The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-05-31

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SHE WAS PAST REyIvING AND DEAD.
ed and dazed, his left arm hung limp and
motionless by his side, but his eye, wild and
haggard, shot around the glances Of man
determined and desperate even to death.
Naught! naught! could he see! Naught,
except black, ill-omened bird of strange
form and plumage. Standing motionless on
a crag that overlooked the deeper part of
the cove, it suddenly shrieked out in those
same weird, unearthly, frightened tones
that he had heard before; and, spreading its
wings, sailed YEARLY away toward the
pines.
With an execration, Fairfax hurled a
stone after it. Thrown with unerring aim
and tremendous force, the missile hit the
creature so that 1t tumbled heavily to the
ground, where it lay futtering in the
throes Of death
Fairfax glared at it with no other emo
tion than that Of hate and glutted revenge.
A racking pain in his forearm now at
traced his attention. CHANGING at himself,
he. for the first time, became aware Of
his frightful condition.
Blood was streaming from various bruises
all over his body. His clothing hung about
him in tatters. His forearm was broken
and his shoes cut to pieces.
There was no fresh water at hand.
salt water is better than no water at all.
I'll wash my wounds in that--sting
though they may" quoth he, grimly shut
| ting his lips
The dying bird fluttered again.
With glance of rage at il and an oath,
Fairfax stumbled to the head Of the cove
and. tearing of fragment of his clothing,
was about to wash and bind up his wounds,
when he CHANGED to look out into the
deeper water beyond.
Utterlng cry Of horror he at first re-
coiled, but, quickly recovering himself,
sprang into the sea and swan out with
strokes vigorous as broken arm and
manned body would allow.
Was ii Natalie who lay there SO quietly
and peacefully on the heaving water, her
long, dark curling tresses streaming out far
behind her in the cool. translucent wave, her
pure, upturned face cleaning like marble in
the moonbeams and her white-robed,
shapely form rising and falling on the long
sea-swells
Not daring to look at the face, not daring
to verify his horrible suspicion, Fairfax,
with the deep and laborcd breathing of one
| undergoing some terrible excitement, ex-
tended his wounded arm against her
figure and, striking out powerfully with his
| other limbs, forced her to the shore.
Touching terra Jfrma, he lifted her bodily
and, staggering woefully beneath the
burden, almost fell forward upon the rocks
slippery with sea-wecd.
Then, for the first time, he found courage
to glance at her face.
She was past reviying, quite dead, and
she uas not the Princess,
Fairfax brcathed fervent THANK God !.
and, Immediately, for the first and only
time in his life, fell i'll dead faint, beside
/ the drowned girl.
How long he lay there, he could not say
probably for three or four hours. The
strain upon his nerves and strength had
been something tremendous. Besides, he had
eaten nothing since breakfast.
When he regained consciousness, dawn
was family shining in the east.
Was it all a horrible dreams.
No! there on the grass beside him, In
the sleep that knows no waking, lay the
figure of the dead maiden. Acutest pains
shot through his arm and his whole bod,
seemed mass Of aching bruises
/ Faint and weak, he summoned all his
strength and courage and rose slowly to his
feet.
What was to be done. This was no time
for moping or for sentimental regrets. Hi:
tired energies again must act.
Who was this girl, and what her history
How was she drowned, and why-hcre il
| these remote coasts.
Scarcely more than nineteen she seemed
about the age of his own Natalie. Sh,
looked like an Orient Princess. Beautiful
and classic as Greek marble, and almus
| as white,
Not wrinkle or a line showed in tina
fair countenance: not frown, even. But
quiet and serenely peaceful, she slept.
II am Of the house of Crsarr breathet
| forth from every curve and contour Of tina
| marvellous face and form to all who looket
upon her.
And no Caesar was ever thine equal, o.
ever shall bc!' fell spontaneously from tn,
lips Of the ravished gazer.
Crescent earrings were pendant to eS
quisitely shaped ears, and on her left han,
glittered a brilliant signetring of rare AM
antique shape, set with a stone of wondrou
beauty and value A necklace of costlies
pearls, arranged in q manner severe in it
| 0lLApiAShs, SiSlSiSu tuI IrOIiouSu tlll
hanging from this necklace. q ieweled locke
rested OH her barred, ivory bosom.
Again he glanced at that curious, Quain
ring.
Once, and only once before, had he see
its counterpart.
There arose before his backward gain
eyes the vision Of pleasant little room i
an old, low house at Tangicrs; the grizzlet
| hlr -fNnn %nsv ,lxSsn
sci sat in closest conference with noble
looking, gray-bearded Greek merchan
prince, whose whole life seemed bent o.
money getting, above all, came the men
DRY o5 that dark-orbed, olive-hued littl
daughter, with her bright, sweet, cage
face, literally hanging upon every wor
from his lips, watching his every motto
with those lustrous, melting eyes Of her.
forestalling his every wish, her tireles
feet trotting hither and thither for cooling
fruits or drinks
Again he heard her earnest voice striy
ing to repeat after him those long, III
wieldy English words. Again he guide
her small fingers, while they shaped tn
curving letters Of his mother-tongue H
saw, once more, her grateful eye and tn
bright flush Of pleasure when he praise
some successful effort; then her look Q
shame and modification, as he laughe
goodnaturcdly at some blunder, the II
suit of laborcd, well meant endeavors.
He recalled the sudden tear, the deathl
pallor Of her face and upon his ear smot
her sob of despair, when the rough old car
tain entered and announced his departur
on the morrow, adding:
"Arthur, my lad, you must leave your lii
tie pupil When VIC. quilted your uncle.