Morris tribune., 1905-05-13
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| familiar scarlet cloak at her feet, and
| although her back was turned to him
he recognized the graceful outlines o
her slender figure. 1t was Katharine
or dream! But could the dead re
turn again? Had the sea given VI
her dead indeed?
He could not believe the evidence o1
his bewildered senses. 1t might bt
q hallucination, the baseless fabric Of
! vision, some image conjured from
the deep recess of his loving heart by
his enfeebled, disordered imagination
and yet he surely had heard living
voice, "Seymour-John-oh my love!
| Sitting the beating of his heart, hold
| ing his breath even, stepping softly
lest he should alright the airy vision
he staggered to the door and stood
gazing; then he whispered one word
'Katharinev'
1t was only whisper she heard, but
it reached the very center of her being
''Katharinep' he said softly again
with so much passionate entreaty in
his wistful voice that under it's COM
pelling influence she slowly 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 at him in
voiceless terror He dropped unstead-
+o l,;r, 8 c,I,s,
shrine.
ooh, do not go away!' he whispered
81 know it 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, i'll the long
hours of che 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. Size bent
forward toward him. He rose to his
feet, half in terror.
''Kate," he said uncertainty. lis it in
deed you? Are you alive again?'
She was nearer: now. One glad CRY
broke from her lips. He was in hei
arms again and she was clasped to bis
heart-a real woman and no dream, nC
vision! What the wind could only
family shadow forth upon hey cheek
sprang into life under the touch of his
fevered lips, and color flooded them
like a wave. Laughing, crying, sob
bing, she clung to him. kissed him with
little incoherent 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 a
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
ieviRg. She noticed then an empty
sleeve and raised it tenderly to her lips.
Il lost it after an action with the
British ship Yarmouth. 1t was only a
flesh wound at first. We were long in
reaching Charleston. The arm had to
be amputated 1t was fearful ac-
ton"
ST know it." she interrupted 81 was
there"
"You, Katharine! All, that woman
on the ship! l was not deceived then,
and yet l could not believe it."
eyes, twas l. | gloried in your
bravery until 1 saw you lying. as
thought, dead on the deck. Oh, John, |
the horror of that moment! Then
called you and you did not answer.
Then 1 wanted to die, too, but now l
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 ill you look, |
and I 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 Seer He lifted her arm; the
loose sleeve fell back ooh, how thin
1t is. and how smooth and round and
p1ohlp IL Woo WhCu AlSSSu IL ldSL. |
he said as he raised it tenderly again
to his lips.
''It is nothing, John. 1 shall be all
right now that you are here You poor
shattered lover, how you must have
suffered!" she went on, with a sob in
her voice.
"Oh. Katharine, this looking down
at his empty sleeve, "was nothing to
what suffered before, when thought
I had killed you!"
"When you thought you had killed
mep' 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 it.
"And you led that ship down to de-
,tructicn, believing was on her! How
could you do it, John?" she said re
''It was my duty, darling Kate" he