The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-04-19

mix of sun and sky. She spent much
time out-ofdoors. Life must be lived
IL hearts are sore and youth longs for
the rest under sod.
She found him on the beach mile
from town, dead-drunk. tide creeping
up his ankles. She got him under arms
from behind the dumb. sotted head OF
him. and lugged him out of reach of the
crawling water Oh, that hurt in her
heart as she pulled him, inch by inch.
away from the curling, shining, purring
| tide!
Her tears sprinkled him like baptism
| for the dead as she kissed the drunken
eyeids, spread her kerchief over his face
and fled. And when he awoke and found
1t on his eyes. did that hurt? He read
her name by the moonlight,
That was the night she saw his face
in the window, when his eyes called her
| like voice. But when she flung open
the door and cried his name the silence
beat 1t back on her, and she covered
down by the embers, gray as their
ashes.
The town called him "possessed;"
fierce out-leap of his nature to front the
sea and wristle it--up and down coast.
Was there a storm, he went pleasuring
in its trough.
Over night the wind cooled, a crisp in
the puff OF it. People said: "There be
sorrow making"
red jaw at girth of water where
dawn came through; all the sea streaked
| xtyith holy nd linz, frpr VIC
to wave in that rimple and shift; Ions,
trembly winnows Of dull gister that
broke and scattered against the beach
like blood were in It; all day dingy
sun. and evening settled early.
1t came with a crash, as II creation
were breaking up. The town flocked to
the beach in the swooping black night
The mist froze as it fell, a thin. melting
rime on the single; the wind plowed
inshore, soughing and cold and sonor-
Gus like bugles.
Through it Jack Dacie plunged.
Drunk, he would have had sense; but
sober, his blood leaped to the sound as
to brazen cymbals, and the DEVILS mood
was on him.
She sprang suddenly past them, BARE
foot, down the beach. The lightning
seemed to clothe her as she ran, livid and
splendid in the skies, and tearing the
dark asunder. Between flashes the
black stung the eyes that strained to see,
startlingly thrust out in the live fire. the
naked feet were piteously white and lit
tie as the wind swirled her skirts and
barred them, and the women behind
caught breath between teeth as II 1t were
a baby's feet.
He was in the boat, but her fingers
clutched the edge. He struck them saw
agely. but they chung the tighter.
"Jack," she painted, "for Gods sake!
you amt on top earth-you are on wa
ter; speak to mel"
The sea sucked about her feet
dragged her, pulling her, as the boat
pulled, up to armpit and sucking her
down. With last effort she looked up
in the wild face as her feet hoated from
under.
Il love YOU" she sobbed-"Oh, jack"
Then it had her, the bruised fingers
loosed. But he caught them-caught
them, as the boat whirled out, and
dragged her in; fell with her clasped in
his arms, crying her name against face
and poor bosom and bruised fingers;
huddled her in his knees, hands feeling
the cold feet and hugging her body close
as If to love her warm. Presently she
raised herself, with a shuddering look.
Love, 1t won't hurt"
81 know" she whispered against his
lips. I'm afraid-a little"
She murmured prayer, presently,
just the witless prayer of innocency; but
her words strangled-"If should die"
as wave washed over them, and he said
it for her, and for himself.
Don't look" he said. "Sing, Eliza
BETH"
They heard her voice in breaths OF
half-lull across the thunder, piteous
voice out of the wastes. The women
broke into great sob as the winds sent
it in-shore; a frantic clinging together
and helplessness, and the men could but
stand with set teeth in that cry of song
out of the sea.
A glimpsing spot on crest of the dark
in the white lightning. and they saw her
"a seconds vision like lifetime. Her
arms were round her lover, as If in that
final moment in the one clasp she gave
him the soul and life and love and dy-
ing of her. They did not know, weeping
heart out for her, that his soul looked
past the hard year and knew 1t all, all
the record of what the days might have
been, with her sweet bosom for his
heads haven after toll; and the anguish
she refused to wed for him. Ay, he
saw 1t all as the sea flung them and the
lightning crawled and crowned in the
waters, and felt It's year-full ineffable
plenary in that last grand comprehend
ing surrender to him. Dare not live for
a man, but die with him!
He laughed on her lips, for joy of her
cold mouth and her heart on his.
Hold me close" she whispered