The Bottineau pioneer., 1893-09-09

seemed to her that her intense misery
had frozen her tears ut the source;
had CONCEALED the blood in her veins
and had numbed every sense except a
feeling Of deadly, stunning despair.
| Presently she lifted her stricken head
and looked aimlessly toward the wide
expanse Of tossing, fretting ocean.
AS she looked she started slightly,
and a strange and unnatural smile fick-
cred across her quive"ing lips
But the smile vanished Instantly, and
her beautiful, anguished face revealed
| sudden alarm and sincere Solicltude.
She beheld her enemy the cruel wo-
man who had SO wantunly slain her
youths dear happiness consciously
walking into the very jaws IF death.
Fanita had strolled the narrow length
of a miniature pronlontory which jutted
some two hundreds Of feet into the sea; /;
she was now crossing Il picturesque for
nation Of rock, which terminated the
farthest extremity, and behind her the
| rising tide was fast flooding the lower
portion Of the path which she had
just travclsed.
Mazda was only human; and 1T the
first glance she had smiled Utterly to
witness the punishment which had so
swiftly overtaken her heartless and in-
solent tormentor.
But the next instant she shuddercd at
herself for having done so. And then
she started to her feet and sprung down
the steep crag-path, regardless Of every
thing except her noble desire to save
the endangered woman.
The heroic girl was only hundred
| feet away when Vanita at length no.
ticcd the water creeping stealthily high
er and higher on every side.
She darted an uneasy glance about
| her; and us she perceived her danger,
an awful shrek broke from her lips.
Il shall be drowned. shall be swept
away and carried to the bottom. Oh,
| God! is there nobody to save me?"
she cried, as she wrung her hands and
| tore at her throat and hair in crazy
| terror.
At that instant she heard NIaida's
| encouraging call. and saw the brave
girls lovely face upturned toward her.
Are you coming to mock me?-to
| laugh at my punishment?" screamed
Vanita. "Oh, I'll undo the harm I've
| done; I'll confess what have said was
false-lies ALTO part you from Lanse
kessler: III confess everything if you
| will save me-
Just then a great swell reared itself
high in the air to dash over fer with
deafening roar and a belching Of
binding spray. Vanita reelcd and then
slipped on the wet rock, and the next
instant she was struggling in the waves.
\ moment later the heroic Mazda
reached her to seize her by the skirts
just as the sea was closing oyer her.
What next happened was a night
mare chaos to the brave young girl.
The arms Of the half-drcWning woman
were suddenly clasped about her heck
in deadly embrace, and she was being
dragged hclplessly down and yet down
into the fatal depths; and then there
were sudden, ringing, cheering. shouts
from the beach, and a nearer voice
breathing passionate tenderness and
anxiety; she knew that ner lover had
snatched her back from death, and then
she knew no more.
When she recovered her conscious
ness, she was in Lansing Kessler's dear,
protecting arms, and his adored face
was bending close to her own. AS she
opened her bewildered eyes a great,
warm tear, which was not shed by
herself, dropped softly on her cold
brow.
DO you care for me so much, then?'
she asked in a sort Of wondering &C.
stasy.
Il care so much, sweet, that had I
been too late to save you from being
drowned hy your burden, T. should have
flung myself into the sea and perished
with you," IIanse answered. IT have
never loved any woman but you, my
beautiful, and you are my all-my Joy
Of joys, my precious pearl, more priced
than all the worlds best treasures"
She has never told him the whole
pitiful story of that days tragedy.
Vanita was dead-lyins, handsome
shape Of senseless human clay, down
there on the sunset stranl--and Mazda
shrltnh from exposing the errors of
even an enemy who no longer lived to
offer apology or seek pardon for an
onensc
And she confessed her falsehood at
the last. Had she lived she might have
atoned for it ALL" the generous little
heroine reflected. "She must have
loved my darling madly; hers was sin
of love, and will keep her secret from
everybody-even from my king!'