Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-08-23
By CYRUS
TOWNSEND
BRADY.

4 u
Il rracl,,7l the very center Of her being.
~Ka:iarine-' he said softly again.
| with so much passionate entreaty In
his wiStful voice i...u ,..arr its CON-
| pelling influence she siO,.y turned and
| looked toward the other door from
| whence the sound had come. Then as
she saw him, lifting one hand TO her
| head while the other unconsciously
sought her heart. she shrank back
| against the wall and stared al him in
| voiccless terror. lie dropped INSTEAD
| lily to his knee. as If to worship at a
| shrine.
"Oh. do not go away he whispered.
Il know il is only dream Of mine, so
many times have seen you ever since
the night the frigate struck and ! sent
you to your death on that rocky pass
| in that beating sea. Aye, in the long
hours Of the fever-but you did not
shrink away from me then; you listen
ed to me say love you, and you an
| swered" He stretched out his hand
! toward her in tender appeal. She bent
forward toward him. He rose to his
feet. half in terror.
Kate" he said uncertainty, ''is 1t in
deed you? Are you alive again?
She was nearer now. One glad cry
broke from her lips He was in her
arms again and she was clasped to his
heart-a real woman and no dream, no
vision! What the wind could only
family shadow forth upon her cheek.
sprang into life under the touch Of his
fevered lips, and color flooded them
like wave. Laughing, crying, Sob
bing. she clung to him. kissed him with
little lncoherent murmurs, gazed at
him. wept over him, kissed him again.
All the troubles of the intervening days
of sadness and privatiOn faded away
from her like disused chrysalis, and
she sparkled with life and love like
butterfly new born.
He that was dead was alive again;
he had come back and he was here!
AS for him. in fearful surprise, he held
her to his breast once more, still unbe-
lieving. She noticed then an empty
sleeve and raised 1t tenderly to her lips.
II lost 1t after an action with the
British ship Yarmouth. 1t was only
flesh wound at first. We were long In
reaching Charleston. The arm had to
be amputated. 1t was a fearful ac-
ton"
81 know it," she interrupted. Il was
there"
You. Katharine! All, that. woman
on the ship. was not deceived then.
and yet could not believe it."
"Yes. twas l. glOried In your
bravery until l saw you lying. as
thought, dead on the deck. Oh. John,
the horror If that moment! Then !
called you and you did not answer.
Then | wanted to die, too, but now
am alive again and so happy-but for
this" she lifted the empty sleeve to her
lips. How you must have suffered,
| my poor darling" she went on. her
eyes filling with tears, her heart yearn-
| ing over him .And how i'll you look.
and | keep you standing here-how
| thoughtless. Come to the bench here
and sit down. Lean on me-"
Nay: but. Kate, you. too. have suf-
fered. See.' He lifted her arm; the
loose sleeve fell back "Oh. how thin
| il Is, and how smooth and round and
plump 1t was wheH | kissed it last!
he said MS he raised it tenderly again
to his lips.
1T is nothing. John. l shall be all
right now that you are here. You poor
shattered lover. how you must have
suffered she went on. with sob In
her voice.
oh, Katharine. this" looking down
at his empty sleeve. was nothing to
what suffered before, when | thought
| had killed yOu"'
when you thought you had killed
me-. she said in surprise. They were
sitting close together now. and she had
his hand in both her own. How.
when. was that:'
And then he told her rapidly about
the loss OF the Radnor and the idea
which her note had given that she was
on board Of 1t.
"And you led that ship down to de-
structicn. believing was on her! How
could you do 1t. John?" she snid re-
prOachfully.
1T was my duty, darling Kate" he
said desperately.
And did you love your duty more
than me?'
Love it? hated it! But had to
! do It. dearest" he went on pleadingly.
"Honor-you told me so yourself. here
I'm this very spot; remember your
words. Do you not recall them? If !
stood in the pathway Of liberty for Il
single instant should despise the man
who would not sweep me aside with
out moments hesitation Don't you
know YOU said that. Katharine?"
Ibid l say it? All. but that was be.
fore | loved you SO and you swept me
] aside. Well. love you still, and. John,
| honor you for it. too. but could not
do It. You see, am only n woman"
kate. don't say only woman that
way. What else would l have you
pray? But tell me Of yourself"
Briefly she recited the events that
had occurred to her, dwelling much up
on Desborough's courage and devotion
to her in the first days Of her captivity
the death of Johnson, the burning OF
Norfolk. the death Of Bentley. He In
terrupted her there anG would faln
hear every detail Of the sad scene over
again. thanking her and blessing her
for what she had done.
1T was nothing" she said simply. 81
loved to do 1t. He was your friend. l,
seemed to bring me closer to you
Then she told him Of the laundering OF
the ship, of the frlghtful voyage In the
boat. and rang the changes upon Des
borough's name-his cheerfulness, his
unfailing zeal and energy-until Sey
mours heart filled with jealous pain.
Kate" he said Mt last. "as came Ut
the road / saw a man leave the boat
house and climb the hill. Who was It?
"It was Lord DesbOrOugh. John"