Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-05-14

L over Inc gull.
A score of startled gulls with their cries
called me to myself l opened my eyes, thas
had shut in sheer giddiness. Close ON my lett
| the ledge was broke back to the very base,
cutting me off by twelve feet from that par :
where the ladder still rested. No man could
| jump it, standing To the right there was ne
| gap; but in one place only was the footing
| over ten inches wide, and at the end my rope
hung over the sea, good yard away from
/ the edge.
| j shut my ewes and shouted.
There was no answer. In the dead stiffness
/ could hear the rafters falling III the House
! Of Gleys. and the shouts of the men at work.
I The GOdsend lay around the point, out of
| sight. And Billy, deaf As a stone, sat, no
doubt, 10y his rope, placidly waiting my signal.
| l screamed again and again. The rock
| flung my voice seward. Across the summit,
vaulted above, there drifted puff of brown
smoke No one heard.
\ while of weakness followed. My brain
reeled; my fingers dug int the rock behind
till they bled. bent forward-forwardO over
the heaving mist, through which the sea
| crawled like snake 1t beckoned me down,
| that crawling water
l stiffened my knees, and the faintness
| passed l must not look down again. Iu
! flashed on me that Della had called ms weak,
and l hardened my heart to fight 1t out. l
would face round TO the cliff and work to-
wards the rope.
All the way 1 kept shouting, and So for
half an hour, inch by inch, shuiiied forward
until l stood under the rope. Then had to
turn again.
The rock, though still overarching, here
pressed out less than before, so that, working
round on the ball of my foot, managed
pretty easily. But how to get the rope! As
l said, 1t hung good yard beyond the ledge,
the moose dangling some two feet below 1t.
With my finger tips against the cliff, leaned
l rF Fsltn fal, N.Na IV-g loot
| Shall I jumpF' thought !, ''or bide here till
L-lp cOmes.'
Twas giddy, awful leap. But the black
| LOrro' was at my heels now. In a minute
more 'twould have me, and then my fall was
certain. l called up Delia's face as she had
tainted me. l bent my knees, and, leaving
10y hold of the rock, sprang forward-ou5,
Ger the sea.
saw it twinkle, fathOms below. Ny right
| L1ud tOuched-grasped the rope; then my
LIT as | swung far out upon 1t. l slipped ~
| -L-h-three incheS-then held, swaying Wilt
". My foot was in the moose. l heard =
shout above, and. as ! dropped 70 q sitting
posture, the rope began to rise.
Quick! Oh, Billy, pull quick"
He could not hear, Yet tlgged like a Trojan.
"NOw, here's n time To keep man sittin' ~
. zhouted, as he caught my hand and pulled
lie -ull length on the turf. Why, lad-hast
seen a ghostl'
had Oysrtaken me at last.
They carried me to shed in the great
court Of GleyS, and set me on straw; and
there, till far into the afternoon, | lay be
twiXt swOoning and trembling, while Della
bathed my head in water from the sea, for no
other was to be had. And about in the
-fternOOn the horror left me, 50 that | sat up
Cnd told my story pretty steadily.
what of the hOuSe!' | asked, when the
tale was done, and company sent to search
the east cliff from the beach.
an perished.' said Della, and then, snail-
ing, Il am houSeieSs as ever, jack
And have the Same good friends"
That's true But liSten-fOr while you
E-vs lain here, Billy and l have put our heads
together. He Is bound for Brest, he saws,
and has agreed to take me and such poor
Chattels rs are saved to Brittany, where
know my mothers kin will have :; welcome
Cor me, until these troubles bc passed ~
ready the half of my goods is aboard tue
GOdsend, and Il letter writ to Sir Beyil.
begging MIN to appoint an honest mar Is my
=. ward. What think you of the plan!'
at seems u good plan" l answered :. .-ly;
che England that now is. Is no placs fyr q
Eoman. Wh1Ei 10 you sail:'
As soon a. ION arc recovered, Jack
Then that's nJW.' | got on my feet and
dew or my boots that Matt. Soames had
found in the laurel bushes and brought. My
Knees trembled bit. but nothing to matter.
Art looking downclst, Jack
Said |, How else should look, that all to
A3-e thee in an hour or more!'
She made no reply to this, but turned aTGv
to give an order To the sailors
The last of Delia'S furniture was hardly
aboard, when we heard great shouts of joy,
and saw the men returning that had gone to
search the cliff They bore between them
three large oak Golfers, which, being broke,
We came on an imsnense deal of Old plate and
There were two more left behind, they said,
bsSidrS several small bags of Sol@ TIE path
nj the cliff was hard to climb, and would have
been impossible but for the iron ladder they
found ready fixed for Master Tingcomb's dc
Sent In the hole that could not be seen
from the beach, the shelf hiding III was tackle
for lowering the chest: and below n boat
moored, and now left high and dry by the
tide. Doubtless, the arch rascal had waited
for his comrades TO return whom Matt.
SOamcs and | had scared out of all stomach
to 90 50. His body was nowhere found. The
sea ha3 washed it off; but the sack they re-
covered, and found to hold the choicest of
rela'5 heir looms. Within an hour the re-
n:aiuing Golfers and the money bags were safe
IL the vessels hold.
The sun was setting rs Della and stood on
the beach beside the boat that was to take
her from RE. Aboard the Godsand could
lear the anchor lifting, and the men singing,
es, holding MOlly's bride, l held out my hand
20 the dear maid who with me had shared so
many peril.
SIS there any more to Gomez" she asked
mo- said J. and God knows my heart was
heavy; nothing to come but 'Farewellrn
She laid her small hand in my big palm,
and, CHANGING up, said very pretty and de-
Gaure:
And shall I leave NV bestl Wilt not
cpule. too u@2r GdcEg'
"Delia.' l stammered. What is thisi
Thought you loved me not
And 80 did /, Jack; and, thinking so, l
found l loved thee better than ever. Fie on
thee, now! May not a maid change her mind
without being forced to such unseemly, bra
zen Words" And she heaved mock sigh.
But rs | stood and held that little hand, l
seemed across the very mist of happiness TO
read sentence written, and spoke 1t, per-
force and slow, as with another mans mouth:
"Delia. YOU only have | loved, and will
loFei BliIhe would I've TO live with you, and
to serve you would blithely die In sorrow,
then call for me- or in trust abide me. But
90 with YOU now Imay not"
She lifted her eyes, and looking full into
E-ine, repeated slowly the verse We had read
&C cur first meeting:
IL a wife's lap, as in a grave,
Mans airy notions mix with Garth.
Thou hast found it, sweetheart-thou hast
found the Splendid Spur."
She broke off, and clapped her hands to-
gether very merrily; and then, as tear
started:
But thoult come for me ere long, Jacks
Else am sure to blame some other woman.
StayH-
She drew off her ring, and slipped it on my
little finger.
There's my tokenl Now give me one to
weep and be glad over =