Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1902-11-06


hoated two objects which became Of
absorbing interest to him. One was a
woman, the other chemical mystery.
He had come upon an element in his
chemical studies that he could not sat
isfactorily explain to himself. He real
lied that it might be a new element.
He might be the discoverer Of that
which would startle the scientific
world. So far the element had eluded
him. He had not only been unable to
satisfy himself Of it's existence, but
also what it's characteristics were, or
whether it might not be known ele-
ment in a new form.
The woman-Mary Ames-was a
warm hearted, whole souled woman; a
woman who, with a broad. tender, hu-
man sympathy read life and the vari-
Gus species of natures that possessed
mankind she knew; a woman who could
see good where others saw dross. She
understood Victor Irvine. She gave him
credit where others had given ridicule.
She respected the man, the student.
and true, a man who could love.
The love of Mary Ames became
staff for him to lean on. Through her
eyes he took a new view Of the earth,
Of mankind. He was irresistibly
drawn to her. Then it was, when the
rush Of the incoming flow was flooding
itself through him, that thoughts, feel
ings, affections for Mary possessed
him. It was then. when the how
pounded on the surf Of his heart, he
cried to himself, ''This is life, life
Victor was so situated as only to be
able to see Mary in the evening. There
was always an inclination to remain
late with her, which he never yielded
to. He had always gone before the
rush, Of the midnight high tide. For
this reason he had not spoken of the
love that possessed him, had not had a
in the flow. The ebb brought him a
timidity that was painful. There was
an eyer-Dresent fear that she would
slip away from him III the unuertOW.
One day he came to her in the morn
ing 1t was holiday. AS he fingered
he felt the coming of the midday flow.
Their conversation grew exceedingly
bright. In the waiting for the highest
tide he was overwhelmed with the
thought that he must tell Mary Of the
love he had for her, that consumed
him. He broke out:
| ''Mary-darling, you are so sweet
so sweet-you are so grand-so grand
I have something have been going
to tell you-tell you, DEAR then he
stopped The ebb was on. He felt it
He could get no farther. He STAN
! mered. 81,
The-ebb-Mary-I will tell you al
another time.''
Several weeks passed. 1t was no
told. It was the month of March. a
the time of the vernal equinox. Grea
storms ragged on the ocean. The tides
were running high.
! One night, in the worst fury of tn
storm, Victor was in his laboratory
busy at work. He was experimenting
The element he had been hunting fo
had turned up. He had made severa
successful analyses. It seemed to hin
! that he almost understood the secre
i, that had been eluding him. It was no
/, yet 10 o'clock. It was more than tw
hours until the ebb. In that time th
mystery would be known, the probler
solved, and the world would credit hir
. with discovery.
iy1< II,
,, brought other inspirations. There wa
Mary. How sweet love was, hoy
glorious! 1t was almost his. Woul
it ever be his? Life without it was
dead, empty thing. 1t must be his.
Away out came two great waves t
:. ward the shore of the soul Of Victt
Irvine. They rolled. tossed and pitche
: as they moved in. On one perched tt
secret of chemistry that he had bee
3 diligently searching for. On the oth'
love rode. .J St
The two waves were in fearful stru
" gle the one with the other. They raise
their high heads and broke into angl
. feathery caps. They chased eat
u other, one seeking to swallow Il
4 other The contest was wild, tel
pestuous one. AT last, with roa
e they went together and, breaking, de
c far up the beach, love riding trump
: antly in.
> It was then that Victor fled throu.
- the rain to the home Of the woman
a. loved. Higher, greater swells we
rising out on the waters, followi1
It each other to the shore. AS onwa
or they came he poured out to the WON
st the tale of his life, the misery of
ie loneliness. its pathetic strangene
"a the sweetness of the love he bore h
1e the wealth Of happiness there was
". it. Before the ebb came he had t
ne answer OF the woman. It was sat
at factory. There was no regret for t
y | lost secret of the laboratory.
"a; AS the moons waxed and waned
til secret came back to the inmate OF
Is, happy home. It returned as jets