The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-31

tDe ueu on OO8fu the snip VIM n"No
wives and children of their own. There
are but seven of them to man the life boat,
and two of them are feeble"
Winnie turned round upon the woman;
great 1eaping fear came into her eyes. Her
Arthur, He must not 20; be must not leave
her; she could not bear to lose him. Ar
thur" she cried In . dry, strained voice.
don't listen. You cannot go-you belong
TO me now. you have wife. Let those who
have none 60.
Shehed him by the arm in her agony,
looking into his face. trying to fathom by
his expression whether or no her appeal
would be successful. She dared scarcely
hope that it would be. He. her hero, to do
an act Of heroism! There was strange
look on his face; she thought it was the
look of one about to do a deed of valor.
Arthur" she walled. think of me-"
At that moment another distress signal
doomed from tho unfortunate ship: The
woman who had been appealing to Arthur
flung her children away from her with
quick gesture OF despair. then strobe down
towards the hfe-boat. turning back her
sleeves from two mighty arms.
hot flush dyed Arthur's cheeks He
stood still and irresolute for q moment.
then ran blindly after the woman.
Arthur painted Winnie. what are you
about to doW
They had come to the little slope whence
all the fishing boats and also the life-boat
were launched. The seven men, aided by
the woman. were pushing her down amid
sheets Of white foam into the boiling
waters. The waves werc piled mountain
high and fell with a laundering. murder
Gus roar upon the surrounding rocks. The
ship was invisible from moment to mo-
ment.
Arthur Hill stood still. hesitatinely. He
gazed from his wife to the boat and back
again at his wife. Then. with mighty
effort, Come away. Winnie" he said; he
shIvered. God help them" he murmured,
brokenly.
would have led him away, but he turned
again.
Coward. coward. cowardp' he cried,
with a sort of impotent rage that hurt Win
ME, for were not the words meant for herr
Was it not she who was making coward
of himl
They walked home in silence. Then
Winnie stole look at her hero. who was
now playing such an IgnOble part for her
sake. "Ho is angry with me-" she said to
herself, seeing that he was fighting with
some great emotion; 'ho is thinking that
l take bis manliness away from him by my
weak womanIsh fears; but if l am always
to live in dread of his performing some
desperate deed of valOr, my life Will be
burden to me. would rather he were less
brave. l fear am no proper wife for him."
On they walked silently, without ex-
changing word. until they reached
their lodgings. by this time the tears
had crept into Winnie's sweet eyes. for
silence was unnsual between them. She
stole another look at her husbands face;
it was st II pale she felt suddenly as If her
heart must break. She ran up the stairs to
herroom, and flung herself face downwards
on the bed.
She lay there some time with a horrible
disappointed feeling creeping over her that
her husband had not followed her. as she
had hoped he might when he saw her tears.
But although she listened with all her ears,
she could not hear his fOotstep on the stair.
She waited for what seemed to her an IN
terminable time, until sudden thought
caused her to spring up and hasten down
the stairs Arthur had dou btless taken the
opportunity of her absence to steal from
the house and to betake himself to the work
of rescue where his heart WAS.
But when she reached the sitting-room
she found that her fears had been ground
less. Arthur was seated by the table, his
face OH his hands, his head bent in an al
most effeminate attitude of despair The
sight of her hero in such distress stirred
depths. "Ob. Arthur" she cried Il thought
you would not care that / should be able
to make up to you for not helping. But
20. then, since You desire 1t; will keep
yon back no longer; only do not be angry
with mew
Her lips were all quivering and the tears
falling fast. He looked up suddenly at her
with pale and distraught face.
Winnie" be cried, IN hoarse. appeal.
ing whisper help me TODD what is right"
He seemed so broken down that her
heart felt breaking She went 10 him,
knelt down beside HIM. and putting her
arm lovingly round his neck. drew bis
bowed head on to her shoulder. Her touch
seemed to revive him.
Winnie" he cried desperately, Il have
sinned horribly against you.
Against met" she asked-"ngainst mep
She was so much surprised that she stared
at him open-mOuthed.
Yes" he whispered; help me to confess,
Winniew
Tell me-" she said soothingly; what
ever 1T is 1t had better be swept aw ay from
between u.s."
He took her hand in his and pressed 1T
gratefully. 1t seemed TO help him to hold
il. And then he looked at her and spoke,
keeping his eyes fixed on her:
first day l saw you, Winnie, when saved
your life. Oh. Winnie. the deed that you
all eulogized the deed of hero
was in truth the despairine deed of
] am nothing bnt a coward, Winnie.
No her0-ah no; not even as brave as an
ordinary man. 1t was fear-sheer. blind
fear-not COURAGE. that made me lose my
head and spring down after you that day.
They had been pressing against mo so; it
was with no thought of you bnt only that
/ grew so desperately frightened for N.Y.
self that lost all seif-control. / had no
intention of sprIngiEg down when did il.
scarcely knew 1 had done 1t. seized hold
In my fear / would have run on forever,
only the platform stopped me. l never
thought of you.
And when L won you. Winnie, could
not confess to you as l should have done,
for fear of losing you. 1t was cowardice
to-day that made me refuse to 60 out with
the lIfe-boat-sheer, unmanly cowardice,
Winnie. not your sweet pleading. For oh!
if had been a man. / should have remem-
bered those other men whom ! ouGnt to
have helped in their distress. Why are
you so silent, dearf Cannot you forgivef"
She drew his head Gil to her breast and
let it rest there. My darling" she whis-
pered, this confession of yours-It IL brave
of you TO make il. for | should never have
known if you had withheld il. Besides
that. was courage the only quality which
you pOssessedf 1t is true thafil loved you
for it at first but that was before l knew
you. Phys courage ia q great thing. no
doubt. but kind, true nature Is better"
Allan Affair." In English Illustrated Magazine.