The Red Cloud chief., 1884-06-13
What made you stay:9" he asked
suddenly. She hesitated 4 little.
ssIIbot ",la ,n..D

"What made yOa::'
81 hardly know. more than what ]
sa:d-that nobody cared much whether
l did or not. ana that 1t not care
much myself. Bat [ am older than o
AMI haze had about As much out OF
life rs it will ever give mr."
81 don't think that it need be Il 0ur,.
ton # age how much ones life is worth.
Nine did not matter To any one, either;
. md il was not yer easy or hcpeful for
myself. had wanted SO much, and
had to learn that l must do with so lit
tie. OF course, il is not mob e to care
So much about ones own petty happi.
ness. but oh! one does care. And then,
all at once, here was a way of escape,
not selfish. but to help happier people.
and it seemed the kew to
everything when YOU stood up in the
boat and said that you would STAY"
Yet said he, Il could not help
wondering. as we stepped out. whether
what we were really giving to those
young lovers was only time to lose their
love for each other. even in remem-
brance. For death can only destroy the
future. but life a destroy the past,
too"
Are you sorry. then. that YOU staid?"
There was a little note of mockery ir
in the question. or his conscience ere,
ated it.
NO. it seemed the thing to do. One
but act in the present. And even if
a man could know certainly that dea.h
would keep their love for then. aod
life would lose it. he could hardly b,'ng
himself TO say: Then let death co,ie.'
1t takes Apollo to give death when he
is asked for the best gilt. But vet.
what a chance for two lovers tc nave
died together Sc"
She drew 4 rather deeper breath and
made no spoken answer.
Down at the far horizon the late moon
was rising. vague aud cloudy. A ghost
iy | ght. bringing III its wake mySteri-
III shadows, spread slowly As the moon
drowsily lifted herself and dropped the
IniS,s from her shoulders. The man,
booking down. in TN. clearer light, TO
the water, started and said: 1T is COM
M up much faster"
She stopped and looked. Then their
eyes. lifting. sought each other. Both
faces We're pale in the moonlight. On
both sat the human shrinking from this
upward crawling fate. Yet it was
something To see each other.
How long is it TO morning." she
asked.
He drew on his watch, but there
came 4 cloud across the moon and thew
had to wait.
1T is just past twelve" said he.
Perhaps they will come out by
moonlight
Perhaps" said he. But neither of
them had any trust in the hope.
He had seen in the moment when
they looked ii each other that she was
indeed younger than his first SUPPOSE
ton. though hardly so young as his Sec
Ond. She might be five-and-twenty. 1t
was not 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 10 the sky. Her ewes
were closed and her lips drawn in. |
There was hut time to look once before
the lips curved again into 4 smile and
the eyes opened to a calm gaze.
The nan sitting by he- heard the
changing and deepening tone of the
water rs it came up and up.
You are too young for this" said
he. abruptly.
His voice had changed and dcepened
like the tonc of the water.
NO, no. she answered, after 4 mo-
ment. "Don't trouble about me-"
81 do trouble about YOU. It's hOrri-
bic. horrible.'
She again kept silence for a little
space: then she said: When ] heard
you say-that in the boat. and get up
to say. l :elt. suddenly. As ii it was ::
cruel thing not TO say with YOU. o
as well rs TO save them
She had been Obliged to speak the
words loudly; for the wind rose
suddenly and .iercelv, and the shock of
the wa.er froke noisily on the walls.
And as she ceased came a terrible
the whole building creaked and
Swayed: there We're heavy SIP a-heS i'm
the water, and water >pouted ever
them As they caught and cluny Ia eacil
D:her. Long hair Wa blown before his
They held each oti er faS;. pant
ne and trembling. Sne freed 4 hand
and drew aside her In r. There was Il
of water. running. trickling and
iropping. The calm moon. Iu suing
her leisurely pathway. pissed out from
a cloud, and showed them that
he plat orm ut the other end of the
house had given way. and the stack of
'himneys opposite mad falle
If it had been these said she.
They crouched nearer together, each
till holding to the other. The tea. in
'ach mind now was the fear of being
divided, of losing all human compan-
The waters were rising a,,er,
Using. rs it seemed, with a malignant,
lungry JOY.
1T can't be long now" SAID the man.
No" said she.
There were 4 few more life long mo-
in which thev sat silent, breath
ng hard. The wild gust of wint aba;-
d; the moon found \ wide. open arch
Tar among the clouds the face of the =,
'aters grew by comparison still again. I
And So said he. lit was for me {
staid. and even al the end | can't ,
o away in peace without pull g down
ONE n else. And You. who staid, S
re a stranger. and we shall die here
ogether. strangers. Oh, the IRONY of
his world! All nv life l have been r
'litary and deserted. 1t has been nv
'ult; and now lite is over. It's all 100
lte, auu there's M timar