The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1906-10-11


ness Sylvia would mistake him for the
priest. He could convey her TO the boat
If recourse to the boats should be rem
dered necessary-and then take the haz-
ard of his fortune. While she was in
danger his place was near her.
From the deck Of the vessel the scene
was appalling. The clouds had closed
in. The arch of light had disappeared
and all was a dull. windy blackness. CT
gantic seas seemed TO mount in the hori-
zon and sweep toward and upon them.
1t was as though the ship lay in the
vortex Of whirlpool. so high on either
side Of her were piled the rough pyra-
midical masses Of sea. The vessel lay
almost on her beam ends. with her helm
up. stripped even of the sails which had
been furled upon the yards. Mortal
hands could do nothing for her BY
o'clock in the morning the gale had
reached its height
The sea. pouring down through the
burst hatchway. tore the door of the
cuddy from its hinges. Sylvia found her
self surrounded by a wildly surging tor
rent which threatened to overwhelm her.
She shrieked aloud for aid. but her voice
was inaudible even to herself. Clinging
to the mast which penetrated the little
cuddy, she whispered a last prayer for
suecor- The door opened. and from out
the cabin came a figure clad in black.
She looked up. and the light Of the ex-
piring lamp showed her face that was
not that of the man she had expected TO
see. Then a pair Of dark eyes beaming
inefable love and pity were bent upon
her. and a pair of dripping arms held
her above the brine as she had once been
held in the misty mysterious days that
were gone.
In the terror of that moment. the |
cloud which had so long oppressed her
brain passed from it. The action Of the |
strange man before her completed and !
explained the action of the convict chain
ed to the Port Arthur coal wagons. Of |
the convict kneeling in the Norfolk Isl
and torture chamber. She remembered /
the terrible experience of Macquarie i
Harbor- She recalled the evening of the I
boat building. when. swung into air by /
stalwart arms. she had promised the res
cuing prisoner to plead for him with her
kindred Regaining her memory thus
all the agony and shame of the mans ]
long life Of misery became at once APP
parent 10 her. She understood how her
husband had deceived her. and with
what base injustice and falsehOod he
had bought her young love. No ques-
ton as to how this doubly condemned
prisoner had escaped from the hideous
isle of punishment she had quit occur
red to her. Shs asked not-even in her
il had been given to him
to supplant the chaplain in his place on
board the vessel She only considered,
N her sudden awakening. the story Of
lis wrongs, remembered only his marvel
)us fortitude and love. knew only. In
his apparently last instant of her pure.
Inflated life. that as he had saved her
,nce from starvation and death, so had
lie come again to save her from despair
The eyes Of the man and woman met
n one long. wild gaze Sylvia stretched
nut her white hands and smiled. and
Richard Devine understood. in his turn.
he story of the young girls joyIess life.
md knew how she had been sacrificed.
In the great crisis of our life. when.
'rought face to face with humiliation.
We are suspended gasping over the great
mptiness Of death. we become conscious
hat the self which we think we knew so
rell has strange and unthouzht-of ca
lacities- To describe a tempest Of the I
lements is not easy, but TO describe a 4
empest Of the soul is impossible. Amidst !
he fury of such a tempest. a thousand
memories. each bearing in its breast the
orpse Of some dead deed whose inhu-
nee haunts us yet. are driven like feath-
r. before the blast, as unsubstantial
nd as unregarded. The mfsts which
hroud our self-knowledge become trans .
aren't, and we are smitfen with sudden.
comprehensions Of our own
lisused power over our fate.
This much we feel and know, but who a
an coldly describe the hurricane which
Jus overwhelms him? As well ask the .
rowned mariner to tell Of the marveIs n
{ mid-sea when the great deeps swal- =
wed him and the darkness of death en- !
him round about. These two {
uman beings felt that they had done D
18th life. Together thus, alone in the b
FRY midst and presence Of death, the
stinctions of the world disappeared. b
heir vision grew clear. They felt as h
.ings whose bodies had already per- =
he'd. and as they clasped hands. their :, :,
eed souls, recognizing each the lowell y
IS u Inc Olnrft AuShc1 tIeiuDilukly
gether. o.
In
In a stately home in dear old Eng =
nd" a bronzed, serious-faced man
lows the peace and contentment that
me only with the calm after the storm
the rare joy Of love requited. the sol II
an satisfaction Of innocence indicated,
e glory Of sunlit lawns" and green l.
stures and still waters"
They who had robbed Rufus Dawes, or
nvicf, Of the best years Of his life
uld not restore their golden promise =,
atone for the shipwreck Of youth and ~
rly manhood
But they could tear the false veil from le
E past The storm that swept the VI
Idy Franklin to the cruel rocks drif.ed
a friendly shore the man and woman
70, clasped In each others arms. saw
re inensble in each others eyes for 81
} first time.
Rufus Dawes escaped 10 England. 5yi-
! Frere followed on the next steamer, W
:, at the first port, she had learned Of
, death of Maurice Frere, Drained by
. manacles Of a convict he had goad-
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