Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-12-05

1 FO'A~s J~Ss~N oAe saA'
mass Of rock.
| Slowly and carefully be advances
Kitty watches him intently. pale
and breathless with suspense.
A few steps more and he viii
reach it.
All! be has it, and holds it uE
triumphantly to her view.
She waves her handkerchief, moi
daring to speak for fear of start
ling him.
Now for the return. He starts
back along the precarious pathway
He suddenly stops and hesitates
Why so long is it to rest? No
he is testing a portion of the rock
with his foot.
Has he become suspicious OF his
highway? Yes; and with good rea
son. A large portion of the rock is
loose! He bears on it harder, when
a sudden roar, followed by terrible
crash, reverberates from cliff to
cliff.
A deep silence follows. Whist has
happened. Has Mark Hilton pass.
ed forever from human eyes9 No
there he is on his narrow pathway
clinging closely to the ledge.
A huge piece of rock constituting
part of his perilous road has scaled
off, leaving the cliff nearly as smooth
as glass for six or eight feet in bis
front.
His return is cut of.
The sun has been obscured by
heavy. dark clouds. A wind has
arizen. The sea no longer murmurs
softly, but sends forth sullen, omi.
nous roar. How suddenly every
thing has changed!
Mark Hilton realizes his situation.
he cannot go forward +; be cannot
60 back, except few feet. Above
him the perpendicular rock rises to
the height OF ten feet before the top
of the cliff is gained. 1t is smooth
except few slight projections here
and there. No mortal could climb
it. Mark knows this, and yet he
feels he must try. He cannot long
remain in his present position.
Was this beautiful day and his
life to end together7
Had he brought this girl-whom
he intended soon to ask to be bis
wife--to this lonely, isolated spot
only to witness his exit from the
world The world in which he ex-
pected to accomplish so much.
The thought of death, when in
close proximity to it, is a dreadful
thing, especially to young person,
and more.so when he is ID love with
young lady.
Kitty Mclaughlin, when she real :.
lied the catastrophe which had over
taken her lover, was so appalled, that
she could neither speak nor move.
She stood like one paralyzed until
the voice of Mark, calling to her not
to be alarmed, brought her back to
the world Of reason.
Kitty was not one to remain long
inactive if there was anything she
could do. Coming to the top of the
cliff above his head, she cried:
"Oh, Mark y There was no Mr..
Hilton now. On the verge of death
as be was, Mark noted this with a
thrill of pleasure.) 'Can you hold
on till l can get asa stance
Mark made rapid calculation.
Three miles TO the nearest house,
and the toughest possible path. 1t
would take at least an hour for help
to reach him. Too well he knew
that he could not retain his hold for
half that time. He was already
much exhausted and becoming dir
~. 1t required great effort to
keep from falling.
NO. said Mark, mournfully.
"We must shout for help, and if no
one comes / must attempt to-scale
-the-cliff."
The clear, agonized voice of the
girl rose on the air, but was nearly
drowned by the ever increasing roar
OF the sea. Marks voice penetrated
but little farther. Neither could
be heard half mile.
Their cries re-echoed from crag
to crag until there seemed to be a
score of voices calling. A score
calling-but not one replyingl
After few minutes spent In this
way it became evident TO both that
it was useless. Mark was growing
weaker. He felt the necessity Of
making his perilous effort before los
ing more strength.
Without word he lays hold of
some sharp points of rock above him
and attempts to ascend. When up
about three feet his foot suddenly
slips, and, half unconscious, be feels
himself roughly sliding down the
face OF the cliff.
Throwing out his hands by instinct
one of them reaches a fissure in the
rock and he finds himself, faint and.
breatbless, in his original position.
Nothing but miracle saved him
from going over the precip.ce.