Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-01-15


Mother, mother, look down upon your I'M
happy childl' and Anime frantioally
threw herself down SO near to the edge Of
the raft that her long hair, which had
fallen down, foated on the wave.
"Ah me! where am Is' cried Anime,
after remaining in state of torpor for
some hours. The sun glared flercely upon
her, and dazzled her eyes as she opened
them-she cast them on the blue wave
close by her, and beheld large shark mo.
tionless by the side Of the raft, waiting for
his prey. Reooiling from the edge she
started up She turned round, and beheld
the raft vacant and the truth flashed on
her. ooh, Philip, Philip cried she,
'then 1t Is true, and you are gone forever!
thought it was only dream; reoollect
all now. Yes-all-alli' And Anime
sunk down again upon her cot, which had
been placed In the center of the raft and
remained motionless for some time.
But the demand for water became i'm
perious; she seized one Of the bottles and
drank. "Yet why should drink or eate
Why should I wish to preserve lfes' She
rose, and looked round the horizon. "sky
and water, nothing more Is this the
death ain to die-the cruel death proph-
esied by schriften-a lingering death un-
der burning sun, while my vitals are
parched within9 Be it so! Fate, dare
thee to thy worst-we can die but once
and without him, what care l to live?
But yet may see him again." continued
Anime, hurriedly, after pause. eyes, I
may-who knowsp Then welcome life;
I'll nurse thee for that bare hope-bare
indeed, With naught to feed on. Let me
see-is 1t here stillS' Anime looked at
her zone, and perceived her dagger was
still in it. "Well, then, will live since
deeth Is at my command, and DO guardful
Of life for my dear husbands sake" And
Anime threw herself on her resting place
that she might forget everything She did:
from that morning till the noon of the
next day she remained in state of torpor.
When she again rose, she was faint;
again she looked round her-there were
but sky and water to be seen.
The night closed in, and with the gloom
rose heavy clouds; the lightning darted
through the armament, ever and anon
lighting up the raft. At last the flashes
were 20 rapid, not following each other
but darling down from every quarter at
once, that the whole armament appeared
as If on fire, and the thunder rolled along
the heavens, now near and loud, then
rumbling In the distance. The breeze rose
up fresh, and the waves tossed the raft,
and washed occasionally even to Amine's
1 fook no efrx in, fha 81
| II like this-this is far better than that
calm and whitening heat-this rouses
me, " said Anime, as she cast her eyes up
and watched the forked lightning till her
vision became obscured. Eyes, this is as
1t should be. Lightning strike me if you
please-waves, wash me off and bury me
In briny tomb-pour the wrath of the
whole elements upon this devoted head
I care not, laugh at, defy it all. Thou
canst but kill, this little steel can do as
much. Let those who hoard up wealth.
those who live in splendor-those that are
happy-those who have husbands, chill
dren, aught to love-let them tremble;
have nothing. Elements! be ye fire, or
water, or earth, or air, Anime defies you'll
and yet-no, deceive not thyself. Anime,
there is no hope; thus will I mount my
funeral bier, and watt the will of des-
tiny" And Anime regained the secure
place which Philip had fitted up for her In
the center Of the raft, threw herself dowr
upon her bed, and shut her eyes.
The thunder and lightning were follow
ed up by torrents of heavy rain, which fell
till daylight; the wind still continued
fresh, but the sky was clear, and the sun
shone out Anime remained shiYering in
her wet garments: the heat of the sun
I proved too powerful for her exhausted
state, and her brain wandered. She rose
up in sitting posture, looked around her
saw yerdant fields in every direction, the
cocoanuts waving to the wind-imagineG
even that she saw her own Philip in the
distance Fastening to her; she held Out
her arms; strove to get up and run te
] meet him, but her limbs refused theil
! office; she called to him, she screamed
and sank back exhausted on her resting
I place.
To be continued