The Osceola times., 1885-10-03
AL ARAF.
Riskod His Life to Save His Sweet.
heart--A Love Story.

The singular name which my friend
Sidney Action had chosen for his estate,
q charming property overlooking the
Conestoga, near the railway bridge, bad
always been a mystery TO me. had a
notion OF the meaning of the phrase,
but how it came to be applied to pref
" modern villa, surrounded by tasteful
grounds, and occupied by respectable
gentleman and his lovely wife, was a
problem | could not solve.
After turning the matter over in my
mind for a considerable time, without
seeing any light, / ventured TO ask my
host for an explanation during visit to
The place.
'ls it possible that you have never
heard the story?' he said. with a smile.
at is incredible, considering how fond
am of relating it To anyone who will
listen. Well, in that case, if you will
come with me to the brow of the hill
opposite to the bridge, you shall have
the advantage of hearing the drama, on
the scene of its occurrence. from the
mouth of one of the principal actors. "
| followed him to the spot indicated,
where we seated ourselves upon rustic
bench beneath clump of sycamores.
in the first place. he began, 'you are
aware that Al Araf is the name the Mo-
hammedans give TO their Purgatory
sort of halfway house for departed
spirits, midway between heaven and
hell. Into the latter, a gloomy pit.
whence arises continually thunders and
roarings like the voice Of thousand
waterfalls, the condemned soul is sent
with a plunge. Into the other, the true
believer is led across n bridge no wider
than hair. You shall presently decide
for yourself whether the name ! have
given TO my estate, commemorative of
my experince. is apt or not.
The river at this point, as you per-
cciye, is compressed into swift, turbid
stream. not more than five huudred
Yards in diameter, between two steep
walls of rock oyer three hundred feet
In height The bridge, an iron structure,
supported by two brick piers, springs
from the bluffs on either side of the
stream where il is parrowcst. You may
discern, n little below the road bed,
three lines. looking from this point like
fine spiders webs. They are the tele-
graph wires of the company. resting
upon the projecting buttresses of the
piers. How would YOU like attempting
10 enter heaven over such a bridge as
those would make, knowing that the
chances were ten TO one in favor of your
plunging headlong into that hell of
whirlng below Well. if Il woman $
love be heaven, as the poets tell us il is,
have made my way to it over that very
bridge.
81 was an ambitious young lawyer at
the period am speaking of and as
hard n worker as ever entered plea.
Although worn out with the long win
ters labor, gave myself no rest until
late in the season. Then consented to
take two weeks vacation and came
down TO spend it at the hotel, whose
gables you can see through the trees on
the opposite bank of the river
Most of the guests had already de-
parted, for the cold September storms
had set in and the nights were sharp
and blustry; but there was one persons
pie substitute for the whole gay crowd
oflpleasure-seckers. Need say ii was a
lady?
81 thought her then the sweetest wo-
man that ever blest the sight of man.
l must have been right, you see, be-
cause my opinion has undergone no
change to this day. Young, ardent, and,
despite my legal training, inexperienced.
fell madly in love with her at first
sight, and made not the slightest at
tempt to disguise it.
81 followed her about like her shadow.
II seemed that | could not breathe or
i've outside of the atmosphere OF her
presence. There was no sun in the sky
Whth could not see her smlei no har-
mony in nature when her voice was ST.
ieht ENtravagant, YOU will say. Doubt
less but if were woman ! woudn
give the turn of my hand for the love OF
aman who would not make an arrant
iool of himself for my sake.
Nevertheless made little or no visi-
ole progress with her. She eviGe ltly
nSed me as friend; she was gent g and
gracious, but nothing more. Of course.
nau been in a cooler frame of mind, ]
should have understood that under the
most favorable circumstances l could
expect nothing more after a ten days
acquaintance. But those ten days were
me ten long years of delicious hope
anu desperate dependency, alternative
every half hour of the day and night.
sometimes, when she would suddenly
raise her eyes and detect my own fixed
upon her with yearning intensity, she
would flush slightly and her voice would
uemble. Then my heart would cry out
sAui.antly, She loves me. Again II
would occur TO me that no woman,
however cold, could witness the signs OF
man passion for her without some
eoniusion. Then | would curse my own
u, mad folly and drop miles deep into The
PIT of despair.
4, % matters ran on until the emil ol
.ne fortnight, when one rainy aftern bon,
u.s., ~ we sat upon the porch together, she
e,' 'u me that she was 10 return 10 the
Ivy on the following morning. If she
10y read my own death-wariant instead
should have borne IL more stoically
W moment l sat mute and bewild
;s.ea. Going away from mel Returi'
70 tie great city, among whose teeni
WouSands 1 sl,s,,ald mariana lose heI