Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-23
CHAPTER VIII.
LoreIfe Riviere.

! The expedition to Ormfell had been a
failure from Idris'Apo of view Deaf to
the voice of reason. he had chung to the
| idea that the Vikings tomb held clue
that would aid him in finding his father
Having now received clear proof of the
fallacy of that hope Idris, after a few
| hours sleep, wandered forth by the seq
| be.
1t was an afternoon of brilliant sunshine
/ Inc tide was out, but without making any
| inquiries to the time of its return he
| strolled leisurely onward wrapped in medi-
| tation.
Casually raising his eyes from the ribbed
sea sand ne caught sight of a structure
| locally known as THE Stairs of David -
! This was an arrangement of three ladders.
| suspended one above another on the face
| OF the cliff, which at this point rose YER
| dred feet. Iron hooks kept these ladders
| in position. The structure. a very fraiI
i one. mad been put up originally to enable
| with more expedition
| sun deep in thought Idris passed on. and
mad left the ladder about a mile in his
rear. when he suddenly paused and looked
The me so ulfech NC OF the murmuring sound
| but to which he had given no heed
| Inc tlde was coming in. and coming
IN SO quickly that unless he fastened
back at once he ran the risk of being
| drowned; for steep cliffs rose above hin,
and the open beach was at least five miles
| away. @S
Just on the point of setting off at run.
ne was checked by the recollection of ''The
| stairs of David 1t would be easy to scale
| the cliff by means of this structure.
ne moved onward at a leisurely pace and
then stopped abruptly. What was that oh
Ject rising and falling on the surface of the
water few yards in rear of the advancing
line of foam? Let The Stairs of DAVID be
| far off close by, he must satisfy his
1 harr
He ran to the edge of the breakers, and.
| with thr1ll or surprise, discovered that the
| undulatlng object was womans hat
| How came it there? He had not so far az
| he could remember, encountered ANYBODY
in his walk along the shore He looked
over the dancing waves, but neither boat
nor Vessei was visible; he looked up and
down the beach; he looked along the craggy
summit of the cliffs that rose in frowning
| grandeur above him. but could see neither
man nor woman: He stood. a solitary fig
| ure. on shore that stretched away north
and south for many miles,
| Regardless of the advancing tide, he re-
manned motionless, fascinated by the sight
| Of the hat, his uneasiness deepening each
| moment There was something familiar in
| the gray felt with its once graceful feather
| bedrenched with the salt spray
he advanced into the shallow water and
lifted the hat for a closer survey, It was
| rarely that Idris, took note of a woman's
! attire. but he could recall every detail of
the dress worn by Mademoiselle Riviere on
| Tic bGiS lie saw HsT III the haFenRdr CHAM
| try. and he knew that this hat was hers
| His heart, weighted by a terrible idea
i sank within him like lead. Half expecting
to see a dead form come floating past he
| glanced again over the surface of the rip
ping tide.
He now recollected, what he had hitherto
| forgotten. that there were dangerous quick
| sands along this part of the coast Must
| he believe that MademoiselIe- Riviere had
| become engulfed. and that the tide was now
| foaming jubilantiy over her head?
once more he looked along the shore and
as ne looked MS pulses thrilled with a sud-
gen and delicious relief for at the sandy
| base of a distant cliff he caught sight of a
| figure lying prone.
! Dropping the hat. he hurried over the in
terven1ng space, and in moment more was
| kneeiing beside the form of Lorelie Riviere
Beneath her lay the third and lowest of the
| three ladders that formed the so-calIed
Stairs of David" She had been either
ascending or descending the frail structure
! and it had given way. The ladder. worm
portions on touching the sands, and the
shock of its fall had deprived her of con-
| seriousness.
Her eyelids were closed Silent and mo-
| tionless she lay. her breathing so faint as
scarce to seem breathing at all, her delicate
fingers still clinging to rung of the fallen
| ladder
| Thank heaven she is alive.' murmured
Idris, a great dread rolling from his heart
He gently detached her fingers from the
| rung of the ladder and, tenderly raising
| her, rested her head upon his knee, turning
| her face toward the breeze. AS he did so,
| the murmuring sound, that had never once
! ceased. seemed to swell louder, and his
| heart almost leaped into his mouth when
| he noticed how rapidly the tide was ad
| vancing.
That terrible tide
| Were it not for the rush of waters swirl
! ing forward he might have thought that
| some good fairy was favoring his hearts
J dearest wish. The lovelest maiden whom
| he had was resting within his
| arms, dependent upon him for safety. But
what safety could he give? Their position
seemed hopeless. The last rung of the
middle ladder hung forty feet or more
above his head. The lowest ladder lay on
the sands in three portions, and he realized
at glance the impossibility of refxing
| them in their original position.
No boat in sight. Impossible to scale the
| cliffe, Too far to swim with her to Ormsby!
What is to be our fate?" he muttered
Idris had often looked death in the face.
| these. Was he to die holding this fair
maiden in his arms helplessly witnessing
| her death -gasps? And the voice of the sea,
swelling ever higher and higher, seemed to
i give an answering cry of Yes, yes!'
| The breeze blowing full upon her face
| had reviving effect upon her. Slowly she
| opened her eyes, and q look of innocent
| wonder came over her face when she met
| Idris' earnest gaze bent upon her.
| You fell from the ladder, you remember"
| he said, answering the question in her eyes.
| Are you hurt? Have you broken any
| bones?'
| II think not was the reply.
'Shall help you to stand?'
She assented; but no sooner she
raised to her feet than throbs of pain began
| to shoot through her left ankle, and she
| leaned for support against the cliff, resting
| her right foot only upon the sand.
My ankle pains me-, 1 don't think 1 can
walk"
| While thus speaking she CHANGED to look
upward at the ladder hanging far above
| her head, and then lowering her eyes to
| the flowing sea, she suddenly took in the
| full peril of their position.
THE tide The tide!" she murmured
clasping her hands. I'VE are lost"
I'VE certainly mustn't remain here, and
If you cannot walk must carry you"
ldris' cheerful and brisk air did not de-
ceive her. CHANGING from left to right she
saw the futilty of his, proposal as well as
he saw it himself
The contour of the shore formed semi
circular bay many miles in length, and its
sands were lined by q wall Of lofty per-
pendicular cliffs without single gap to
break their continuity! Idris and his COM
panion were standing somewhere near the
center OF this curve. The tide, extending in
straight line across the bay, had now
elosed In upon the extreme points of the
arc-l1ke sweep and was still advancing,
I hn rndt Ynfr