The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-06-26
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TO this. Disgrace was but as a dream to
this dread reality. "Oh, my son, my SON
Would to God | had died for thee OIL
my son, my SOM"
Mona stood by and saw the unassuage-
able grief shake him to the soul Then
she took his hand in silence, and together
they stepped again into the night. Out of
that chamber OF death Mylrea went forth
q shattered man He would not return to
BalladhOo. Side by side they tramped up
and down the harbor quay the long night
through. Up and down, up and down,
through darkness and rain and then un-
der moonlight and the stars until the day
dawnod and the cheerless sun rose over the
sleeping town.
Very pitiful was 1t to see how the old
mans soul struggled with a vain effort to
CLEAN comfort from his faith. Every text
that rose TO his heart seemed to wound it
afresh
"As arrows are in the hand of mighty
man so are children Of the youth. They
shall not be ashamed. o Absalom, my
son, my sonl For thy sake have borne
reprOach; shame hath covered my face.
am poor and needy; make haste unto me,
o Godl Hide not thy face from thy serv-
ant for l am in trouble. Set thine house
In order o God, thou knowest my fool
ishness The waters have overwhelmed
me, the streams have gone over my soul;
the proud waters have gone over my soul.
Thus hour after hour, tottering feebly at
Mona's side, leaning sometimes on the
girls arm, the old man poured forth his
grief At one moment, as they stood by
the ruined end Of the pier and Dannys
, gorse fire glowed red over the Lockjaw
creek and the moon broke through black
raincloud over the town, the sorrowing
man turned calmly to Mona and said,
, with strange resignation; II will be
, quiet. Christian is dead. Surely l shall
quiet myself as child that is weaned of
its mother. Yes, my soul is even as a
weaned child. -
4 Just then two of the police who had been
! on the cliff head came up and spoke.
r "They have escaped us so far, sir, " he
said, but we are certain to have them.
q The fire yonder was lit to warn them.
!. Your fishing boat the BENNY -chree, has
r been taken out TO sea. Every man that is
:. in her must be captured. Don't trouble
# to stay longer, sir. We are posted every
q where about. They are doomed men
Make your mind easy, sir, and go off tC
h your bed. Good night"
Mona felt the old mans arm trcmble a.
N it lay on hers.
q The day dawned, and they parted. Myl
rea Balladhoo said be would go HON,
j, now, and away he started along the shore
With coming of daylight his sorrow blet
q afresh, and he cried piteously.
,e Mona turned in the opposite direction
Ehn bn, ~ had Criv IN hon
=. of Christian She could not forget tina
she had not recognized him among the me-
IA who ran past her into Kisseck's house
Christian was still alive but who was i
Is that was dead?
d Mona stopped. The seaman's cap whicl
lg she had picked up at the porch of the de
a. serted cottage in the quarry she had car
Is ried all night in her hand. At that in
~ slant she looked at it again. and seeing
"a for the first time in the daylight she say
that it was stained with spots of blood
a. 1t was Danny Fayle's cap. Then it mus
be Danny who was dead The inferenC
or in her case was as swift as in the case {
ne Mylr0a Balladhoo. And as little woul
ne argument or entreaty have prevailed
disturb it.
ND Danny was dead, and 1t was she WI
N. had sent him to his death. His great Ii
nd tie heart that had been broken for love
ist her had also died for her sake
/" And now the anguish Of the girl WI
IN not less than that of the old man himsel
Where was Christian? Did he know VIII
Ell. Kisseck had dones 1t must have be-
in Kisseck. But God would punish hiI
Had Christian gone out to sea? Mona S
af off for the Lockjaw creek, thinking til
ian some trace of Christian might perhaps
In found there.
She took the high path. The sun h
ma risen and the gorse fire burned blu
of When she came by the mouth Of the @
mine, she was thinking both of Dan
en- and of Christian. He will be cold no
mt. He will be In heaven" she muttered
ng, herself.
inc Then 1t was that, half buried in the p
her she saw the pallid, deep plowed face
she Christian himself. She could not suppr
hat a cry. Then she heard the creak and
,at. of the timbers under him. For nome
ow she lost consciousness, and in another II
she ment she was in Christians arms. Hare
q it. had the bewildered senses OF these +
the regained an instant's compOsure wher
v of man came running toward them from
cot town. In disjointed words he told tn
shot that some fearful thing had washed ash
in the bay and that Mylrea Balladhoo '
the there raving over it like one mad. I
has is what had happened.
iful As Balladhoo turned along the shore
ling ward his home bemoaning what he bell
was ed to be the death of Christian, his da
yinq eve caught sight Of a curious object SO
anne distance out at sea. 1t might be
ear with sail, hut 1t looked too small.
low might be diver or a solan goose with c
lick spread wings, but 1t looked too lal
vent What it was mattered little TO him.
have world had lost its light. The sun
ooh. shone above him entered not into his 81
ten. His days henceforth were to be but
me shadow that passeth away.
But Balladhoo walked on, moaning and
litter ing aloud. AS he approached his he
every step awoke new grief; every ST.
made every hedge was sacred to some MEM
help. Here he had seen the lad playing with
and er lads. Here laughing and calling, he
the seen him ride the rough colt his IA
,ath. gave him As he opened the gate he c.
) set almost imagine he saw fair haired
IA fa- running to meet him, whip in one h
" his and toy horse tumbling behind Bal
itself hoo lifted his head TO DruSh away
MI binding tears. As he did so his eyes
n the on window in the gable half hidde
! was the leafiess boughs of an old rose