The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-10-02
AL ARAF.
-Risked Els Life to Save His Sweet.
heart--A Love Story.

The singular name which my friend
Sidney Action had chosen for his estate,
a charming property overlooking the
-Conestoga. near the railway bridge, bad
always been mystery TO me. had a
notion of the meaning of the phrase.
but how it came to be applied to pref.
ty modern villa, surrounded by tasteful
grounds. and occupied by respectable
gentleman and his lovely wife, was a
problem cosld not solve.
After turning the matter over in nv
mind for considerable time, without
seeing any light, ventured to ask my
host for an explanation during visit to
the place.
lis it possible that you have never
heard the stOry?" he said. with smile
ut is incredible, considering how fond
l 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. -
l followed him to the spot indicated,
where we seated ourselves upon rustic
bench beneath clump of sycamores.
''ln the first place, " he began. ''you are
aware that Al Araf is the name the Mo-
hammedans give to their PurgatOry-a
sort of halfway house for departed
hasr \
hell. Into the latter. gloomy pit.
whence arises continually thunders and
roarings like the voice of a thousand
waterfalls. the condemned soul is sent
with a plunge. Into the other. the true
believer is led across bridge no wider
than hair. You shall presently decide
for yourself whether the name l have
given TO my estate, commemorative of
my eXperince, is apt or not.
The river at this point. as you per-
'ceive. is compressed into swift, turbid
stream. not more than five hundred
yards in diameter, between two steep
walls of rock over 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 it is narrowest. You may
discern. little below the ,oad-bed,
three lines, looking from this point like
fine spiders webs. They are the tele-
graph wires of the company. resting
upon the projecting bu,tresses of the
piers. How would YOU like attempting
To enter heaven over such bridge as
those would make, knowing that the
.nh fnr 10 in 60 49,
plunging headlong into that hell of
water whirling below? Well. if a woman s
love be heaven, as the poets tell us it is.
l have made my way to it over that very
bridge
ii was an ambitious young lawyer at
the period l am speaking of and as
hard a worker as ever entered plea.
Although worn out with the long win
tiers 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
remaining whose society proved an am
pie substitute for the whole gay crowd
oflpleasure-seekers. Need say it was a
lady?
Il thought her then the sweetest wo-
man that ever blest the sight of man.
! 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.
1t seemed that l could not breathe or
live outside of the atmosphere of her
presence. There was no sun in the sky
when l could not see her smile; no har-
mony in nature when her voice was si-
lent. Extravagant, you will say. Doubt
less; but if were a woman l wouldn' t
give the turn of smy hand for the love of
man who would not make an arra1t
feol of himself for nv sake.
Nevertheless made little or DO visi-
BILE progress with her. She evife lily
liked me as friend; she was gent and
gracious, but nothing more. Of course.
had 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
to me ten long years of delicious hope
and desperate dependency, alternative
every half hour of the day and night.
Sometimes, when she would suddenly
raise her eyes and detect nv own fixed
upon her with yearning intensity, she
would flush slightly and her voice would
tremble. Then my heart would cry out
exultantIy, She loves me- Again it
would occur to me that no woman.
however cold, could witness the signs Of
. mans passion for her without some
confusion. Then would curse my own
mad folly and drop miles deep into the
pit of despair.
$50 matters ran on until the end Of
the fortnight, when one rainy afternoon,
rs we sat upon the porch together, she
told me that she was 10 return to the
city on the following morning. II she
had read c,y own death warrant instead
/ should have borne it more stoically.
For moment 1 Eat mute and bewild-
cred. Going sway from me! Return
ing to the great city. among whose teem-
tng thousands should perhaps lose her