The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-06

"For what?'
ITO give myself up if possible, and
thus insure his freedom"
81 knew-I knew it would be so" she
whispered. y loved him." she muir
INJURED, turning away. Il have sacri-
feed everything for him and he repudi-
ates, reproaches me. Oh, my God, why
hast thou fOrsaken me?' She walled in
unconscious imitation of greater Suf-
ferer. She drew away from him and
knelt down in the boat and buried her
face in her hands, leaning upon the
weather gunwale. He looked at her
moment, and before the pathetic
abandonment of her grief his anger
melted. She was woman. With her,
love was all.
Elizabeth" he said tenderly, ''the
bitterness of having caused that good
mans death, his apparent dishonor,
overwhelmed me. l love you, as you
know, more than life itself. You are
a woman You see things differently.
There is nothing above love in
woman's heart. Come back to me.
Your place is here, whatever happens.
! love you the more for your great
sacrifice, but now we must undo it
If we can. Heaven has not smiled
upon our meeting. Perhaps, if we go
hand in hand before God together, we
may find mercy, perhaps joy!
She made no answer, but nestled
against him forgiven, contented. For
a time they sailed the sea in silence.
The clouds had broken and left a clear
sky, whence the moon had flooded the
ocean with her silvery light. But the
breeze came fitfully and gradually
died away where they were now under
the lee of the land. 1t was such
night as lovers dream of. They loved
and they were together, side by side,
alone, in the soft autumnal night,
adrift on summer sea. There was
that in the past which kept them
silent. and yet in their very proximity,
in the hands that touched and clasped
each other, the head that nestled on
his shoulder, the arm that encircled
her waist, the lips that met, the eyes
that spoke-there was a sweetness
which neither had ever known be-
fore. The gentle wind whispered OF
love- The curling. Tipping waves ca
ressed the keel with sounds like kisses,
and to it all their hearts kept time.
1t was a respite-a lull between two
phases of the conflict. There was love
and there was peace in the little boat,
and war and tumult were far off on
the horizon.
BY and by Elizabeth slipped down
from the thwart and crouched down
in the boat at his feet. O'Neill held
the tiller with one hand, the other
lightly stroked her golden head. She
was perfectly content. Everything was
out of her heart but he and the pres
ent She was very still. He could see
the soft curve Of her cheek resting
upon her sweet white hand in the
moonlight After one Of the little in
tervals of silence he looked down upon
her again. She made no motion, and
did not reply to word he said softly,
and he discovered that she was asleep.
He did not wonder. The experiences
of the past few days would have killed
any ordinary woman. How heroic she
had been! With what abandon she had
put aside everything for the purpose
of saving him! She had hesitated at
nothing. His love for her was meas
ured by his honor; hers for him was
boundless. Twas ever so. and he had
reproached her, spoken harshly to her,
upbraided her, turned away from her!
How could he have been so cruel! She
was so young, his heart yearned over
her. He vowed that if God did permit
them to escape from the perils which
environed them he would make up to
her for every unkind word spoken, ev-
cry reproach, every cutting glance, by
an eternity of devotion.
The night, the ocean, the loneliness.
impressed him. What had he ever
done to be so blessed in the love Of this
noble woman? His life, as he had said,
had been an idle one. In the courts he
had played at hearts as he had played
at war on the ships-fOr the fun of the
game. With her a serious purpose had
entered his life and was before him.
The silence Of the night was broken
only by the soft splash of the waves
as the little boat rocked gently through
them The gentle wind grew fainter
and fainter. Presently the flap of the
Idle sail against the mast apprised him
that it had gone.
The white Scraps and her consort
were far, far ahead, going fast and
leaving a long white wake across the
sea- They seemed to have kept the
breeze which had failed the small boat.
Coming up from the southwark he
could see the black shapes Of the Rich
ard and her attendant ships. What
would he have given to be upon the
deck by the side of that dauntless cap
tain! But even could he approach the
two ships that privilege would be de-
MED him, for honor demanded that he
present himself upon the deck Of the
Scraps without delay. 1t might be
that it would be too late even then to
save Coventry. but he would go and do
his best. When the boat lost way he
sat moment in indecision. He was so
loath to waken the tired girl, but it
was necessary. Gently he raised her
head.
"Why, my dearest" she said. "was l
asleep? What has happened? OH
1t came back to her-"you are going
back to the Scraps" Then she look
ed eagerly forward. The ships were
far off now, several miles away, and
as the breeze still held with them the
distance was increasing with every
passing moment.
1--WE do not advancer' she cried, a