Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-08-29
ON THE PIER.
ny JOHN II. RAfTERY.

made the tar Spanish Islands look near and
white between the luminous green of the
spangled sea and the purple-blue OF the star
spattered sky. The thin pier creaked on its
frail spndles of steel as the mie-long surges
rolled laundering on the tawny shore behind
him, and he did not hear her footsteps, but
started, dropping his cigar into the water as
her shadow fell across his shoulders.
ITS you, Frank she said her voice
rising sweet and clear above the roar and
murmur of the sea and wind.
God bless you, Gail, he cried, springing
up and taking both her hands.
mo, no. Not that" She struggled away
from him and sat down, smiling as she point
ed to the place beside her.
at is seven years, Call he said, his lips
close to her ear.
1T will be seven to day Tuesday night.
"Iou have not forgotten anything
Nothing Frank. Not even that you ran
away from me- 1t was cruel; you don't
know how cruel it was, Frank
They were silent, watching the sea-
Glow did you know | was here?" he
asked
81 saw your name on the register at the
hotel"
"And you knew I'd be here in the old place
after so many years.
81 guessed that"
81 have sat on this pier at night every
summer since we parted here
"Why, Frank"
81 was hoping you'd come back"
and you still"
81 love you still, Gail. | have loved you
since first l saw YOU" he answered, laying
his great brown hand upon hers. But she
drew it away and said: "Why did you leave
me like that, then"
you have not heard? Guessed! Come,
Gail, don't you know"
That you were married? Yes / knew
that tossing her yellow curls against the
breeze. But he leaned over so that he could
see her face and said
yet you dared"
Dared? Yes, | dared, and would have
dared anything. | loved you and you said
you loved me better than all the rest of the
world. Was not that sufficient You know,
at least you said you knew then, that there
is nothing else. Scandal? What did | care?
Your wife"
"Sh-sh! She's dead, Gail" he whis-
pered.
Dead? She was dead then, so far as you
were concerned. You did not love her. She
never loved anybody except, perhaps, her
daughter"
And you knew [ had daughter, too?
Gail, Call
81 knew everything about you, tell you!
Yes, and wanted you to run away with me.
| want you now"
What: What is it you want, DEAR"
He was hoarse with passion as his hand
sought hers again. But She thrust it from
her and cried:
'No, no, Frank | want you to tell me
why you ran away from me. Or did you lie
to me, as they have all done?"
Lie: No, no; | did not lie, Gail. Yes,
ran away hecause-it was the child. Gail.
could not cruelty her that | might gain my
own best guerdon She loved me, chung to
me, believed in me. She was ten years old
then. | gave W you, gave up the best
hoped or wished for, and, it seemed, |
| thought did well. II seemed manifest and
most unselhsh to do that Gail. That's
why"
And /; Did not | have children-two of
them; Was not everything to them: Did
| not love them, Frank: They had no one
but me Yet would have made orI-lans of
them. forgotten them, cut them out OF my
hungry heart! For what: Why"
because you loved me. CALI" be asked
her. But she did not answer, for her white
teeth pinched her red lip as she stared at
the tull-saiied brig that bore across the hori-
ION, blurred and baleful through the tears
that welled into her eyes
Because you loved me. CALI" he asked
again She looked at him for a full minute
wondering, silent, her mouth a-quver and
her strong white hands clasped together
And your daughter;' she asked at last,
striving to be calm
"Shes to be married next month She's
of age now"
And 50 she has repaid you: Was it
worth while to DO for her as You did: She
would have lived down that grief a, she has
outlved her need OF you. But /: Can out
| live"
Her voice trembled now and broke, and
he gained her hand for the moment
you do love me. Call" he went on, try
ing to draw her towards him. but she awoke
from the dream OF the instant and said. very
sadly and with hollow note in her sweet
voice:
Too late; too late, Frank Yes. | love you
better, ii that were possible, than | loved
/ you then. But it is quite too late
Late. Nonsense. | am but 10; you look
/ like girl. | have come here wholly to find
YOU, to win you back. to take you away with
me lou have come back, too. don't
know what brought you, hut you love me
Come, smile with me, Gail! Ii is the very
dawn and glory OF our lives"
She sat silent, her loose hair blown like a
nebulou, halo about her fine head, her arms
hanging listiess by her side, her eyes fixed on
the pearlpink granite Of the island cliffs far
out at sea Then, fiercely;
And |: Must | do nothing for my own
children: because lost you are they to be
] L..
day. and is it only week since you lei, me
! here alone, starved at the heart, guessing,
wonderingy To hope for seven years, with
out a word, a line, a message or a sight OF
you How did | know that one day you'd
be freey And there is no answer now. You
are free. What OF it: | am not. You are
too late You ha~ been unseltish, you say.
, 1t will be easier for YOU. You've had seven
years practice. | was selfish, bold, reck-
less! 1t will be hard, always harder for me
| have had no practice. | gave YOU up be