The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-18

story was in shape, Aston was delight
ed with the news. He had felt afraid of
fall down in some way, as he had never
had circumstances arrange themselves
in any more complicated fashion, in the
course of long aud varied newspaper
career.
81 want you to take care of Mrs. Fran
CISCO" he telcphoned. "Get carriage
mo, I'll send carriage TO the boat
| You see her safely home"
Merrileees growled under his breath
when he got this message. The idea OF
sending "a woman TO the picnic of the
| Twenty-Sevensl
Mrs. Francisco lay on her improvised
couch. He brought her some tea, as
she would not touch liquor. II shall
be better when i am in the dark and
COOL" she whispered, land out of this
horrid island"
lie sat down beside her. Now that
the story was done the attitude
| of the two changed. She was
/ once more a woman, helpless, worn
| out, In need of tenderness, of care. He
| was q man of the most honest impulses,
| controlled, full of many forces in re-
serve. Never, in the years of his man
| hood, had he felt so utterly cut loose
from his accustomed feelings as now.
| The whole bent of the afternoons
events seemed to be in the direction of
q certain lawlessness which reacted on
| I'm. Then he felt full of enthusiasm
for the woman beside him.
| IL IaI oarr;ad oxvay f1a In ,py,
when she spoke of the darkness. 1t
| stood, fiaring now and then in the
lraught, on a far table. There We're
sounds of voices talking outside in the
darkness of the grove, and decided
hum came from the landing where the
| last crowd waited for the boat. He would
keep her quiet until the last minute, If
he could.
The boat whistle sounded far away in
the distance. At the sound she raised
up and pushed back her plsits. She was
so pitifully tired that she soon fell back,
but the gesture was something that ap-
pealed TO him in strange way.
| "What If they had not sent you?" she
said, suddenly.
| He replied nothing, but picked up one
of her small hands-the hand Of a child
almost, in shape and size. He stroked
st softly. She did not attempt to re-
move II. At that moment he would
| gladly have died for her. From that
small, slight thing lying there, the
vague outlines only seen in the shad-
ows, seemed TO emanate a sort of mag
netism that swept away everyrtom OF
feeling except of the solace of darkness.
the quiet. the sweetness of companion
ship like this.
| Not o word was exchanged as a half
| hour went by. The silence wove about
the dreams, Elusive fittings of thought
that seemed TO spin n bridge between
his soul and hers, fairy structure that
| quivered with the swift footsteps Of
the eevanescentideas that were borne out
OF the hour. Some times she sighed, and
then he drew deep breaths of feeling.
| The revelations which rushed into the
soul of Merrilees in that short time were
like the loosened flood from pent-up
mountain lake. Pure, free, aspiring. the
thoughts came; he understood the pur-
poses of life, and, as never before, the
/
between some souls, which is far beyond
what men call love.
| They were aroused from this sweet
| reverie by the waiter, vino noisily
| banged shutters and doors in order to
| close up. The great eye of light which
| meant the approaching boat came near
er and nearer. Finally Merrilees arose.
IL would that this hour would never
| end. The boat Is here"
He helped her UP. She clutched at
him helplessly, and he half carried her
down the steps and through the dark
| grove. Courage, courage!" he whis
| pered; 1--WE will soon be at home"
While he was saying this the widest
thoughts possessed him. He would have
liked to have fingered here forever with
her. ~
In the crowd and confusion IL was
hard TO find place that was at all quiet
or secluded, but with Merrilees order
often came out Of chaos. He found the
captain, and there was soon arranged
an impromptu couch in the corner of
the hurricane deck. 1t was hemmed in
by board, and Merrilees also placed
lis broad back against any intrusion.
lie screened her by his overcoat and
tied his handkerchief about her neck.
To all this she submitted like tired
child. Then the boat pushed out into
the silent night.
The silent stars, unusually brilliant In
a clear sky. gave all the light they had.
In this mythical half shadow all things
became forms, never substances. The
slipping banks, dark and fringed with
jagged masses known to be trees, as
sumed, somehow, titanic proportions.
Life itself grew in value. To Merrilees
came hopes and aspirations long forgot
ten and born of the enthusiasms of
youth.
How strange that these things now
seemed possible! Inspirations. like the
clear jets OF fountain, rose within
him. Power was born, and the purposes
Of drudgery were apparent to him.
Work to him, in those beautiful mo-