The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-21
ovrpAS5S1 2sa. oH s.o.NWVMCN1 COZ

ten Of the hour and the place. tier
mood, were as variant as the notes OF
the nocking bird still Shrilling his love
song under the mistletos b0ugh- with
n surhien outfiinging Of her arms, she
called aloud: John, John Lort:r r!
Husband! Where are you, john
The mocking bird hushed his whist
ling and f-.~ away, startled. Only the
far Of tinkling Of COW bell and the
nearer plaintive moan Of the wood pi-
o.,on broke the deathlike stiffness Her
.vcit4d nerves were not sOothed by ma
turers plant mood. She stamped her
foot pa,sionately, crying aloud: "A
sweet, wild trysting place for a saint
and a married man! abhor myself |
abhOr him"
Then reason itself seemed TO fly away
startled, as the mocking bird had done,
and left Johns wife standing there, a
ouivcring, wonder-struck. passion
swayed woman, no longer capable OF
rational action or thought.
Two moving objects had come upon
the still landscape, across the narrow
ravine, blurring and blotting out all
the beauty of 1t for Nora Lorimer.
From her coigne of vantage she could
plainly discern Johns tall, muscular
figure in It's garb of drab corduroy. He
was slightly in advance of his cOmpan-
iona woman, well muffied in hood and
gossamer, better guarded against the
chill autumnal air than poor little Nora
had thought to guard herself.
John rudged fearlessly and sure
footedly down the crooked, winding
trail on the opposite side of the ravine.
His companion followed more timerous-
ly. At certain spot Nora saw her hus-
band hesitate then with a long stride
he stepped across a wide crevice IN the
brown earth. He turned towards his
companion with both hands out
stretched. She could hear him ask, In
a clear, high voice, full Of encourage
ment:
"Dare you venture the 1eap?"
"Whh your help, yes" came back to
him confdingly.
He held out his hands. She stretched
hers to his across the narrow gulf.
Their hands joined; for a moment the
tall slight form swayed uncertainty,
then they were together once more.
Nora could see it all-the hands clasped
so tightly, the fearless leap, the mo-
ment Of close contact, when it seemed
to her that John stood there before her
very eyes, claspinR that other woman,
that saint, Ida Fairbanks, tenderly 10
his bosom.
The next moment their hands fell
apart, and In the same order as before,
he leading fearlessly, she following
confdingly, they passed beyond her
range of vision, and were swallowed up
by the shadows.
After they had disappeared. Nora
came out from behind her screen of
sedges and looked about in uncertainty
for half second What II she should
meet them face - face on her homo
ward wa1kl Anything but that She
would not know how to behave in such
a case.
The shadows were growing blacker,
the silence denser. No matter. There
she would be secure from the one real
danger In hfe-the danger Of meeting
her husband and Ida Fairbanks walk
ing alone in the cleaning.
She plunged downward, along tn.
narrow trail, rapidly, heedlessly, reck
lessly. The brambles caught her gar
ments and rent them. The thorn.
crowned her of their own cruel will
Wide cracks yawned in the ground al
her feet. without his afd," she said
laughing Historically, and bound
ed across each like deer
Now she was in the bed o.
the dry bayou! Dark tree-ined wall.
climbed upward on both sides of her
far, far-interminably She had turned