Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02

CluSp peCduS6 There WIS SlIoIis
| gale blowing. and she wanted to see the
| turmoil of the waves and to feel their spray
on her face.
Her mood was tempestuoUs. and the strife
of the elements would be in tune with it.
| She had always made nature her conf
dante: and today, more than usual. the
| sympathy Of dashing rain and singing
spray held a rough comfort for her. For
| today Harvey Wiseman had proposed to
| her. and she had refused him with anger.
because OF the manner in which he had
done 1t.
| She was angry still, and so she held her
| face up to the singing slaps of the rain
| with fierce sort of joy. The rain and the
wind. accepting her defiance, buffeted her
and took her breath, but could not turn
her back from the path she chose to take.
! Circumstances. and Harvey Wiseman. had
! buneted her too, and she was trying to feel
| that she could master both circumstances
| and Harvey Wiseman as she mastered this
| September gale. She knew that the two
battles were not the same, and that the
weapons of her fight with the man would
be very different, but victory in a small
| thing which does not matter is comfort
Ing omen for victory in the large thing
which does.
! 1t was characteristic Of Harvey Wiseman
| that he had not understood either his crime
or her anger in the slightest. In pointing
out to the girl that his offer was very
advantageous one for her. and that she
WdS IdIuly III II POSITION 10 refuse IL, Hc
had merely thought that he was being sem
sible. She. however, chose to say that he
was insulting. Heavens! What did the girl
want? Did she expect him, a man old
enough to be her father, to behave like
| sentimental lad? Go down on his knees
perhaps and slobber kisses over her hand!
This man of much humor chuckled at the
thought. for he realized that he would pre-
sent an absurd picture. But, except for
her habit of getting up on stills. there was
he said to himself, nothing against the girl
She was a fine girl, though she hadn't a
penny; so why shouldn't he marry her?
He forgot, perhaps did not knew, that
he. though he had many pennies, was not
a fine man.
He prided himself on his insight, and yet
failed to see that his defeat was irretriev-
able. He did not plead. of course; but he
laid the hard facts of her position d1spas-
| sionately before her. and said that he would
repeat his offer in a few days, when she
had had time TO grow more accustomed to
the idea. Meanwhile, would She have
round of golf? 1t was a rough day. but
there was an effective cross-wind stroke
that he wanted to teach her.
Plainly. therefore. he acknowledged no
defeat; nothing more than a temporary re-
pulse.
But she refused this offer also. And Har-
vey, with the smiling comment that he did
not seem to be In luck today, picked up his
clubs and went off to practice his cross
wind stroke by himself
There was something in his calmncss
which made Mary afraid, for 1t suggested
that he was sure of victory in the end. The
girls position was indeed almost desperate,
and she said that he knew 1t, ana was
prepared to profit by the fact without pity.
Now that her brother was dead sha and
her mother would have to leave Holland
Abbey to make room for the new baronet.
who was Harvey Wiseman. Harvey said
for the new baronet and his bride, snd
asked her to be the bride; and she had told
her mother that she would rather be
hOuSemaid-Or dead!
She climbed down the cliffs to the waters
edge and watched the big waves from the
beach level. Now and again the wind cut
off the crest Of comber and carried 1t In
heavy spray to where she was standing.
The rain had ceased now, but the salt water
wetted her like a bath. She laughed as she
shook her head, and her black hair hung
about her face in damp wisps. Never
mind it would tighten into crisp curls when
it dried.
She walked along the shore for a few
hundred yards, past the mouths of the
Holland caves (Which tradition said COM
municated with the abbey ruins a mile
away. and kept as close to the turmoil of
waters as she could. She was making
plans. and the noise of the water helped
her Presently she noticed that the tide
was rising, and at the same time she be-
came conscious of shouts from the top of
the cliff
She looked up and saw Harvey Wiseman
gesticulating wildly with his clubs and
shouting something which the wind would
not let ners near she waved her hand to
him, and shouted back, "All right. I'm COM
Ing" Her temper was gone: the wind had
blown 1t away, and she was rateful to
Harvey for his warning. For a dip in the
sand between her and the bottom Of the
cliffs was already covered with water which
reached nearly to her knees as she splashed
through 1t. few minutes more and she
would not have been able to cross 1t. Even
as 1t was. she must climb the cliffs here or
not at all: for there was rapidly deepening
water on both sides Of her. There were the
caves. of course: but the story Of a path
through them was story and nothing
more-as yet,
1t was not her usual place for making the
ascent. and she did not in the least know
whether an ascent was even possible Very
likely 1t was not; but she was not afraid
She was one of those who do not feel fear
when the danger Is evident and calls for i'm
mediate action to face 1T. She had felt fear
TINS morning when Harvey Wiseman left
her, with his smiling grumble at his own
ill-luck in winning favors; but that was he
cause IN that case the danger was hidden
one, which she felt, but did not yet under-
stano. ms was different: it meant climb
Ing. and perhaps death from a fall: but she
understood that.
She paused moment to scan the face OF
the elm and pick the easiest path. Then
she began to climb.
A diagonal fault in the rock made a shall
low ledge running upwards for three parts
Of the height. 1t was Just wide enoneb IN
give her foothod, and she worked her
her fingers finding grip in the frost-made
and waterworn cracks of the limestone
Several times the knobs of rotten stone
broke away In her hand. and once a piece
shaded off under her foot: but she did not
lose her nerve. Then at last came a small
plateau few yards square, covered with a
short sea turf; and above this were only
seven feet more of rock. She sat down to
rest for a moment. and to think how she
was to get up those seven feet; for the rocl,
here bulged outwards, and was topped with
few inches of soil, whose raw edge showed
where there had been a recent fall.
Presently sound above her caused her TO
look up. She saw Harvey Wsemans face
craning over the top, and she almost
laughed at the look of fright which she saw
in his eyes.
Can you hold on there till / fetch n
roper" he asked anxiousy.
Yes" she said. but | don't mean to.
Lie fiat on your face and hold your oIeek
down to me- There three holes where
l can put my feet"
Harvey looked even more alarmed
You'll pull me off, and shall go down
together he objected.
mo, l shant. My weight will be on nv
feet. 1 only want the cleek to steady me-"
Sure you can do it? Much better wait
%,