The San Francisco call., 1905-05-14
CHAPTER Liz.
In which Teresa Makes a Jou

CHAPTER LIN.
In Which Teresa Makes a Journey.
Help me to remember that it is for
Greece-and for himself most of ALT"
That was Teresas cry through those
dreary weeks alone. The chill instinct
that had seized her as Gordon held
her in that last clasp had never left
her. She struggled always with
grim sense of the inevitable At times
she fought the desire to follow. even
to Greece, to fold him in her arms, to
entreat: Give UP the cause Come
back to me-to loye!" Her sending
of Pietro had given her comfort. She
subsisted upon his frequent letters,
upon the rarer, dearer ones Of Gordon.
and upon the remembrance of the
great issue to which she had resigned
him.
One day message came from
great Venetian clearinghouse. 1t told
OF sum of money held for her whose
size startled her. She, who had pos
sessed but a slender marriage portion,
was more than rich in her own right.
An accompanying letter from Dallas
told her the gift was Gordon's. wild
rush of tears blurred the page as she
read.
That night she dreamed a strange
y
for she lay with open eyes staring at
the crucifix that hung starkly, a nurky
outline. against the wall. Suddenly
she started up in the bed. Where the
ivory image had glimmered against
the ebony was another face scolorless.
sharp wavering light play
ing upon 1t. 1t was Gordons deep
lined, haggard, as though in mute.
extremity. His eyes looked at her
steadily. appealingly. :,
She held out her arms with moan.
Then the light faded, the phantom
merged again into the shadow, and in
the darkness she hid her eyes and
swayed and wept. She slept no more.
A blind terror held her till dawn.
AT noon Tita brought her Pisan pa
per, with a column of Greek news 1t
stated that the English loan, on which
depended the hopes of the revolution
lists, was still unsubscribed in London.
The measure would doubtless be too
late to stay the descent of Yussuff Pa
sha's armies. Dissensions were rife at
Missolonghi At Constantinople the
Sultan, in full divan, had proclaimed
George Gordon an enemy to the Porte
and offered a pashawlik and the three
horse-tailed lance for his head.
The English loan-too late. It's
speedy coming had been a certainty in
Gordon's mind before his departure.
Was it the agony of failure she had
seen on the face that looked at her
from the darkness? Was he even now
crucified on the cross Of q despairing
crisis?
A quick thought came to her. The
sum he had made hers-a fortune, al
most>a a hundred thousand pounds Of
English money! Might not that serve,
at least until the loan came? If she
could help him thus!
There was no time for. correspond
ence, banking routine-no time for de-
lays of any sort 1t must go now! A
daring plan was born in her mind. She
could take it herself. direct to his ne
,cessity. Why not2 Such a brig as Cor
don had chartered was no doubt to be
found at Leghpm.l Yet she could not
make the voyage with but a single SER
want for an escort. To whom could she
appeal? To whom else could that far :
away cause be near? J
A figure flashed before her with the
directness of a yision-a man she had
seen but once, when with her husband
he had confronted her on a monastery
path one dreadful buried day. The friar
Of San Lazarrol She recalled the clear
deep eyes, the venerable head, the un-
compromising honesty of the PADRES
countenance He had known the man
she loyed-hads seen his. life in that re-
: treat, Was he still there? Would he
aid her?
An hour more and she was riding
with Tita toward I.eghorn harbor, BY
the next sunrise she was on her way to
Venice. Three DAYS later Tita's oar
swung her gondola to the wharf of the
island of Saint Lazarus.
8 She stepped ashore and rang bell at
the wall door beside which, in its stone
shrine, stood the leaden image of the
Virgin, looking out across the gray la
COON.
The place was very still. Peach
blooms hung their glistening spray
above the orchard close, and swallows
circled about a peaceful spire from
which a slow, mellow note was
striking. 1t seemed to Teresa that only
yesterday she had stood there face to
face with Gordon. With a sudden i'm
pulse she sank to her knees before the
shrine.
When she rose she was not alone; he
who she had prayed might still be
within those walls stood near-the
same reverend aspect, the benignant
brow. the coarse brown robe.
What do youtseek, my daughter %
AS Teresa told her errand, looking
into the soluble eyes bent on her, the
breeze stirred the young leaves. and
the tiny waves. Tapped the margin
sound. Her words. unstudied and
tense with feeling, acquired an uncon-
scious eloquence. great issue in
perilous straits; she, with empty af-
fluence that might save it-but alone,
without companion for such a jour
ney.
The friar listened with a growing
wonder. In the seclusion of that soli-
tude he had long since heard of the
Greek rebellion-had yearned for its
success. But it had been a thing re-
mote from his lagoon island. He? To
leave the peace of his studies to ac-
company woman, to land in the
throes of war? A strange request!
Why had she come to him?
Have / ever seen you before, my
daughter %
Her heart beat heavily. "Yes
father
She was leaning against the rock,
her face lifted to his. The posture
the pathetic purity of her features
brought recollection.
Padre Somalians eyes lighted. Since
that unforgotten scene on the path, he
had often wondered what would be
this womans welded life, so tragically