The herald., 1895-02-24


night. blue-black mantle had fallen
over the world, and the stars pierced il
but dimly, as though conscious that their
tiny lamps would be useless later on and
unwilling to make an effort for so short a
space of time. But time, like all things,
is relative. 1t seemed an age to John
Darrell, since he had permitted his
thoughts to go back over the old life. But
he would not go inside till the moon had
risen and disclosed to his morbid eyes
that bald rock where he had stood so
despairinglv this night twenty years ago.
There was the letter still unread, but that
would keep, and grow sweeter with the
keeping. He elutched it tightly as he
went on with his dream OF the dark past.
There came q change into his life once
A distant relative in Australia died, and
John Darrell fell heir to modest fortune.
That meant relief from the shuttle and
shaft. His life's drudgery was over, it
seemed. But, oh, God! how late it came |!
After ALL fortune had only smiled to mock
him. How much gold would buy back to
his arms the wife and babes that had died
for the lack of it? =
A strange thing is pessimist; stranger
yet a misanthrope. John Darrell became
both, now that the possession OF means
left him, time for theorizing, Yet the
good that was in him outlived the bitter
ness.
But again, two years later, John Dar-
rell found himself penniless; this time
ON the Golden CeastcS. Never selfish, when
not bound up inahis'owH' sorrows, he had
been an easy victim for enthusiasts who
told him that the milleneum was attain
able in this age, or that q life of peace
and plenty was possible in the midst of
world of strife An altruistic colony was
being organized for location in California.
In the new community the doctrine of
the Sermon on the Mount was to replace
the heresy of laissez faire.
He gave all and lost all, when the col
ony became insolvent The good that.
had outlived the bitterness in him brought
i'll fortune to his door. And the old life
stared him in the face. Again he saw the
mill and its drudgery-the days OF thank
less toll wi thout even the hope of better
things. Hope was crushed now, and he
began to think of the alternative. Often
before had his truant thought wandered
out into eternity and his soul been rent
with dark speculation on the life beyond.
But now the way seemed clear enough.
The other life could be no worse than
this for him. He was sure of that.
He had eaten heartily that night, re-
membering that the condemned always
dine well before the march to the scaffold.
1t was more Ola journey to the Cliff House
then than now, and he remembered how
slow and tiresome the trip by stage coach
had been that night. How strange that
he should recall the details after so MANY
years. Then, as now, one must crawl on
hands and knees to reach the extreme
end of that bald bluff. The stones cut as
he crawled and the blood came.
Now he stood at the very end. How
dark the night was. He stood musing
awhile and wiped the blood from his
hands. He thought of the dead wife and
babes and then of the mill that killed
them. He thought what other mems
lives were and what his own had been.
All, well, perhaps it were better so. The
gay and happy feared death, while he
went to it smilingly. They prayed for
life, while he courted the inevitable
Out on the rocks the seals were barking.
His body would soon be floating past
them. There was no one to bid adieu.
He must be leaping. now, for the moon
was rising and would soon disclose his
tail figure to those at the Cliff House.
'Owck, owck, owck, " barked the seals.
There was human cry, then a black
form leaped high and fell swiftly. There
was splash Then the moon lit up the
long swells and the seals kept barking,
"owck, owck, owck''
Not from John Darrell came that cry,
though an instant later his voice was
heard calling Justify for assistance.
Help! help! help! A woman drown
ingv'
4 dark, hooded form had shot past the
would-be suicide and was now struggling
in the waves. There was wild energy in
j Ohm Darrell's limbs as he stepped back q
pace and then dashed forward for his leap
into the sea, and the fire of human sym
pathy lighted up the eyes that were anon
so dull with despair.
He poised for the jump! Was it not
timp2 Rut III was not the Sl1ipidn who
leaped now. John Darrell, who had
found existence on earth a burden, was
diving into the sea to save a life more
perhaps, than his own. The
end he courted as a panacea he meant to
deny to another.
the ocean, and as the second form leaped
It's dark outlines were seen plainly from the
Cliff House. A boat was manned at the
point and John Darrell and two other hui
man lives were rescued from the waves.
The woman clasped babe in her arms.
From its tiny throat came the cry that
when the mother leaped.
The woman lived long enough to re-
proach her savior. ''Why did you not let
us die together?p she said, more with her
lespairing eyes than palsied lips. 'It |
would have been better for both Now
she will live to be what have been! Oh,
God why"
mo; 1 will care for the babel" said
John Darrell
Then the mother died.
And the old man who sits on the Cliff |
House balcony looking so stcadfastly out |
to sea, smiles softly between his tears, as |
he recalls the scenes and the words. 81 |
will care for her, y he mutters over again. |
Aye, and he had kept the promise made |
so rashly at the bedside of the diving |
The story of her life he had |
heard, but that he had tried to forget. |
He had no blame for her and would not !
cast the first stone. She had died with |
a prayer on her lips for her child, and in |
his memory her name was sacred
And when the mothers soul passed be- |
yond the life line, there came q new |
light into the life of John Darrell. He |
nursed the child of sin into little beam |
Of sunshine that pierced its way into his |
heart and melted and softened it. till life !
ness OF despair was forgotten. A days toll |
seemed not an eternity of drudgery now, |
for when it was over there was home wait
ing for him, two tiny toddling feet to run
and greet him, and sweet voice to lisp
papa
She should never know the secret of her
birth, he had resolved. Dora - which
means gift--he christened her, and with
what he thought wonderful aptness. she
learned to write it Dora Darrell Had !
she been of his own flesh and blood Dar-
rell could not have loved her more He
had saved her life and she had saved his.
What he had sought in death was self
Now he thought only of
her. He saw life in larger, broader way
han over bafprn