The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-12-09
deteiv

she said, when She had regained her
breath, 1.-THE past struggle was sharp and
torturing-the future struggle will be
crueler still. What a great love yours
was to wait and trust for so longi Would
that mine had been as powerful Poor,
weak heart that could not endure"
The tones of a wild fear thgobbed
through all her speech strongly, but yet
with insufficient power to prevent her
from feeling the tenderness Of those mo-
ments. Often tinorously 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
emit 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 dare swear the loveliest woman in
the world.
grew warmer still. All the gladness
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 filed
the chamber with light like the days.
The ridges of the surrounding moOrland
stood out in sharp relief.
Rose drank in my declarations thirst
lily, but soon interrupted me with a
heavy sigh. "Come away" she said
80 Io,o,o,. 1.-Two in, fI,iS hO1So
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
a mimic battle. Before up lay the
Priests cliff. The moon was yelled
here by a grove of elms, whose ever
swaying branches alternately increased
and lessened her brightness. This was
a place of notoriety-a veritable Col
gotha-a haunt fit only for demons.
Murder and theft had been punished
here, and to this day freside 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 Il
sound like a hiss of a half strangled
snake vibrated among the trees. 1t grew
louder and louder. A lnonstrous shadow
lowered above
Rose from my bosom murmured
Love is strong as deathi Love is strong
as deathl"
1 locked her in my arms so tightly
that she grew breathless. Hold me-
she painted. "You are strong"
A cold hand touched our foreheads, SO
that benumbed we sank together to the
ground, to fall instantly into dream
less slumber.
When / 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 a long
golden haze along the horizon. The
babbling of the streamlet that runs down
to Halkton was so distinct that it seemed
almost at my side. How sweetly the
wild thyme smelledi Filled with the ten
der recollections of the night, without |
turning l called Rose Pascal from her
sleep.
Sweetheart, sweetheart, wakenl wax |
enI wakenl See how glad the world |
looks-see the omens of a happy futurep' |
Ne answer came. l sat up, and look
ing around me saw that was alone. A |
square stone lay near. When the sun |
was high l crept to read the inscription
carved thereon, Here, at four cross
paths, lieth, with a 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.