a muscle below. It's a mere question
OF time, Phil, and we can't afford to lose
any,
Il hope you're wrong, Joe; wen know bet
ter when the doctor comes. You were right
not to tell Polly. But she must come to you,
Joe.p
Phil would have gone stonce for Polly, but
something in Joe's face held him hack.
"Hold on a bit, Phil. l didn't send for you
and drive Polly away to tell you something
that you'll both know soon enough. There's
"A burden OIL my conscience, Phil; MS been
lying there like a plummet Of lead all these
years. Listen to me, and don't interrupt me
IL you can help It. Give me some of tina
stuff from the bottle, and when 1 grow
weaker give me more"
Phil lifted Joe's head and put the glass t.
his lips; then he sat down upon the edge OF
the cot, leaving his arm between Joe's necl;
and the pillow. Joe could feel Phil's pulse
now, and the loyal heart Of his friend beat
ing close to his own.
Its twenty-five years, PHIL said Joe,
a-inco that night we drove down to the shore
here and had that talk together. You re-
member it, Philf'
Yes, Joe"
All you've remembered it too well, Phil:
I've tried hard enough, God knows, to make
you forget. The sun was sinking over yol
der in the west, and sky and sea were ali
naame. Some heecy clouds dropped low
over the old shed where wo had ordered
some CLAIMS. / remember when l saw Poly
that night. The dress she wore was like a
stab to me; it was Of some soft,
floating material that reminded me
Of the woolly clouds over the old shed.
You didn't eat the CLANS, Phil. You
dnllied with the shells and turned them over
with the queer, old fork they had given you.
And all at once you put them aside and
lighted a cigar, and turned your face to the
cretly loved. Now give me some wine
Phil
Phil put the glass again TO Joe's lips.
Don't talk any more Joe, he said. Let me
20 for Polly
"Not yet said Joe. "You were a hand
some fellow, Phil, twenty-five years ago. As
you went on to talk of the woman you Sc
cretly loved, some sort OF a light shone upon
your face from the splendor in the west that
made 1t like that of an archangel. Itseemed
10 me that no woman could Withstand you.
Ny heart grew like n lump of ice. My first
thought was to walk out in the water and
strsngle myself; my next was worthy of Judas
I~scaiiot. IT was a resolve to betray you. /
must have been tempted by the devil, for, rs
God.i Is my judge In this awful moment Of
my life, l never dreamed before that night
that you and l were in love. with the same
woman. l got upon my feet and shouted,
'She is mine. glaring upon you with a dog
ged. resolute stare. Have you, then, asked
her TO marry your you said, and your face
still looked like an a~rchangel's, while mine
must have been infamed with the passions
that beset u man beyond his strength. AS |
repeated, She is my promised wife the
words seemed to leap from a throat Of fire.
IL was the first downright, hideous, malicious
lie 1 ever uttered, for l had not yet asked
her-I had not yet asked her. But when
did ask her, upon that very night, the next
lie slipped easily from my perjured throat,
though It was a worse one by far. For / told
Polly, PHIL told her before / asked her to
marry me-that you had confessed
20 me your love for her friend, the poor
little girl that afterward became our brides
maid. Whether it was my guilty conscience,
that makes hell enough for any man, / fan
cied ! saw something in Polly's eyes that told
me, had it not been for my treachery. your
chance would have been better than mine.
Now take your arm way from my neck,
Phil, and curse me If you will-my story is
DONE
The pulse at Joe's ear leaped and tugged as
il 1t would burst an artery, but PhiIs voice
bad the old lender ring. u
You might have spared yourself all this, p
he said. Il think Polly has proved who II
was that she loved"
"Ah, after that night, Phil, yes. Polly b.
not tho kind Of woman 70 max the misery oil
1oara A.. 0-.,.-,5 LOOT