Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01
CHAPTER XXXIV.

With the removal of Cranes presence
from the room a strange, awkward restraint
came over the two who were left-the man
who had suffered 50 much for the woman's
sake, and the girl who had endeavored so
much
He was like a man suddenly thrust into
new world of freedom. He INDUCED in a
physical manifestation of its exhilaration
drinking in long, deep draft of the clover
scented air, until his great lungs sighed
with the plethora. 1t seemed a lifetime
that he had lived in the noisome atmos-
phere of a felon's cell But now the crime
dropped from him; free man, in every
sense of the word, he could straighten up
and drink of the free air.
Allis watched Mortimer curiously: she
was too happy to Speak-just to look upon
him standing there, her undefiled god her
hero, with his herosm known and ap-
plauded. He seemed so great, so noble, that
anything she might say would be inane,
tawdry, lnconsequent: she waited pa
tiently, happy, taking count of time, nor
the sunshine, nor the Tilt of the birds, nor
even the dissolution of conventionality in
the unsupervised tete-a-tete.
The ecstatic magnetism of congenal 81
lence has always potency, and its spell
crept into Mortimer's soul and laid en-
barge on his tongue. He crossed over to
Allis, and, taking her slender hand in his
own, crouched down on the floor beside her
chair and looked up into her face just as
great ST. Bernard might have done, in
capable of articulating the wealth of love
and gratitude and faithfulness that was in
his heart. ~=E-'
Even then the girl did not speak. She
drew the mans strong, rugged head close
up to her face and nestled her cheek against
his. Love without words; love greater than
words! 1t was like a fairy dream, and ii
either spoke the gentle gosSamer web of 1T
would float away like mist, and Of need they
must talk of the misery that had passed.
In the end the girl spoke first, saying
like child having a range of but few
words: You are happy now, my hero?"
TOO happy. I almost fear to wake and
find that I've been dreaming"
Shall pinch your ear to make sure?'
"You might make me sure, but not that
way"
She kissed him.
Eyes, it's real he answered. Even IN
dreams happiness is not so positive as this
You did not doubt?" he queried.
Never"
''You would have waited?"
Forever"
And now-and now, we must still wait"
mot forever"
''You wish it that way? You will be my
wife when I am able to make you happy"
II am happy now, and will be your wife
when it seems best to you"
II am almost afraid. You seem so good.
so perfect. What am what have l done
that I should be deemed worthy of such
love, such faith?"
1ou nave Saseu any me- YOU souSHt "
save my brothers honor, you gave me, just
little girl, knowing nothing of aught but
horses, your love. And what do L give you
in return?
All, they were surely in love. This self
abnegation was the manifest evidence.
Gradually the outer life. past, present and
future. thrust itself assiduous!y through
the armor of their love sufficiency, and,
like mortals, they talked of Mortimer's de-
liverance.
And presently, more sanity creeping into
their discourse, Allis discovered that she
was not at home, and that the setting sun
was blinking reproachfully fair into her
eyes through the open window he hung
for a minute, red-fushed on the purple
hazed sky line.
To Ringwood with her drove her knight,