The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-07-13
CHAPTER XIV.
THE DREAM.

| slept, and 1t 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 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.
He saw the door of the prison cell
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. 1t
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 I'M
der his grasp. There was no further
word spoken. He tossed the knife into
a 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
ragged 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-fltting
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,
eyes which looked steadily up at the
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 bloodsoaked shirt whose
looseness 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-
nynge, 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
obeyed.
Madam" said Law, calmly, after
the morning meal was at last finished
in silence, 81 shall be very glad to
have your company for a few mo-
ments, if you please"
Mary Connynge rose and followed
him into the open air, her eyes still
fixed upon the dark-crusted stain
which had spread upon his tunic. They
walked in silence to point beyond
the cabin.
you would call her Catharine!"
burst out Mary Connynge. ooh!
heard you in your sleep. You
believe every lying word Sir Arthur
tells you. You believe
John Law looked at her with the
simple and direct gaze which the tanner
of the wild beast employs when he
goes among them, the look of man
not afraid of any living thing.
Madam" said he, at length, calmly
and evenly, as before, "what l have
said. sleeping or waking, will not mat
ter. You have tried to kill me. You
did not succeed. You will never try
again. Now madam, l give you the
privilege of kneeling here on the
ground before me, and asking of me,
not my pardon, but the pardon of the
woman you have foully stabbed, even
as you have me-"
The figure before him Strengthened
up, the blazing yellow eyes sought his
once, twice, thrice, behind them all
the fury Of a savage soul. 1t was of
no avail. The cool blue eyes looked
straight into her heart The tall figure
stood before her, unyielding. She
sought to raise her eyes once more,
failed. and so would lave sunk down
as he had said, actually on her knees
before him.
John Law extended hand and
stopped her. There" said he at
Wlll suffice. I cannot demean you.
There is the CHILD"
You allied her Catharine" broke
out the woman once more IN her I'M
goVernable cage. "You would name
my child"
| Madam, get up!" said John Law,
"a c&o