Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-05-01
CHAPTER xxi

-ss even IL measure prepared tc- u,
bu- even i 81. -l-s does uo- prevent the
sudden 4=!raT-d change that o7erspreads
Es- s4-e as s1e hsars IL. Her pulses
quicken EEp.easa1-.y and she halt rises
% ne fee.
Al hour. rwo hours, pass. and she IS IL
he- ro0D dressing f0- dinner, when
servant brings ae- q note
i have . thank you sOC tae kind in
Tita;loc which Gr.selis gave NE. Brsi-
ness matters have compelled NE % come
here azalu-to- the .as- ;iue-Jo-uIZht;
70 tFespasz, FOR the last time. upon your
hospitality. I be- you viii not leI M
presence disturb you; my stay will be So
suo-r chat I dare 10 hope you will nor
marx the coming Or going"
quick wave of color dyes Ne-a's
face: she lays the letter with studied
sioTuess upon the table near.
Ny compliments to Mr.. Dysa-t. and
hops ne will dine with NE tonight" she
says, calmly. but with al unconscious
touch ot hauteu-. How does ne dare TO
treat her like this, 70 persist in believing
or rather, 10 pretend 70 beieve-that
his Presence is 80 dizcastetul TO her:
What IS he to her. one way or the other,
-A-tA~ s-4F aAAyAaA AdAE " lie s44E- AE " - IL
her house or out 0t it,
At dinner, however, she will have an
opportunity Of widening mis- knowledge
somewhat. II will be the simplest thing
10 let him see how utterly unimportant
an item he is in the scheme Of her exist
ence. There is a brilliant light in her
eyes as she turns to receive the woman
who mas now come back with al answer
TO her message to Dysart.
There is a timidity in the woman's air
that warns her
Mr.. Dysart's compliments and thanks,
madame, but he has already dined in
town"
"Fasten this bracelet" says Vera, hold
ing out her arm. She is aware that the
woman is watching her, curiously if ner-
vOusly, and she 50 moves that the sudden
pallor OF her face, the sole thing that
shows her Indignation. shall not betray
her. That will do; you can 90" she
says after awhile. She sweeps down
stairs almost in the servants footsteps
and into the green drawing room,
smaller apartment than the usual receu-
tion rooms, and now looking del.cately
cozy beneath the touches Of lamps and
freight. and with the perfume Of many
towers hanging around il.
The wind, tie thunder, the lightning,
still rage, but the rain has ceased, and
n tLe murGy heavens above. pale. sick
Il moon j. striving t-ebly t. break a way
through the deEs= clouds. Suddenly the
door is thrown open ty an a=.,ated hand,
and the woman who had attended her
upstairs comes hU-ried.y, without cere-
mOug into me room
"OI. madame, I thought yOu would like
u klow-rhac you should be told" she
stops, frightened b. the expression on
TeIa's face.
Well says Vera, going a step nearer
70 her.
There is a ship in great distress, ma
dam-somewhere out there pointing
vaguely in the direction Of the ocean,
upon the rocks, they say. There is
scarcely any hope
But the life-Doatt7 cried Vera, sharp
II, forgetting everything now but the aw
ful thought Of death-and death SO near
out there upon those cruel rocks, with
the boiling, muTderous waves leapIAg to
receive their prey.
Yes, madame, but that accident yes
terday-you will remember it?--they say
It has disabled six Of the men, and il is
almost certain death to 20 al all, and the
hands being short, there must be yolun-
teers, and who will risk their lives"
the townbred girl stops short with a
quiver, and covers her face with her
hands.
Volunteers, Were is Mr. DysartT'
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"
Gone" says Vera, slowly, as If dazed,
and then again, gone" a little convlu-
sive shiver runs through her-it 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 a shock that
1t has killed all immediate nervousness.
She feels chilled, calmed, strengthened
The moon has in a measure conquered
the clouds, and now shines out with a
pale, watery iuster, 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
a 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.
AL through the deadly crashing Of the
storm booming sound may be heard al
long intervals. Half maddened by il,
and By that other greater fear. Vera lies
back in the carriage, pressing her fin
gers POW to her ears, now to her throD-
bing brow, that feels as il it were burst
ing
Arrived at the entrance to the village a
drive of about a mile from Greycourt,
she stops the carriage, and opening the
door springs TO the ground. sudden
gust Of wind passing By almost dashes
her to the earth, but by a superhuman
effort she defies it, and half blinded by
the flashing lightning, and bewildered By
the raging storm, she turns aside. and
runs painting, struggling, down a side
pathway that she knows leads to the
haonb haloU