The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-05-06
CHAPTER XIV.
THE DREAM.

That night John Law dreamed as he
slept, and it was in some form the same
haunting and familiar dream. In his
vision he saw not the low roof nor the
rude walls about him. To his mind
there appeared a little dingy room,
smaller than this in which he lay,
with walls of stone, with door of iron
grating and not of rough-hewn slabs
lie saw the door OF the prison cen
swing open; saw near it the figure of a
noble young girl, with large and
frightened eyes and lips half tremu-
| lous. To this vision he outstretched
his hands. He was almost conscious
Of uttering some word supplicatingly,
almost conscious of uttering name
Perhaps he slept on. We little know
the ways of the land of dreams It
might have been half an instant or
| half an hour later that he suddenly
| awoke, finding his hand clasped close
| against his side, where suddenly there
had come sharp and burning pain.
His own hand struck another. He saw
something cleaning in the light OF
the pickering fire which still survived
upon the hearth The dim rays lit
up two green. glowing, venomous balls,
the eyes of the woman whom he found
bending above him. He reached out
his hand in the instinct of safety
This which glittered in the freight
was the blade of knife, and it was in
the hand of Mary Connynge!
In moment Law was master of him
self. Give it to me, Madam, if you
please" he said quietly, and took the
knife from fingers which loosened un-
der his grasp. There was no further
word spoken. He tossed the knife into
crack of the bunk beyond him. He
lay with his right arm doubled under
his head looking up steadily into the
low ceiling, upon which the fire made
tagged masses of shadows. His left
arm, round, full and muscular. lay
across the figure of the woman whom
he had forced down upon the couch be-
side him. He could feel her bosom
rise and pant in sheer sobs of anger.
Once he felt the writhing of the body
beneath his arm, but he simply tight
ened his grasp and spoke no word.
1t was not far from morning In
time the gray dawn came creeping
in at the window until at length the
chinks between the logs in the little
square-cut window and the ill-fitting
door were flooded with sea of sun
light. AS this light grew stronger,
Law slowly turned and looked at the
face beside him. Out of the tangle Of
dark hair there blazed still two eyes,
,xhi ctn OF ba
ceiling, refusing to turn either to the
right Or to the left. He calmly pulled
closer to him, so that it might not
stain the garments of the woman beside
him, the blood-soaked shirt whose
and lack of definition had
perhaps saved him from fatal blow.
He paid no attention to his wound,
which he knew was nothing serious.
So he lay and looked at Mary Con-
lynge, and finally removed his arm.
Get up" said he simply, and the
woman obeyed him.
"The fire, Madam, if you please, and
breakfast"
These had been the duties of the
indian woman, but Mary Connynge
'beyed.
Madam" said Law, calmly, after
he morning meal was at last finished
n silence, II shall be very glad to
ave your company for few mo-
lents, II you please
Mary Connynge rose and followed
i'm into the open air, her eyes still
xed upon the dark-crusted stain
'hich had spread upon his tunic They
'alked in silence to point beyond
he cabin.
you would call her Catharine!"
urst out Mary Connynge. "Oh i
card you in your sleep. Yoa
elieve every lying word Sir Arthur
Ills you. You believe"
John Law looked at her with the
mple and direct gaze which the tanner
the wild beast employs when he
pes among them. the look of man
ot afraid of an living thing
TO BE CONTINUED.