The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-08
ON THE PIER AT CORONADO.


1 pOrpie-biue Of the star-spattered sky. The
/ thin pier creaked on its frail spindles Of
steel as the mile-long surgss rolled thun-
cering on the tawny shore behind him
and ne did not hear her footsteps. but
( started. dropping his cigar into the water
as her shadow fell across his shoulders.
It's you. Frank" she said, her voice
rising sweet and clear above the roar
and murmur Of the sea and wind
God bless you. CAN he cried. spring
I ing up and taking both her hands.
No, no. Not that" She struggled
away from him and sat dowp. smiling
! az she pointed TO the place beside her.
1t IS seven years. Gail" he said, his
! lips close to her ear.
night"
'Yuo have not forgotten anything
Nothing. Frank. Not even that you
ran away from me. II was cruel; you
don't know how cruel it was. Frank"
They were silent, watching the sea
How did you know I was here?" he
asked
I saw your name on the register at
the hotel"
And you knew I'd be here in the old
place-after so many years."
4 guessed that"
4 have sat on this pier at night every
summer since we parted here.
Why. FRANKIE"
Il was hoping you'd come back
And you still"
II love you still. Gail I have loved
You since first 1 saw you" he answered,
laying his great. brown hand upon hers
But she drew it away and said: why
did you leave me like that. then?"
You have not heard? Guessed? Come.
Gail don't YOU know"
That you were married? Yes. I knew
that tossing her yellow curls against
the breeze. But he leaned over 50 that
he could sec her face and said:
Yet you dared
Dared? Yes. 1 dared, and would have
dared anything. I loved you and you
said you loved me better than all the rest
Of the world Was not that sufficient?
You know. at least you said you knew
then. that there is nothing else. Scandal?
What did l care? Your wife"
"Sh-sh. She's dead, Gail" he whis-
pered.
"Dead?- She was dead then. so far as
you were concerned. You did not love
her She never loved anybody except,
perhaps. her daughter-
And You knew l had daughter, too?
Gail, Gail!'
I knew everything about you. tell
youi Yes, and I wanted you to run away
with me. l want you now
What? What is it you want, dear?'
He was hoarse with passion as his hand
sought hers again. But she thrust II
from her and cried:
No. no. Frank, I want you to tell
me why you ran away from me. Or did
you lie to me. as they have all done?'
Lie? No, no; I did not lie. Gail Yes
I ran away because-it was the child
Gail. l could not cruelty her that l
might gain my own, best guerdon- She
loved me, chung to me. believed in me.
you, gave up the best I hoped or wished
for and. it seemed. I thought I did well
II seemed manifest and most unselfish
to 90 that, Gail That's why.
And [? Did not ! have children-two
of them? Was not everything TO them?
Did I not love them, Frank? They had
no one but me. Yet l would have made
orphans of them, forgotten them. cCt
them out of my hungry heart For
what2 Why?''
Because you loved me. Gail?' he ask
ed her But she did not answer. for her
" hite teeth pinched her red lip as she
stared at the full-saied brig that bore
across the horizon, blurred and baieful
through the tears that welied into her
eyes.
Because you loved me. Gail?'' he ask
ed again. She looked at him for a full
minute wondering, silent. her mouth a
CULVER and her strong white hands clasp
ed together
And your daughter?" she asked at
last. striving TO be calm.
She's to be married next month She's
Of age now"
And so she has repaid you2 Was It
worth while to do for her as you did
She would bove lived down that grief as
she has out-lived her need OF you. But
I? Can | out-lve-
Her voice trembied now and broke and
he gained her hand for the moment.
You do love ne. Cali he went on.
trying to draw her toward him, but she
awolze from the dream of the instant and
said. very sadly and with hollow note III
her sweet voice:
TOO late: too late. Frank. Yes. 7 love
YOU better. Il that were possible. than
I loved you then But it is quite too
late
..I.atel Nonsense. am but 20; you
look like a girl. have come here wholly
10 find YOU. 10 win YOU back, TO take you
away with me. You have come back.
teo. I don't know what brought you,
but you love me, Come. smile with me,
Call It is the very dawn and glory
Of our lives.
She sat silent. her loose hair blown
like a nebulous halo about her fine head.
her arms hanging listless by her side. heI
eyes fixed on the pearl-pink granite OF
the island cliffs far out at sea. Then
hercely:
And I? Must I do nothing for my
own ehildren2 Because I lost you are
they 70 be without home? Is 2 woman s
year but a day and is it only week
since you left me here alone. starved al
the heart guessing. wordering2 To hope
for seven years. without a word. lue
q message or q slight of you. How ola
know that one day you'd Dc free And
there IS no answer ROW. You are free.
What Ct it, I an not. You are too late
You have been unselfsh. YOU say Il
viii be easier Tor you. You've had seven
years practice T was selfish. bold recS-
less, II viii be hard, always harder for
me I have had no practice. I gave you
I'd because 1 thought had To- That
vas not unseldsh. But now-pshaw,
Frank, Let's go back 70 the hotel
what do you mean. Gail Great God
woman, you're not
Yes. that's IL. I'm married.
"But. Gail. he would persist. weakly
desperately now
There are no butts now Frank. she
said looking hack with tired eves az tie
tights ~ the city or the mainland. NJ
husband IS a good man. ~ least he shaii
-or pay the penalty of your-your un-
self slluess.
and thay walked back 10 the hotc.
without a word.-John II. Raftery-
Thanks 20 the Pup.
From London answers
Smart Young Man-Good morning. NJ +
sf- Bullion drascible old gsBi-Um- !