Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-08

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she left Nais to lie in peace, or had
she stolen her away to suffer indig-
mites elsewhere? Or had she ended
her sleep with death. and las grisly
JEST left the corpse for my finding?
could not toll; I dared not guess.
Never during whole hard-fghting
life have my emotions been so
as they were at that mo-
mont. And. for excuse, it must be
owned that love for Nais had Slapped
my hardlhood over matter in which
she was so privately concerned.
It began to come to my mind, how
over, that the Internal uproar of the
earthtremor was beginning to slacken
somewhat, as though Zaemon knew he
had done the work that he had prom
ised, and was minded to give the
city q breathing space. So
I took my foYtitude in hand and clam
bored up on to the fat of the stone.
The lightning flashes had ceased, and
all was darkness again and sitting
dust, but at any moment the sky
might bealit once more, and il I were
seen In that place, shaggy and changed
though I might be, Phorenice, If she
wero standing near, would not be
slow to guess my name and errand.
z So changed was I for the moment
that will finely confess that the idea
Of . fight was loathsome to me then.
i wanted to have my business done and
got scne from the place.
With hands that shook I fumbled
ote1 the face ok the Stone and found
tAe uksmpa and bars Of metal still in
position where had denched them,
and then reverSntly let my fingers
pass. between these, land felt the
curves. of my loves body in its rest
beneath. An exultation began to
whisl within me. I did not know il
che had been touched since 1 last left
her; / did NOT know IL the drug would
have It's Gus OBJECT. and let her be
waksoed 20 warmth and sight again:
but. deaA or alive. had her there.
'aAd she was mine, mine. mine, and
I could have ysaled aloud In my Joy
- Aer psssesAon.
Z 0thl Ahs eartA shook beneath us, and
nssonry roarsd and crashed into ruin.
] AAd to cling 70 my place with one
hand while unhasped the clamps OF
metal that made the top of her prison
With the other. But at lasttI swung
the upper half OF them clear, and
those which pinned down her feet
let remain. stopped and drew her
soft body up on to the fiat of the
stone beside me. aud pressed my lips
hundred times to the face could
noA sec.
Soma mad thought took me, be-
laeve. that the mere feroeness and
heat OF my kisses would bring her
back again to life and wakefulness.
Indeed. will own plainly that did
but sorry credit to my training In
calmness that night. But she lay in
my arms cold and, nerveless as a
corpse. and by degrees my sober wits
returned to me-.
r .rAia was no place for either Of US,
Let the earth's tremprs cease Gas was
plainly threatened), let daylight come.
and let few OF these nerveless peo-
Pile round recover from their panic,
and all the great cost that had been
expended might be counted as waste.
We should BIO seen. and it would not
BE- long before some one put name
70 Nais; and then it would be an easy
matter to guess at Deucalion under
the beard and the shaggy hair and
the Drowned nakedness of the savage
who attended on her. Tell of fright
BY tho gods! I was scared as the veri.
est trembler who blundered among
tho dust-clouds that night when the
thought came to me.
II was hard to find direction; il
was hard to walk In that inky dark.
ness over the ground that was tossed
and tumbled like q frozen sea; and as
the earth still quaked and heaved, II
WAS hard also to keep footing. But
II did fall myself score of times
my dear burden got no bruise. and
presently got to the skirts OF the
square and found street / knew. The
NEST venomous part of the shaking
was done. and no more buildings fell
bss enough lay sprawled over the road
way to mako walking into climb
and the sweat. rolled from me a.
lahored along my way.
There was no difficulty about pass
ing the gate. There was no gate
There was no wall. The gods had
driven their plow through 1t. and 1t lay
fat, and proud Atlantis stood as de
fenselesA as tha opsn cnpntry. Though
knew the cause Of this ruin, though
In fact had myself in some measure
incsted II, I was almost sad at tn.
ruthlessness with which 1t had beer
carried out. Tbs royal pyramid nigh
60, houses and palaces might be lev
eled. and for these I cared littl,
enough; but when Isaw those stated,
ramparts also hlched away, there tn,
soldier in me woke, and grieved a
this humbltng OF the mighty city tina
once had been my only mistress.
But this was only passing regret
Q mere touch OF the fghting-m man
pride. had a different love now, tina
bad wrapped herself round me IA
deeper and more tightly, and my dut,
was aowasds her first and foremost
E y /