Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-04-28

I'll hIZ.lH L''hi Il ti.C gambling hadn't. J
Viewing It III the light Of modern ideas, /
he thought She would he stricken with .
horror at the discovery of his folly and .
shame.
He framed plan of gently irparting ;
il t. her. but II was driven ont of his :
mind when a moment later he cncoun-
tered Leila hurrying with quick. grace /
ful strides in search of him. She held
in her hand on" Of the comical Atzlan .
dolls made Of red clay, whose hideously /.
painted face, s"rmouuted by Il shock Of
black bristles, added to her own look of
fright, drove his mission instantly from
his mind. /
"Oh, darling" she cried, Selling his
arm, "comc quickly. Poor Listah, the
hermit priest, has fallen from a ladder
and broken his leg He lies there moan
ing so piteously. and | know you can
cure him"
as that all:' said Eric, smiling with
true professional unconcern. II feared
that it was something serious. And this:'
pointing to the doll in her hand She
looked down, blushed a little. and smil-
ingly explained that she had been dress
ing the horrible efiisy for little Eliza
when the old priest fell, and she had
hurried i'll search of him without MOTTO
ing that she held it. He took it from
her, and looking at its face said:
NO wonder the old man fell. That
would brighten almost anybody"
why" she retorted, Il think it the
incest doll in Atzlan; it is so hdcous.'
cuddling it to her. But come; we must
90 to him."
Others came running. with eager calls,
to him, ard he went with them to where
the old man lay grooming with pain and
exclaiming that it was Judgment upon
him for breaking his vow of isolation
and coming into the city before his time
had expired But when Eric arrived
and began to examine his broken limb
he bore the pain with savage stoicism
and uttered not sound. 1t was sim
pie fracture of the left leg, which Gill
bert easily set, and applying splints and
bandages had the old man carried to
his own dwelling where he could attend
to his needs. Listah was overcome with
gratitude, and declared that he felt the
leg healing already, although he WINGED
more than once as his bearers moved
along.
When Eric saw him resting easily 1t
had grown dark, and the moonlight was
pouring down into the canyon, making
the walls of the city CLEAN like marble
palaces; the air was still moist and filled
with the sound of the river as it gurgled
and splashed over the shallow ford. Leila
sat just outside his door waiting, with
her cheek upon her hand and her hair
shining in the mellow light like melted
gold.
AS he came outside and leaned over
her she looked up and reached her bare
arms up to him, folding them slowly
about his neck with lingering, cling
ing, creeping movement that showed
how fondly she loved, and sent a warm
thrill through him, winelike, overpOwer-
ing She drew him down and held his
face against hers for n long time. with
closed eyes: then slowly their lips crept
nearer, nearer, until they came together
i'll one long drawn kiss. 1t was more
it was marriage--a blending Of two
hearts made for each other. a reunion Of
two souls that in all the'economy Of the
universe had been formed to be one that
had been seeking each other for ages per-
haps and had met at last. Such at least
was Eric's belief. and it was with a rev.
erential feeling that he kissed the noble
forehead of this beautiful, angelic crea-
ture who so wondrously found it possible
to love him. q rough. blunt. homely.
ungraceful man. He said as much in
fact, and she answered:
"Oh, my darling. don't You know you
are the noblest. most perfect of all Gods
tenderest. wisest Of all men on earth?'
and much more to the same effect, add
ing that the wonder was that he could
find anything to love, to admire in her.
a savage thing. etc. All this was so
new to them. SO rare and wonderful,
that they imagined it had never occurred
before.
Ibid others ever love as we do?" was
their constant query.
But it was delightful. delicious and
would have reconciled man to endure
any existence whatsoever to dwell in
such bliss. No wonder that for long
time he forgot all about Kulcan's diff.
culties and his darling's imminent dan.
ger. When he did remember it was
with sudden start that caused her to
look up into his face in alarm and whis-
per. What is it, my OWN" in tender
solicitude. Her eyes We're on his face
constantly, and she had grown to read
each change Of feeling, each mood, al
most each thought, as it left its scarcely
perceptible imprint on his countenance
or shone in his dark eyes. She read
there his reluctance to tell the tale Of
her brothers misdoings. In truth ht
hardly knew how to begin it
When he did he found to his surprise
that she was notnearly rs shocked as he
had expected. She was. in common
with all Atxlans, SO used to tales Of sud
den risings and fallings in the fortune!
Of gamesters that her brothers losses
seemed unworthy Of much anxiety. fol
when his luck turned would he not VIII
it all back?
But when Eric. somewhat piqued a
her indifference-the passiveness Of {
woman resting in her lovers arms
told her of Kulcan's last and most des
perate wager the color fed from he
cheeks. leaving them ashen in the moon
light, and with terror in her eyes sh,
threw her arms wildly about his neck
crying:
81 am lost! | am lost!'
: Not for an instant did she discredi
: the legality of the ansaction; its full
meaning and horror were plain to her
. and for moment she forgot her lover
power. seeing only the awful. unavoida
, BILE fate before her-to be torn from hi
arms, victim to the lust Of depravet
man-not even a wife-for the fata
wager, SO hastily made. gave her to hin
. as chattel.
A convulsive shudder shook her frame
. and her clasp upon Eric's neck was ik
the clutch Of drowning woman as sh
l chung to him in her fear. But only 70
. q moment. Then, like Kulcan. sh
turned to him for help and strength.
3 "You will save me, my darling.
know; but. oh. was so frightened tina
, forgot you for q moment. Yes, wa
| frightened, but now I'm not 1t ha
gone-all my terror-and my noble Low
!. will keep his own unframed"
And in o moment more it really seeme
: as if she had dismissed the matter froI
her mind, for she said:
"Now take me home, dear, for 1t !
!, growing late. and my eyes are heav
? with sleep"