The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-05

pressing her bosom heavily on mine
sobbed so piteously that / grew afraid
for her and drew back the long masses
of hair which had fallen forward. AMI
kissed again and again those lips that
were too lovely for simile. Never came
a word Of chiding from them. Love, a"
/ she said, when she had regained her
breath, "the past struggle was sharp ami
torturing-the future struggle viii be
crueler still. What a great love yours
was to wait and trust for so long! Would
that mine had been as powerful! Poor,
weak heart that l could not endure"
The tones Of wild fear throbbed
through all her speech strongly, but vet
with insufficient power to prevent her
from feeling the tenderness of those mo.
ments. Often timorously raising her
head from my shoulder she looked
around, and then turned with soft.
inarticulate and glad murmur to hide
her face on my bosom. / spoke fer
vently; told Of the years spent away
from her; how, when working in the
diamond fields, she had ever been pres
ent in my fancy; how at night her name
had fallen from my lips in my only
prayer; how had dreamed OF her among
the greatest in the land--the richest
and l dare swear the loveliest woman in
the world,
grew warmer still. All the gladuess
which had been constrained for so long
now burst wildly from my lips; a myriad
of rich ideas resolved into words which.
being spoken, wove one long and deli
cious fit of passion As we stood to
gether the moon frightened and filled
the chamber with light like the days
The ridges of the surrounding moorlanl
stood out in sharp relief.
Rose drank in my declarations thirst
lily, but soon interrupted me with
heavy sigh Come away she said
softly. Il no longer live in this house.
You must stay with me tonight. This
place is so wretched now, for time, that
in you and me has only strengthened
love, has wrought much ruin here
Half leaning on me she led me from
the precincts of Breton hall. We
walked in silence over the waste that
crowns the valley Of the Whitelands,
and being near the verge of the rocks
saw the great pine wood sloping down
ward, lighted near us by the moon, but
soon lost in density. Along the mysteri-
GUS line where the light changed Into
/ gloom, intricate shadows of withered
summer bracken struck and receded in
mimic battle. Before up lay the
. Priests cliff. The moon was veiled
here by a grove of elms, whose ever
/ swaying branches alternately increased
and lessened her brightness. This was
Z place Of notoriety-a veritable Col
gotha--a haunt fit only for demons,
Murder and theft had been punished
here, and to this day fireside stories are
told of evil women dancing around that
Druids circle, carrying hearts plucked
from gibbeted bodies.
"Rose, l whispered why have you
brought me here;'
She made no reply, but pressed her
head more closely TO my shoulder.
Scarcely had my lips closed than q
sound like a hiss of a half strangled
snake vibrated among the trees. 1t grew
louder and louder. \ Inonstrous shadow
hovered above.
Rose from my bosom murmured'
Love is strong as death! Love is strong
as deathr
l locked her in my arms so tightly
that she grew breathless. Hold me, 90
she painted. You are strong"
A cold hand touched our foreheads, SO
that benumbed we sank together to the
ground, to fall instantly into a dream
less slumber.
When l awoke the clear gray light of
the early morning had spread over the
country. Beyond the hall garden the
sun was just bursting through the
clouds and had already spread long
golden haze along the horizon. The
babbling Of The -treamlet that runs down
to Halk;uu was SO distiuctthat it seemed
almost az my .ijc How sweetly the
wild thyme luellrl! Filled with the ten
der recollec,ious of the night, without
turning I called Rose Pascal from her
sleep.
"Sweethctrt, sweetheart, waken. wax
EN- waken! See how glad the world
looks-see the omens Of happy future!7
No answer came. l sat up, and look
ing around me saw that was alone. A
square stone hay near. When the sun
was high / crert to read the inscription
carved thereon. Here. at four cross
paths, licth. with stake through the
bosom, the body of Rose Pascal, Who in
her sixteenth year willfully cast away
the life God gave. R. Murray Gil
! christ in National Observer.
y,4scI .ultun.