The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-09-25

kind of dream she raised the pistol
up-up-up till | could see it was out
of range of his head and she fired.
| One two three four five Fingall
never moved a muscle. But the bull
| lets spotted the wall at the side of his
| head. She paused after the five, but
the arm was still held out and her
finger was on the trigger. She seem
ed to be in a dream. There were only
six chambers in the gun and of course
one chamber was empty. Fem had
| its bullet in his lun gs, as we Thought.
Some one beside Cynthie touched her
arm, pushediit down. But there was
another shot and this time. because of
the push, the bullet lodged in Fingalls
skull"
Pierre paused now, but waved with
his hand toward the mist which now
hung high up like a canopy between
| the hills.
But" said Lawless, not needing
the scene, what about that sixth
! bullet %
Mon Dieu, it is plain! Fingall did
not fire the shot. His revolver was
full-every chamber-when Cynthie
first took it."
Who killed the lad?"
Can you not guess? There had
been words between the father and the
boy. Both had fierce blood. The
| father, in a mad minute, fired. The
boy wanted revenge on Fingall, and
to save his father laid it on the other.
The old man? Well, do not know
whether he was coward or stupid
or ashamed-he let Fingall take it."
And Fingall took it to spare the
girl, eh?''
For the girl. He knew it wasn't
| good for her to think that her father
killed his own son.
And what came after?''
The worst. That night the girls
father killed himself, and the two
were buried in the same grave. Gym
| thien
"Fingall! Fingall Oh, Fingall!"
You hear? Yes, like that all the
time as he sat on the floor, her hair
about her like a cloud, and the dead
bodies in the nextroom She thought
she had killed Fingall, and she knew
that he was innocent. The two were
| buried Then we told her that Fin
gall was not dead. She used to come
and sit outside the door and listen to
his breathing and ask if he ever
spoke of her. What was the good of
lying? If we said he did, she'd come
in to him, and that would do no good,
for he wasn't right in his mind. By
and by we told her he was getting
well, and then she didn't come, but
staid at home. just saying his name
over to herself. Alors, things take
hold of a woman-it is so strange!
When he was strong enough to go out
| went with him the first time. He
was all thin and handsome, as you
can think, but he had no memory and
his eyes were like child's. She saw
him, and came out to meet him.
What does a woman care for the world
when she loves altogether? Well, he
Just looked at her as if he had never
seen her before and passed without a
sign, though afterward there came
trouble to his face. Three days later
he was gone, no one knew where.
That is two years ago. Ever since
she has been looking for him.
is she mad?n
Mad? Holy Mother, it is not good
to have one thing in the head all the
time What do you think! So much
all at once! And them
Hush, Pierre! There she is
Lawless said, pointing to ledge Of
rock not far away.
The girl stood looking out across the
valley, weird, rapt look in her face
her hair falling loose, staff like q
shepherds crook in her hand, the
other over her eyes as she slowly look
ed from point to point of the horizon
The two watched her without speak
ing. Presently she saw them. She
gazed at them for a minute, then de
scended to,them., Lawless and Pierre
arose, doffing their hats. She looked
at both a moment. and her eyes set
tied, steadily glowing, on PIERRE
Presently she held out her hand t.
him
Il knew you-yesterday," she said
Pierre returned the intensity of he
! gaze with one as deep and strong.
so, SO, Cynthie," he said, sit dowr
and eat.
He dropped on knee and drew /,
scone and some fishes from the ashes
She sat facing them, and taking
from bag at her side some wild fruit
ate slowly, saying nothing. Lawles
noticed that her hair had gone gray
at her temples, though she was bu
one and twenty years old. Her fac
brown as it was, shone with a whit
e kind of light, which may or may no
D have come from the crucible of he
t eyes, where the tragedy of her lif,
!. was fusing Lawless could not bea
= to look long, for the fire that consume
: body and sets free a soul is not TO
t the sight of the quick. At last sh
: rose, her body steady, but her hand
/. having the tremulous activity of he
n eyes.
: "Will you not stay, Cynthie?" ask
!, ed Lawless very kindly.
!. She came close to him, and afte
J searching his eyes said with a smil
d that almost hurt him: when hav
:, found him, l will bring him to you
e campfire. Last night the voice sal
= that he waits for me where the mis-
e rises from the river at daybreak, clos
d to the home of the white swan. d
e you know where is the home of tn
s white Swami? Before the frost come
e and the red wolf cries must find hin
e Winter is the time of sleep. ] wi
e give him honey and dried meat.
k know where we shall live together
L You never saw such rosesl Hush!
have place where we can hide''-
:" Suddenly her gaze became fixed an
e dreamlike, and she said slowly, 81
all time of our tribulation, in all tim
Oh our WedlIl, III Uuc hour vi uedI
and in the day of judgment, goo
e Lord deliver u.s.
Good Lord, deliver u.s." repeate
e Lawless in low voice. Withou
looking at them she slowly Uurne
S away and passed up the hillside, he
2. eyes scanning the valley as before.
e "Good Lord, deliver u.s." again sal
lie Lawless. Where did she get it?''
i From a book which Fingall left b.
d hind"
e. They watched her until she rounC
:. ed cliff and was gone; then the
n shouldered their kits and passed u
]. theriver on the trail of the wapit
'e One month later, when a fine whit
-e surf of frost lay on the ground an
At the sky was often darkened by tn
Of flight of the wild geese southwark
W they came upon hut perched on til
v bluff at the edge of clump of pine
N 1t was. morning, and White Face
10 | Maintain ShOna solaTnplu CLAIR will