The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-07
A SCAMP'S DEVOTION.

y
elmost forgotten long aimee. Perchance
even yet her children keep alive the mem
ory of it.
She was the fairest sweetest, tenderest
flower that ever bloomed beneath the hot
sun of an Indian hill station. He was the
widest, most daring and reckless man,
the hardest drinker, the fiercest fighter
that even those times had seen. His name
had been linked with that of numberless
women. There were men who cursed the
magic of those handsome black eyes of his,
and would have breathed more freely for
the news that he had fallen in some mid
night fray.
Few knew his story. Some whispered
of disappointment, others of sheer deviltry
as the motive force They knew only that
in the lust of battle his eye CLEANED and
danced, and his sword arm swept out and
he lived.
They stood together. the girl and the
man, in the shadow of some palms into
which he had drawn her The sound of
the dancing was behind them-the laugh
ter, the murmur of voices. She was look
ing out into the starlit night; he was look
ing at her clear, white profile, and talking
rapidly and nervously.
"God knows 1t is blasphe1ny, child, to
say this to you, but could not rest until
1 had laid my broken, brutalized life at
your feet that you might spurn it If you
would. No, no." he added, hurriedly
stretching out hand toward her, yet still
without touching her. "Forgive that. /
should not have said that. I scarcely
knows what am saying. There is but one
thought in my mind-that 1 love you
and WITH that love is swallowed up and
crushed eat all the vile and awful things
that I have called life, have no hope in
saying this-no thought that you can have
any feeling In your gentle heart for me-
save of loathigg. ask only that you of
all women on earth will believe that / am
sincere, that I speak the truth to you in
my misery. I ask only that you may
learn to pity me. Let me, like drowning
wretch, clutch at thet straw before sink
again for the last time.''
: He stood there with bowed head waiting
for hef to speak. She turned to him sud
denly, and stretched out her hands to him.
He caught them in his own and raised
them to his lips.
81 do believe you," she said softly. ri
am only very sorry, Captain Carlyn, that
that this should be. A woman in her
heart of hearts can learn to distinguish
between the false and the true I know
despite all-all that they may say of you,
that this is true and, despite all that, I
am Embellishments 1 can have
won from you such feeling. The thought
of that can but serve to make my pity the
stronger. Will you believe that, and try to
forget it all?"
az cannot forget it, little one. See,
kiss your white hands again in token of my
worship. The memory of your words will
be with me until I die''
tThere is something else, y she said pres
entity. "I-I am to be married soon. You
you have not heard Of it?"
eyes, p" he replied quietly, HI have heard
of it. 1t makes no difference I felt that
1 must tell you. You are to marry Cliff,
forda"
eyes"
"And you love him9" he asked, wistful-
ly watching her.
Every, very dearly, Captain Carlyn
And-you-you will not harm him?'
He stood looking at her for some mo
ments sadly and reproachfully- "How lit
tie you understand, he said at last.
"No, no, no!'' she cried. Forgive that
forget that said it,
''It is forgotten, child Let me say this,
that l carry you in my grateful heart for
all time; that would do anything fol-
you-you have but to ask-anything tc
make one moment brighter. Will you look
into my eyes and say, I trust you al
ways?'"
She slipped her hands between his and
looked up at him with her eyes swimming
in tears, and whispered the words. Then
he turned away with bowed head and left
her and went out into the night.
The mutiny was raging all about them
.surging like some resistless wave that
might overwhelm them-nearer and vet
nearer every day. Vague rumors had
reached them-rumors of mad excuses, OF
horrors that left them shuddering They
could only wait and hope.
1t swept down upon them at last in the
night, silently and relentlessly. Only tho
firing, and the f1endish yells, and the sight
Of hundreds of dusky forms fitting about
the narrow streets of the little place, told
them what had happened. So completely
were they taken by surprise that half the
little force had been cut down, and tho
butchery was upon them almost before
they had had timo to realize it. Carlyn, at
the head of his men, had fought like a
with redoubled fury in his
blows, for the thought of one fair faced
and Of her possible fate.
Hot and wearied and bleeding, he fought
his way at last, desperately, step by step,
to the place wherein he knew that he
should find her if she were still alive,
crashed to the heavy door and barricaded
1t, and stood there leaning against the
wall, sword in hand, breathing heavily.
cut from curved sword had laid open
one side of his head, SO that the blood
trickled down upon his coat, but he heed
ed nothing Of that. He stood listening in
tently for moment and then called:
Is any one here? Little one, are you
fere?"
There was monentary pause, and then
voice replied-a voice that sent new Wig
DIT through his tired limbs
y am here. am coming to you, Cap
ain Carlyn. I am here