The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1892-12-01

emphatic. Ipassed her back and forth
before me, weighing her at every point;
but yet these two things were the only
imperfections
81 pronounced her an exceeding piece
of art-and infamy. was hugely in
terested to see how she could appear
perfect in her soul. encouraged her
: to talk. l saw with devilish irony that
an angel spoke. And to cap it all she
assumed the fascinating air of the medi-
ator-for her brother, seeking recon,
Citation between us. Her amazing art
of person and mind SO worked upon me
that it became uncomfortable, it was 30
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-
rlble 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. | arose and, acting still,
spoke impatiently Of her brother. Tears
sprang to her eyes. Such divine dis
similation! thought-too good for
earth. She turned to leave the room
and did not stay her. Yet we were to-
gether again that night was only
waiting"
The cigarette had dropped from his
fingers to the floor and lay there smok-
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 / 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 as quarry to deepen
it. Some petrified things had been found
in the rocks, but l did not think they
were going to these.
81 saw them climb down the rocky
steps, and presently they were lost to
view. The gates of the slide could be
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 I did 80. I could see it
through the open sides of the mill.
81 smiled to think what the tiny creek,
always creeping through faint leak in
the gates and falling with a 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. Iheard shrek through
the roar. l shuddered; and a horrible
sickness came on me. And as I turned
from the machinery, I saw the young
priest coming at me through 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: '"Tht
young priest buried them both, and peo
pie did not know the truth. They were
{ even sorry for me. But gave up thu
. mills-all; and I became homeless =
t this"
l Now he looked up at the two men ant
Q said: 81 have told you because you know
something, and because there will,
o think, be an end soon." He got up AM
| reached out trembling hand for |
o cigarette. Pierre gave him one. evil
d you walk with meF" he asked. y
5 Shon shook his head. "God forgiv
{ YOUR he replied II can't do it,"
O But Vending and Pierre left the hu
o together. They walked for an hour
h scarcely speaking and not considering
o where they went. At last Pierre me
d chanically turned to go down into tn
10 Red glen. Vending stopped short
d then with q signing laugh strobe os
h "Shon has told you what happene
( here?" he said.
" Pierre nodded.
"And you know what came once whe
"a you walked with me- The dead ca
t.. strike" he added.
,e Pierre sought his eye. "The ministt
er and the girl buried together that day
as he said, "were"-
" He stopped, for behind him he hea,
er the sharp, cold trickle Of water. Silel
Oh they walked on. It followed Their
he They could not get out of the rav,l
re now until they had comprised its leng
Id the walls were high. The sound grey
at The men faced each other. "Goodby
en- said Vending, and he stretched out h
he hand swiftly. But Pierre heard
IS. mighty food groaning on them, and
lg. blinded as he stretched out his arm
IN, reply.
He caught at Weddings should'
a. but felt him lifted and carried ava
M while himself stood still In screeohi
III. wind and felt impalpable water rushi
aw over him. In minute it was gone a
in! he stood alone in Red glen. He gal
rm cred himself up and ran. Far dow
his where the glen opened to the plain,