The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-01-12
XUI.-CoNTIruED.
copyright. 1894. by Mary HaIloek Foo,e.I


life out of her with its beating.
Now was the time to say good-by-
not the potential good-by she had bid
den him an hour ago, but the actual
parting, at the brink of the river OF
death. Many were crossing the dark
waters to the city of refuge who would
never return. She bent over her sleeper,
and kissed him softly, but the sob that
forced her heart against his aroused
him. and he spoke to her suddenly in his
natural voice:
God bless mel" he murmured, while
she held her breath in horror of his
coming TO himself at this fatal mo-
ment. 81 thought that you kissed mel
/ must be dreaming. Oh, let it be truel
Faith, dear, make it true before lose
you again"
1T is true" said the girl hoarsely,
"and nothing else is true-nothing.
will never doubt you; never did doubt
you. Now go to sleep! Good night,
dear; good night"
lie held his breath and looked at her
keenly.
"Your lips are cold; your hands are
cold. Why are you saying good night?'
THE boat is late" said Faith in IL hol-
low voice. "We cannot go till the boat
comes. You are sick rest now-do rest;
this is your only chance!"
She put her hands upon him, with
soft, shuddering touches, trying with
all the strength of her love to master
her fear, that she might have power to
lull him into obliviousness of the awful
sounds of the night. Under the trees it
was quite dusk; he could see nothing,
but she felt that he was listening.
What is that firing?"
only some men," gasped Faith.
But what are they shooting at?"
Shooting? Oh, at a mark"
"Oh, / sayl in the darl;i" laughed
Darcie softly. He was drifting off
again, as his speech betrayed. Are
they drunk? What are they shouting
about?"
ITS the other men who are shout
ing" Faith lied to him, feebly.
What other men? Is this stag pic
mic? o Lord! o Faith, dearl"
Faith hardly knew what he was say
ing, but she welcomed any wildness,
| profanity-anything but his own low,
steady tones.
"Be quiet, Darcie, dear!" she whis-
pered.
"Darcie, dear!" he repeated, foolish
ly. God bless me, but this is nice
what a sweet girl you are! Heavens!
what brute was! Are you ever going
to be friends with me again?"
lie nestled his sick head close to her
lap, contentedly, and gave himself up
to the exquisite sense of her cold, soft
touch moving over his hand in the dark
"'Mother of Grace, the pass is diff
cult!'" whispered the tortured girl. II
was the mother instinct, which can look
on death, that taught her calmness ut
this moment, and gave her strength to
exert her love, else one of natures mira
cles was wrought; for out of the an
guish of her deadly fear came supreme
rest TO him she loved; and Darcie slept
His hand slipped from hers, lower and
lower, and touched the sand; softly she
saved the contact from disturbing him
He sighed, and breathed more deeply;
he was gone, even beyond his conscious
ness of her.
She moved a trifle, cautiously; drew
away her dress, and noiselessly raised
herself upon her knees. All along the
shore she seemed to hear stealthy foot
steps and furtive, leafy rustlings, as o.
a hunter stalking big game. The rapid
firing had ceased, but scattering shot:
came infrequently, one at time, from
distance. Step by step she moved {
little way past the bushes and looked
out. Overhead the clouds were blowT
in wild masses; the stars in the darl
blue lakes Of sky between winked peace
fully, while the torn and flying cloud
signals altered from moment to mo
ment. So did the peace of heaven abide
this senseless, passing hour, that proved
nothing, changed nothing. simply add
ed its score to the wrong side, the sid,
of human passion, which must miss tn,
mark thousand times before one tru'
aim shall raise the record a little highel
as the centuries pass.
Faith was quieted; she had reached
the limit of emotional fear, and now /;
species of insensibility crept over hel
the reaction after the shock, Sh'
wondered why she could not feel as sh'
ought the peril of all those other mer
who were strangers to her affection
Where was Mike-always rash with him
self? Was he safe? And how was i
with the honest Cassons-the wife wait
ing with her little sleepy brood abou
her, to learn perhaps that they were
fatherless?
She started back from her relaxed out
look and hid herself as a man came run
ming, like one pursued, out from groul
of black birch trees that stood togethe
shivering in an open windy space. Ill
ran uncertainty, this way and that, a
if crazed with fear. His dog-hearlet
+ pursuer covered him with deliberat
aim. 1t was pitiful to see him wave
between the chances of the river anC
of the broken plain below. lie was ex
hausted with running: his chest laboret
in hard, painful gasps; his legs wer
giving under him. The next momen
he stumbled and fell. The 'scab'
hunter came up and turned hia owe
with his foot. keeping the muzzle o
Lis rifle close to his chest He salt
something brief, which Faith did no
hear. The man never spoke, but threy
out his hands eSpressively on the sod