Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-10-04

VI icl ihotcp, ucCiucu, WIS u ittio loc
emphatic. Ipassed her back and forth
tofore me. weighing her at every point;
but yet these two things were the only
inperfections.
81 pronounced her an exceeding piece
Of art-and infamy. l was hugely in
terested to see how she could appear
perfect in her soul. / encouraged her
to talk. / saw with devilish irony that
an angel spoke. And to cap 1t all she
assumed the fascinating air Of the medi-
ator-for her brother, seeking a recon
citation between us. Her amazing art
OF person and mind 50 worked upon me
that it became uncomfortable, II was so
exquisite and so shameless.
II was sitting where the priest had
sat that afternoon, and when she leaned
toward me l caught her chin lightly
and trailed my fingers through her hair
as he had done, and that ended it, for
was cold and my heart worked with hor-
rible slowness. Just as wave poises
at its height before breaking upon the
shore it hung at every pulse beat, and
then seemed to fall over with sicken-
ing thud. l arose and, acting still,
spoke impatiently Of her brother. Tears
sprang to her eyes. Such divine dis
similationl l thought-too good for
earth. She turned to leave the room
and did not stay her YET we were to-
gether again that night. 1 was only
waiting"
The cigarette had dropped from his
fingers to the floor and lay there s1nok-
ing. Shon's face was fixed with anxiety.
Pierre's eyes played gravely with the
sunshine. Vending drew a heavy
breath and then went on:
again next day it was like this-the
world draining the heat. l watched
from the big mill. | saw them again.
He leaned over her chair and buried his
face in her hair. The proof was abso-
lutte now. started away, going round
about, that l might not be seen. 1t took
me some time. was passing through
a clump Of cedar when / saw them max
ing toward the trees skirting the river.
Their backs were on me. Suddenly they
diverted their steps toward the great
slide, shut off from water this last few
months, and used Us a quarry TO deepen
it. Some petrifed things had been found
in the rocks, but | did not think they
were going to these.
II saw them climb down the rocky
steps, and presently they were lost to
view. The gates of the slide could DO
opened by machinery from the little
mill. A terrible, deliciously malignant
thought came TO me. remember how
the sunlight crept away from me and
left me in the dark. / stole through
that darkness to the little mill. went
to the machinery for opening the gates.
Very gently | set it in motion, facing
the. slide as | did so. | could see it
through the open sides Of the mill.
"Ismiled to think what the tiny creek,
always creeping through faint leak in
the gates and falling with granite rat
| tie on the stones, would now become. ]
pushed the lever harder, harder. saw
the gates suddenly give, then fly open,
and the river sprang, roaring, massively,
| through them. heard a shrek through
| the roar. | shuddered; and a horrible
! sickness came on me. And as l turned
/ from the machinery, saw the young
priest coming at me through a doorway
1t was not the priest and my wife that
had killed, but my wife and her brother.
He threw his head back as though
something clamped his throat. His
voice roughened with misery: 1.-THE
young priest buried them both, and PEG
pie did not know the truth. They were
even sorry for me. But gave up tht
mills-all; and | became homeless Eel
this"
Now he looked up at the two men and
said: II have told you because you know
something, and because there will,
think, be an end soon" He got up ant
reached out a trembling hand for {
cigarette. Pierre gave him one. "Wil
you walk with me" he asked.
Shon shook his head. "God forgiv,
your he replied; II can't do it"
But Vending and Pierre left the hu
together. They walked for an hour
scarcely speaking and not considering
where they went. At last Pierre me
chemically turned TO go down into tn
Red glen. Vending stopped short
then with signing laugh strobe on
"Shon has told you what happene'
hereY' he said.
Pierre nodded.
"And you know what came once whel
you walked with me. The dead cal
Strike" he added.
Pierre sought his eye. 1.-THE ministe
and the girl buried together that day,
he said, "were"--
He stopped, for behind him he hear,
the sharp, cold trickle of water. Silen
they walked on. 1t followed them
They could not get out Of the ravin
now until they had compassed its lengtl
the walls were high. The sound grew
The men faced each other. "Goodby,
said Vending, and he stretched ont hi
hand swiftly. But Pierre heard
mighty flood groaning on them, and h
blinded as he stretched out his arm i
reply.
He caugh. at Weddings shoulder