The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-04-10
CHAPTER NII-Continued.

tDNaIuS IIIlii. my CIV ''N-'
God they and were free for an hour
az will free your hands, Raplh," she
murmured. in her trembling voice.
"Oh, JOY, have found you at last! 1t
was terrible to think of dying in this
dungeon alone"
She threw her arms round his neck
and chung to him shuddering. Ralph,
Won will not leave me here alone again!
You will not let them take you from
mel"
81 do not fear death now!" she con-
tinued. "But to die alone in this
darkness-oh, Ralph, it was horrible.
But have you with me now, love. l
am not afraid of death now"
Death" he exclaimed; sit cannot
be that he menaced you with death.
1t can only be a devilish device to ter
rifv YOU. He must release you pres
emily"
"No. no. / will not be released
now. You must kill me rather than
let them take me away! | fear worse
than death if he sends for me again.
"But you are his wife, Clara"
"No. | am not his wife. Twill never
be his wife! He may kill me, but l
will never Weld to him! And now let
me unite your hands, and you will
promise not to let them take me alive?'
Ralph did not answer, but pondered
with new born hope on the possibilities
of escape. If only he had told the
merchant to warn his brother relief
might have come in time. Would the
merchant himself acquiesce passively In
the loss of his goods? He knew the
depredator would he have influence
enough to obtain redress? Even If he
had. it would take time-days, weeks,
perhaps months. He had spoken OF
stirring up the commons against such
men as Rainham. But Ralph we'll
knew that a rabble, in whatever num-
bers they swarmed up to the gates OF
the castle, could do nothing to effect an
entrance. There was little hope OF re-
lief from the outside, and Ralph turned
with greater confidence to the chances
of overpowering his jailers when they
came again, as they must come, to bring
the defiant Clara before her lord.
Meantime Clara, cheered by her con-
fidence in him, worked with industrious
patience mt the cords with which his
hands were tied. Ralph asked her how
long she had been a prisoner.
81 do not know" she answered. 1T
seems ages ago since they thrust me III.
Even this gloomy solitude was relief
for time. / was worn out, and fell
asleep, and slept do not know for
how long-on the damp floor. And
what do YOU think awakened me? Oh,
Ralph, it was horrible-a rat gnawing
at nv shoe" She shivered and drew
her breath hard at the recollection. ut
was some time before | knew where |
was, and what the strange sensation at
my foot meant. When | realized it, !
started up and screamed wildly, and
then heard pattering and scattering
as if the floor were alive. l rushed
forward, still screaming, and they
scrambled up the wall, and l. saw the
loathsome black things crowding out
through the patch of light. 1t was hor-
rble. How they frightened me! |
did not sleep again, but stood at the
farther end watching the light, and
whenever glistening black thing APP
peared, screamed and rushed at it.
Oh, Ralph, how | suffered in this
place. often felt as if | should &c
madn
"What damuable crueltyr' cried he.
"Oh, monster, miscreant! Surely the
hottest fires of hell are reserved for
him!"
"You cannot conceive" she said,
chow cruel he is. When would not
Weld to him, but defed him, he struck
me, and drew his dagger, and would
have slain me. Then when l looked
him in the face and dared him to kill
me, telling him that heavy vengeance
would be taken for me, he laughed, and
after threatening me once or twice with
his dagger, and seeing that | did not
finch, seemed to change his mind, and
called two of his men, threatening me
with foul, unutterable things"
ooh, Ralph!" she cried, half smil-
ing, half in tears, ''surely you will not
leave me now that you are free! I can
not see you in this darkness. Do not
go away from me, or shall begin to
doubt whether you are here"
"The hands you have freed" he
said, "are yours. Do not fear, With
heavens help all will yet be we'll. We
shall find a way out of this dismal
prison"
But she was still too agitated to ac-
cept the homage which the courtesy OF
those times paid to beautiful woman
hood. Her recent bitter experience OF
woman's real weakness had untitled
her for playing the part of artificial SUI