Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-09-14
The Hearts
Highway
copys0as. 1900, Dy Doubleday, PACED Co.
Iy MARY E. WILKINS

for you can do nothing for me single
handed Captain Jaynes Is Killed.
saw him fall-and the parson has fed,
and and-I know not where be the
others. For Gods sake, lad, save her!"
Then Sir Humphrey, with such
look at me as / never forgot, but have
always loved him for, with no more
ado turned upon Mary Cavendish and
caught her, pinioning both arms, and
lifted her as If she had been an infant.
and Catherine would have gone to her
rescue, but caught at her hand, which
was still at work on my bandage.
go you with them and show the
way to the boat whispered. She set
her mouth hard and looked at me. i
Will not leave thee she said.
IF you go not. then they will be
LOST" | cried out in desperation. For
Mary was shrieking that she would not
so, and l knew that Humphrey did
not know the way and could not and
it and launch the boat in time with
that struggling maid to cucumber him.
for already the door trembled as if to
fall.
Il tell you they will not harm a
wounded man." | cried. IF you leave
me, I am in no more worse case than
now, and if you remain. think of your
sister You know what she hath done
to abet the rebellion Twill all come
out if she be found here. Oh, Gather
inc, if you love her, pray thee. CO."
Then Catherine Cayendish did some
thing which / did not understand at
the time and perhaps never understood
rightly Close over me she bent and
her soft hair fell over my face and
hers, hiding them. and she kissed me
on my forehead. and she said low, but
quite clearly, Whatever thou hast
done in the past, my scorn henceforth
shall be for the deed, not for thee, for
thou art man.
Then to her feet she sprang and
caught hold of Mary's struggling right
arm, though it might as well have
struggled in wise as in Sir Humphrey
Hyde's reluctant but mighty grasp.
Mary" she said, 'listen to me- IT'S
the best way to save him, to leave
him.
Then Mary rolled her piteous blue
eyes at her over Sir Humphreys shout
der from her gold tangle of hair.
: What meag you ~ she cried. Il tell
you. Catherine. | will never leave
him.
IF we remain we shall all be in Gus
tody," replied Catherine in her clear
voice, though her face was white as if
she We're dead, 'tand our estates may
be forfeited, and we have no power
to help him. And he must be taken
in the end in any case. And if we be
free we can save him.
u will not go without himv cried
Mary. ',Set me down, Humphrey, and
take up Harry, and l will help thee
carry him. Do as l tell thee, Hum
phrey''
Harry will be taken in any ease
replied Catherine, and if you take
him you will be arrested with him.
and then we can do nothing for him.
tell thee, sweet the only way to save
him is to leave hin"
Then Mary gave one look at me.
me2" she cried
ssAs God is my witness, dear child"
[ replied Then she twisted her white
face around toward Sir Humphreys,
who stood pinioning her arms with
look himself as if he were dying
ssLet me loose, Humphrey" she said,
sIet me loose Then l swear ] will go
with you and Catherine"
Then Sir Humphrey loosed her, and
straight to me she came and bent over
me and kissed me- Harry" she said
In whisper which was of that strange
quality that it seemed to be unable to
be heard by any in the whole world
save us two, though it was clear
enough, 81 leave thee because thou tell
est me that this is the only way to
save thee, but l am thine for life and
for death, and nothing shall ever come
forever between thee and me, not even
thine own self, nor the grave, nor all
the Wilderness of life
Then she rose and turned to Sir
Humphrey and Catherine
II am ready" said she, and Sir Hum
phrey gave my hand one last wiring
and said that be would stand by me.
Then they fed, and as lay there alone
I heard their footsteps on the cellar
stairs and presently the dip of the boat
as she was launched. and heard it
above all the din outside, so keen were
4ny. ears for aught that concerned her
Then that sound and all others grew
dim, for | was near swooning, and
when the door fell with a mighty crash
near me it might have been the fall Of
d rose leaf on velvet, and / had small
heed Of the fierce faces which bent over
me, yet the hands extended toward my
wounds were tender enough. And
saw as in a dream Captain Robert Wal
Ter, with his arm tied up, and wonder
ed dimly If we were both dead, for
xa1.tiv believed that / had killed him,