Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-13
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1905. by
Edward J. Clodc

ton, they may depart from 1t. Ihey
have already lost a great many men.
Their chief, having gained his main
object, might not be able to persuade
them to take further risks. will make
it o part of the bargain that they first
supply you with plenty Of water. Then
you, unaided, could keep them Mt bay
for many days. We lose nothing; we
can gain a great deal by endeav oring
to pacify them"
"Iris," he gasped, "what are you
saying?"
The unexpected sound Of her name
on his lips almost unnerved her. But
no martyr ever went to the stake with
more settled purpose than this pure
woman, resolved to immediate herself
for the sake of the man she loved. He
had dared all Tor her, faced death In
many shapes Now 1t was her turn.
Her eyes were lit til seraphic fire,
her sweet face resigned as that Of On
angel.
II have thought it OUT she muir
INJURED, gazing at him steadily, yet
scarce seeing him. ut is worth try
ing as last expedient. We are aban-
doned by oil save the Lord, and it does
not appear to be his holy will to help
us on earth. We can struggle on here
until we die. Is that right when one
Of us may livew
Her very candor had betrayed her.
She would 20 away with these mon
strous captors. endure them, even fat
ter them, until she and they were far
removed from the island, and then
she would kill herself In her inno-
cence she imagined that self destruc-
ton under such circumstances was q
pardonable offense. She only gave o
life to save life, and greater love
than this Is not known to God or man.
The sailor, in a tempest Of wrath an
wild emotion, had it in his mind to
compel her into reason-to shake her as
one shakes a Maynard child.
He rose to his knees with this half
formed notion in his fevered brain;
then he looked ut her, and mist
seemed to shut her out from his sight.
Was she lost to him already? Was all
that Ind gone before an idle dream Of
Joy and grief, wizards glimpse of
mirrored happiness and vague perils?
Was Iris, the crystal souled, thrown
to him by the storm dashed wave, to
be snatched away by some Irresistible
and malign influence?
In tho mere physical effort to assure
himself thut she was still near to him
he gathered her up in his strong hands.
Yes, she was there. breathing, wonder
ing, palpitating. He folded her closely
to his breast and, yielding to the pas
sionate lodgings of his tired heart,
whispered to her:
'.My darling, do you think I can sur
vive your loss? You are life itself to
me. If we have to die, sweet one, let
us die together"
Then Iris flung her arms around his
neck.
II am quite, quite happy now" she
sobbed brokenly. II didn't-imagine-
1t would come-this way, butt am
thankful has come"
For little while they yielded to the
glamour of the divine knowledge that
amid the chaos Of eternity each soul
had found it's mate. There was no need
lor words. Love, tremendous in its
power, unfathomable in it's mystery,
had cast its spell over them. They
were CARRIED in light, throned in pal
ace built by fairy hands. On all sides
squatted the ghouls Of privation, mis-
cry, danger. even grim death; but they
needed not the inferno; they had Gre
ated paradise in an earthly hell.
Then Iris withdrew herself from the
mans embrace. She was delightfully."-
shy and timid now.
$50 you really do love me?" she whis-
pered, crimson faced, with shining eyes
and parted lips.
He fondled her hair and gently rub.
bed her cheek with his rough fingers.
The sudden sense of ownership Of this
fair woman was enhancing. 1t almost
bewildered him to find Iris nesting
close. clinging to him in utter conf
dence and trust.
But knew, knew" she murmur-
ed. "You betrayed yourself so many
times. You wrote your secret to me,
and, though you did not tell me, !
found your dear words on the sands
and have treasured them next my
heart"
What girlish romance was this? He
held her away gingerly, just so Tar
that he could look into her eyes.
"Oh, 1t is true, quite true" she cried,
drawing the locket from her neck.
Don't you recognize your own hand
writing, or We're you not certain, just
then. that you really did love me?"
Dear, dear! Flow often would she re-
peat that wondrous phrase! Together
they bent over the tiny slips of paper.
There it was again, II love you" twice
blazoned in magic symbols. With
blushing eagernsss she told him how,
by mere accident, Of course, she caught
sight Of her own name. 1t was not
very wrong. was it. to pick up that
tiny scrap or those others, which she
could not help seeing and which un-
folded their simple tale SO truthfully?
Wrong! 1t was SO delightfully."- right
that he must kiss her again to empha-
size his convictions.
They grew calmer, more sedate. 1t
was SO undeniably true they loved one
another that the fact was becoming
venerable with age. Iris was perhaps
tho frat to recognize its quiet certain.