The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-05-15
SHE'S ALL THE
WORLD TO ME.
By HALL GAME,
Author Of "ThG MdnGmdn," "The Deem
StCr," etc.
81 HALL GAME,
CHAPTER X.


Two months passed away, and the mists |
from the sea were chased by the winds of
winter. 1t was the 23d of December In
the two days that followed between that
day and Christmas morning occurred the
whole series of appalling events which it
now remains to us to narrate
Mona Cregeen and Danny Fayle, with
Ruby between them, were walking along
the shore from Orry's head toward the
south. The little one prattled and sang,
shook ont her hair in the wind and flew
down the sand, ran back and claSpcd a
hand of each and dragged Danny aside to
look at this scawecd OF pulled Mona along
to look at that she'll trippod down to the
waters edge until the big waves touched
her boots and then back once more with a
half frightened, half affected laughter
loaded scream.
Mona was serious and even sad, and
Danny wore a detected look in his simple
face which added melancholy interest to
its vacant expression Since we saw him
first in the house of Mylrea Balladhoo,
Danny had passed through bitter expe-
rience, There was no tangible sorrow, yet
who shall measure the depth Of his suffer
ing?
When the new element of love first on
tered into Dannys life, he knew nothing
of what it was. A glance out of woman's
eyes had in an instant penetrated his ma
ture. He was helpless and passive. He
would stand for an hour neither thinking
nor feeling, but with look of sheer stu
pidity If this was love, Danny knew it
by no such name. But presently ray of
sunlight floated into the lad 5 poor, dense
intelligence, and everything around was
bathed in a new glad light The vacant
look died away from his face He smiled
and laughed He ran here and there with
a jovial willingness. Even Kisscck S sneers
and curses, his threats and blows, became
all at once easier to bear "Be aisy with
me, Uncle Bill, " he would say. BE aisy,
uncle, and I'll do it smart and quick as
tonishin." People marked the change
Its none so daft the lad is at ALL at all, Z"
they said sometimes.
This was tho second stage of Danny
passion-and presently came the third
Then arose vague yearning not only to
love- but to be loved The satisfied heart
had not asked so much before, but now it
needed this further sustenance, Curious
and pathetic were the simple appeals made
by Danny for the affection Of the woman
he loved Sometimes he took up a huge
fish to the cottage of the CregeenS, threw
it on the floor and vanished. Sometimes
he talked to Mona of what great things he
had done in his time-What fish he had
caught, how fast he had rowed, and what
weather he had faced, There was not a
lad in Peel more modest than Danny, but
his simple soul was struggling in this way
with q desire to make itself seem worthy
of Monas love The girl would listen in
silence to the accounts of his daring deeds,
and when she would look up with glance
Of pity into his animated eyes the eyes OF
Danny would be brave no more, but fall
in confusion to his feet.
Then, bit by bit, it was borne in or
Danny that his great, strong, simple love
could never be returned, and this was the
last stage of his affection, The idea of lov'
had itself been hard to realize but mucI
harder to understand was the strange an(
solemn idea of unrequited passion. TWEEN
ty times had Mona tried in vain to convey
this idea to his mind without doing VIC
lence to the t, lderness of the lads nature
But that which no artifice could achieve
time itself accomplished Danny begal
to stay away from the cottage on tn
brew" and when, in pity for that un
speakable sorrow which Mona herself knew
but too we'll the girl asked him why h
did not come up as often as before, he an
swered, "I'm thinkin it's not me your
wantin up there" And Danny felt as
the words would choke him
Then the whole world, which hat
seemed brighter, or at least less cruel, be
came bathed in gloom. The lad haunte
the seashore The moan of the long dea
sea seemed to speak to him in voice nc
indeed of cheer but Of comforting grief
The white curves of the breakers had some
thing in them that suited better with hi
mood than the sunlit ripples of a summG
sea. The dapple gray clouds that scudde
across the lcadcn sky, the chill wind tina
scattered the salt spray and whistled alon
the gunwalc of his boat, the mist, tn
scream of the sea bridal these spoke I
his desolate heart in an inarticulate lar
guage that was answered by tears
Poor Danny A hurricane had uproote
the only idol of your soul, and for you I'll
one flower of life-tho flower of love-wt
torn up and withcrcd forever.
LoveY Yes, even the image of happ
love had at length stood up for one ms
ment before his mind, even before h
mind. That love itself might have bee
possible to him, yes, possible to such a OF
as he was, though laughed rugged,
as he called there there everywhere
this was the blessed vision of one brief il
slant He thought of how he might hay
clasped her hands by the bright sea al
looked lovingly into her eyes. But no, n
no. Not for him had God sent the gracioI
love, and Danny turned in his dumb d
spair TO the cold winter sea, shrinking fro
every human face.
is there not a storm comingy" sa
Mona to Danny as she and Ruby overtoC
the hoy on the shore that morning