Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-03-27

ceptl0naily Wild and violent, when once
more the sound Of wheels upon the gravel
without catches vera's ear.
Perhaps she had been listening for II
Ills even In a measure prepared for II,
but even II 40, this does not prevent the
sudden agltated change that overspreads
her face ~ she hears II. Her pulses
quicken unpleasantly and she half rises
to her feet
An hour, two hours. pass, and she Il In
her room dressing for dinner. when q
servant brings her a note.
II have 10 thank you for the kind In
yltntion which Gaselda gave me. Busi-
'ness matters have compelled me to come
here agaln--for the last tlme-to-nighti
60 trespass, for the last time, upon your
hospitality. | beg you win not let my
presence disturb you, my stay win be no
short that | dare 10 hope you win NOT
mark the coming or going"
A quick wave Of color dyea Vera's
face; she lays the letter with studied
alowncss upon the table near.
MY compliments TO Mr. Dyaart, and
hope he viii dine with me tonight" she
says, calmly. but with an unconscious
touch Of hauteur. How does he dare 20
treat her like this, 10 persist In believing
--or rather. 10 pretend 20 belIeye--that
his presence Ia 10 dlstasteful 10 hcrf
What ls he TO her. ono way or the other.
that she should care whether he was In
I her house or out Of III
At dinner, however. she viii have an
opportunity OF widening bis knowledge
somewhat II will be the simplest thing
60 let him see how utterly unimportant
an item he Is In the scheme OF her exist
enee, There Is a brilliant light In her
eyes as she turns 20 receive the woman
who has now come back with an answer
60 her message to Dysart.
There Is n tlmldity In the woman's air
that warns her.
"Mr. Dysart's compliments aud thanks,
madame, but he has already dined In
town"
"Fasten this bracelet" says Vera, hold
Ing out her arm. She u aware that the
woman Ii watching herr curiously II ner-
vously, and she so moves that the sudden
palior OF her face. the sole thing that
shows her Indignation. shall not betray
her. That viii do: you can Co." she
says after awhile. She sweeps down
stairs almost In the servants footsteps,
and into the green drawing room, q
smaller apartment than the usual recep-
tion rooms, and now looking delicately
cozy beneath the touches OF lamps and
frelight, and with the perfume OF many
flowers hanging around II.
Tue wind, the thunder, the lightning,
still rage. but the rain has ceased, and
te ka RnttRtyw han ah.Nwa n nmha atuty-
iy moon Is striving feebly to break a way
through the dense clouds. Suddenly the
door In thrown open by an agitated hand,
and the woman who had attended her
upstairs comes hurriedly, without cere-
mony, into the room.
'Oh, madame, l thought you would like
to know--that you should be told" she
stops, frightened BY the expression on
Vera's face.
"Well?" says Vera, going step nearer
20 her.
"There Is a ship in great distress, ma
dame-somewhere out there" pointing
vaguely in the direction Of the ocean,
upon the rocks, they sayl There Is
scarcely any hope"
"But the lIfe-boatf" cried Vera, sharp
ly, forgetting everything now but the aw-
full thought OF death--and death so near
--out there upon those cruel rocks. with
the boiling, murderous waves leaping to
receive their prey,
Eyes, madame, but that accident yes
terday--you will remember it1--they say
It has disabled six OF the men, and It 10
almost certain death to 90 at ell, and the
hands being short, there must be volun-
teers, and who will risk their lives
the townbred girl stops short with a
culver, and covers her face with her
hands.
"volunteersl Where Is Mr.. Dysartr'
cries Vera, suddenly, with prophetic in
stinct. "speak, girl!' turning hercely on
her maid.
"Gone down to the beach, madame, to
see what can be DONE"
"Goney" says Vera, slowly, as II dAsed,
and then again, "gonew A little convlu-
slve shiver runs through her-lt Is the
final breaking up Of any lingering de-
ceIts, any last illusions, that she may
still have clung to.
"Order the carriage" she says, after a
minute or two, during which mistress and
maid have remained silent. This sudden
waking-up has been so far shock that
II has killed all immediate nervousness
She feels chilled, calmed, strengthened.
The moon has In measure conquered
the clouds, and now shines out with a
pale, watery luster, that rather adds to
than takes from the weird wildness OF
the night. The thunder still rattles over
head, and vivid flashes light the black,
ness. Here and there, as the carriage
passes by the outskirts Of the wood, these
intermittent bursts of light show where
tree has been felled, or the road ripped
up, or a small bridge carried bodily
away by the force Of the swollen cur
rent underneath.
All through the deadly crashing Of the
storm booming sound may be heard Al
long intervals. Half maddened by It,
and by that other greater fear, Vera lies
back In the carriage, pressing her fin
gers now to her ears, now to her throb-
bing brow, that feels as IL II were burst.
ing.
Arrived at the entrance to the village, a
drive Of about mile from Greycourt,
she stops the carriage, and opening the
door springs to the ground. A sudden
gust Of wind passing by almost dashes
her to the earth, but by a superhuman
effort she deAes It, and half blinded by
the flashing lightning, and bewildered by
the raging storm, she turns aside, and
runs painting, struggling, down side
pathway that she knows leads to the
beach below.