The Springfield herald., 1900-05-18

down in a coppery mist Of crimson and
gold. 1t fell aslant Don's face. and she
saw it was paid and drawn. He
turned from her now. and. lighting
cigar. stood by the taffrail looking
away from her. Moments-long mo-
ments-which seemed to her to grow
into hours, passed, and he stood there
still without moving. Only now ana
then the cigar sent up pale wreath OF
smoke upon the freshening breeze.
lurid glow where the sun had gone
down streamed out far and wide upon
the horizon; then the glow faded, the
fiery purple tints passed from cloud
and wave. and suddenly 1t was night.
With a shiver Lille rose and stepped
to Don's side.
II am going below now" she said,
coldly. Good night"
The cold formality which had be-
come already habltual to both seemed
for the moment beyond Don to assume,
for he took her hand. but did not re-
lease it.
"The storm is coming" he said.
Look" Sea birds darted screaming
along the crests of the waves. the ves-
sci pitched and rolled helplessly in the
trough of the pillows. and over all the
sky hung like black pail. Don spoke
again. and now more tenderness had
crept into his voice.
"I wish for your sake the sQuall was
over. You must try and go to sleep"
She shook her head.
II don't feel like sleeping" she an
swered. She would have withdrawn
her hand, but Don's clasp upon it
tightened.
Shall I come and sit with you for
a while?" he asked gently.
"Oh, mol" The words broke from
her abruptly. almost with shrinking
dismay, and Don let her hand go, his
proud lip quivering.
"Lillie!" he spoke hoarsely. don't
don't turn from me like this! 1t is
more than l can bear! Won't you
won't you kiss me goodnight this
once!"
She drew back swiftly. Love and
pride were struggling fiercely in her
breast: but pride dominated.
"All that is over now" she said, with
naughty bitterness She turned to
leave him.
"Lillie!" he cried again. and at the
passion in his voice she stood still.
trembling. don't say 1t is all over. 1
have tried to endure this and l can
not. Let my love atone. Be pitiful.
forget my wrong. and take me back
into your heart!"
She looked at him. and for an in
slant their eyes met-Don's wild In de-
spairing entreaty, Lilies blinded with
sudden tears.
How can l ever forget what has
broken my hearth" she said bitterly.
She rushed from his side then and
down to her cabin; but Don stood on
where she had left him, seeing moth
ing, feeling nothing but the blackness
of his own despair. Love had driven
him to break down the barrier and
speak the anguish that was dragging
his soul down to the very abyss of
reckless remorse; but now she had re-
pulsed him nothing mattered. She had
shrunk from him as from some un-
clean thing, and death was more well
come than life.
Blinded by the salt spray and deaf
ened by the roar Of the elements, he
leaned on at the taffrail when all 9TH
ers had gone below and he alone stood
there on deck. For suddenly, with
awful swiftness, the full fury OF the
storm had burst The sea had become
sheet of boiling foam. The wind
ragged and shook the gallant vessel,
which ever and anon rose with long,
steady lift to breast the watery preci-
nice. while cleaving the darkness came
flash after flash of lightning and the
dull roll of thunder, rising louder and
nearer above the wild roar of wind and
wave.
And still through it all Don leant
on, clinging to the taffrail unmoved,
careless, almost expectant every mo-
ment might be his last.
1t was in a slight lull of the tenn
pests fury Lille stole back on deck.
The rain had been descending in ham
mering torrents, but now it came and
went in gusts The thunder was roll
ing away fainter and fainter; only the
sea ragged sullenly on. The wind lifted
ND its unweared voice and the good
ship plowed on its way.
The pitiful yielding to self-reproach
had followed swiftly on Lilies cold
and bitter leave-taking of Don, and
now love was battling for victory to
speak some little word of wifely ten
derness, despite that ever-haunting re-
membrance of the dark Afridi nullah
where her fathers blood had been
shed.