The Washington times., 1903-08-02

try people. who were not likely 10 come
to close quarters with anything sitting
by night in that haunted place.
II was very hot August weather, and
Miss Mary grew restless. Perhaps II
was the heat. perhaps the full moon
She was always little restless when
like a child in the heat, she would not
eat: she could not sleep; she wandered
about the house at nights. She grew
whittier. more transparent. That speech
of the gossip's returned to Mrs. Susan s
mind and made her sweat with fear
while she tried to lose Il in her anger
One night, when everyone was asleep
Miss Mary got up. dressed herself. and
went out. There was a magnificent
golden harvest moon. inclining to
orange in the haze of heat that smoked
over the country.
She made her way through the pine
woods. across che fields. over the salt
marshes, and came out midway in the
bay where the wreck of the ship was.
in her breast and fell, feebly futtering
like bird that has been shot But it
was joy and not anguish. At last She
had not kept count of time, and. per-
haps, the years counted to her as
months. But. anyhow. time had drag
ged, and IL had been dreary. Now. at
last, he was waiting for her, sitting on
the hull of the vessel as he had so
often waited in the old heavenly days.
She ran to him over the sea-sands
noiselesslys He was sitting with his
chin on his breast and did not seem &c
hear her coming-a swarthy man. with
the face of a soul that has looked on
heaven and found hell. Daylight. too
If daylight had been there 10 reveal II
would have shown the dark hair thickly
sown with gray. the haggard temples
the dead-tiredness of the whole face.
But the orange moon in its heat-haze
was kinder.
:.Algernon." said a voice by his
shoulder.
II might have been Juliet's voice IN
Verona, so thrilled was it with young
ardor, so nightingale-sweet-
The man started and then drew back
Mary" he said. huskily. The voice
was changed from the voice she re-
membered.
II he could have seen il, a mist fell
over the radiance of her face Then it
lighteued again: some pleasant thought
had come TO her
Mary" repeated the man, still draw
Oh -4
Mary, or have the years stood still? They
nad not prepared me for this"
She seemed hardly 10 have heard him.
That new thought was thrilling and
lighting her face, making il more and
more radiant.
All" she said: Il find you sitting in
the dead mems place, where so often we
sat together when we were both Of this
world l think l knew all the time, AL
gernon. that you were dead. else you
would never have left me without a
word And so you have come back from
the dead 10 keep tryst with me once
again. Oh what love, Algernon, what
faith,'
For an instant the mans chin sank
lower on his breast. Then il lifted
stealthily and he looked at her with
burning eyes.
You might be out of Heaven. Mary.
he said. sent 10 lay a drop of water on
parched wretch's tongue. And yet
do you suppose he would be the
better for that drop of water. knowing
that once he might have slaked his
thirst ocean deep. and that now he must
go parched forever"
She came a step nearer. anxiety cloud
ing her radiant face as IL might child s
who finds something said too difficult to
understand
Il don't understand. Algernon,'' she
said. gently. You can never thirst"
For a moment his lips parted as
though the tongue were swollen within
them Then he said, with a gentleness
almost equal to hers
"of course not, Mary. I was thinking
of a poor wretch
Her thoughts were not following him.
He had an odd idea that the gold OF the
moon was in her garments like a light.
reflected in the pearls of her throat
making quiet fires OF happiness in the
depths of her eyes.
Shall / sit by you. Algernon?" she
asked. You know am not afraid OF