Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-01-28

A
forming on the plain in front of Us
So we knew the worst was over
The moon was low down, and ther,
was just the glimmer Of the fals,
dawn that comes about an hour be.
fore the real one. But the light
was very faint, and the dun cloud
roared like bull.
wondered where Edith Cop
leigh had gone, and as | was won
dering ! saw three things together.
First Maud Copleigh's face come
smiling out Of the darkness and
move toward Saumarez, who was
standing by me. / heard the girl
whisper, George" and slide hen
arm through the arm that Twas moi
clawing my shoulder, and l saw
that look on her face which only
comes once or twice in lifetime
when a woman is perfectly happy
and the air is full of trumpets and
gorgeous colored fire and the earth
turns into clouds because she loves
and is loved. At the same time !
saw Saumarez's face as he heard
Maud Copleigh's voice, and five
yards away from the clump of
orange trees saw q brown holland
habit getting upon a horse.
Itmust have been my state of over
excitement that made me so quick
to meddle with what did not con-
Germ me. Saumarez was moving
off to the habit, but pushed him
back and said: "Stop here and
explain. ri fetch her back !''
And. l ran out to get at my own
horse. l had perfect unnecessa-
ry notion that everything must be
done decently and in order, and
that Saumarez's first care was to
wipe the happy look ont of Maud
Copleigh's face. All the time was
linking up the curb chain / won
dered how he would do it.
cantered after Edith Copleigh,
thinking to bring her back slowly
on some pretense or another. But
she galloped away as soon as she
saw me, and l was forced to ride
after her in earnest. She called
back over her shoulder "Go away.
Pm going home. Oh, 60 away T.
two or three time; but my business
was to catch her first, and argue
later.
The rige just fitted in with the
rest of the evil dream. The ground
was very bad, and now and again
we rushed through the whirling,
choking "dustdevils" in the skirts
of the flying storm. There was 9
burning hot wind blowing that
brought up a stencil of stale brick
kilns with it; and through the hall
light, and through the dustdevils,
across that desolate plain, flicker.
ed the brown holland habit on thu
gray horse.
She headed for the station at first.
Then she wheeled around and sci
off for the river through beds oi
burnt down jungle grass, bad ever
to ride pig over. In cold blood
should never have dreamed of go
ino over such a country at night
but it seemed quite right and natu
raj with the lightning cracking
over head, and reek like the smell
of the pit in my nostrils. rode
and shouted, but she bent forward
and lashed her horse, and the af.
termath of the dust storm came uI
and caught us both, and drove us
downward like pieces of paper.
! don't know how far we rode,
but the drumming Of the horses
hoofs and the roar of the wind and
the race of the faint blood red moon
through the yellow mist seemed to
have gone on for years and years,
and / was literally drenched with
sweat from my helmet to my gait
ers when. the gray stumbled, recov-
I-ered himself and pulled up dead
lame. My brute was used up alto
gether. Edith Copleigh was in a
sad state, plastered with dust, her
helmet off and crying bitterly.
''Why can't You let me alone %
she said. 81 only wanted to get
away and 60 home. Oh, please lei
me CO."
"You have got to come back with
me, Miss Copleigh. Saumarez has
something to say to you"
1t was a foolish way of putting
it; but / hardly knew Miss Cop
leigh, and though I was playing
Providence at the cost of my horse,
nnnld mt tell har In M many