Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-18

before ne had fallen a hundred feet.
He was given but a few seconds to
contemplate his impending fate, when
his captor again seized him. This
time not to lift him up and
bear him safely over the place Of
danger as heretofore. but to push him
slowly, relentlessly. nearer to the awful
death which awaited him on the rocks
below. He tried to cry out. but no
sound escaped his lips. He struggled
fiercely to free himself, but his limbs
seemed to be pinioned as tightly as
if they had grown fast together.
After a time he resigned e. him
self to the inevitable and. sent
up a silent prayer to his Maker for
mercy. The next instant he was top
ping over the edge of the precipice.
His captor had left him, but freedom
was of little use to him now, and after
one desperate, but unsuccessful effort
to regain his balance, he closed his
eyes, expecting to open them in eter-
nifty. At that moment hand. gently,
but firmly, grasped his arm and drew
him back to the rock upon which he
had been standing. Turning quickly
to see who had rescued him. he beheId
the beautiful form of his angel wife.
She was changed beyond expression,
yet every feature was as easily recOg-
niZable as when she was in the
flesh. There was no sign of trouble
or sorrow about her, no sign
of disease, but to perfect physical
form and feature was added that
heavenly grace which ''passeth UNDER
standing" The light of the old love
was in her eye, unmixed with regret
or reproach. Her general appearance
and the expression Of her features in
dicated a condition superior to Dan
fOrth's fondest imagination of heavenly
life. As he saw her now, the embodi-
ment of happiness and contentment, he
felt a satisfaction greater than he had
ever before experienced in the efforts
he had made to secure her earthly
Il will henceforth." he mentally re-
solved, consider those few years of
married life the best spent OF all my
earthly existence.
With a graceful gesture his heavenly
visitant babe him follow her. Taking
another wsy.which soon left the noun
tain far behind, they traversed quiet
lanes and green pastures where the tink-
ling of little sheep bells, mingled with
the music of running brooks, recalled |
to Danforth's mind the rural scenes
Of his early childhood and made him
wish that he could return again in fact,
as well as fancy, and be always a boy.
But they were going with the speed of
the wind. and these pleasant scenes
soon faded and they found themselves |
within the limits of the city. On and |
on they went. over Danforth's home,
over the business streets till they came
to the Maybury mansion. Here at the
lighted window in the second story
they stopped.
Look she whispered as she caused |
the curtain on the inside to move quiet |
" upward.
He obeyed without question and saw
on the opposite side of the room a fig
ure reclining on a bed in an attitude of |
deep detection. Soon the figure rose,
and, with quickening pulse Danforth |
Gertrude Maybury. She
was pale and sad, and her infamed |
face and eyes showed that she had been
bitterly. Advancing to table
near the light she drew photograph |
from her bosom, regarded it wistfully |
for a moment and then, kissing it pas
she tore it into bits and !
dropped them into the waste basket.
The curtain noiselessly resumed its
place and Danforth turned TO his guide.
What does it mean?" he asked in a
puzzled. anxious tone.
You are blind" was the reply.
''She loves the man who. tomorrow is
10 become her sisters husband"
The revelation was so sudden, so IN
and carried such an endless
4OOu vi JALCSS AAlO LIS lNh5iH SOOA
hat he awoke with start which nearly
cost linn his life. He was not in
MS own room, nor could he at first tell
where he was. By degrees he became
aware that he was in the open air and
hat he was hanging from the limb of a
tree. The limb which he was grasping
desperately with both hands, was
swaying to and fro and creaking
-hreateningly. As he looked around
for some means of escape from his per-
ilous position. he saw light streaming
from a window few feet above his
head. He could see that the curtain
was raised several inches; but he was
too far below the lighted space to look
into the room. The limb to which he
was clinging brushed against the build
ing making a sharp grating noise which
evidently attracted the attention of the
occupant of the room for the curtain
was Immediately drawn down. Sud
denly a dog began barking furiously in
the yard below, and for the first time