Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-10-05


ing. Until the cold had exhausted us
we attempted to vile away the hours
by relating to each ether incidents OF
our past life Il WAS natural that our
talk should become increasingly inti-
mate. Death stared us in the face. At
such an hour as that one forgets that
one IS speaking to a stranger. II was
then that Mr.. Wnloughby told me Of
you"
/ Il understand" said Helena in a
voice that was strangely gentle. For
the first time there were tears in her
eyes.
at half past two the snow ceased
falling. The sky cleared The stars
shone ont one by one in a blackened
sky. II was now. think. for the first
time felt our utter helplessness. The
terror Of the mountains. the awful
loneliness. the stiffness. the sense OF
2 utter isolation-an overwhelmed me-
) The ghostly Wilderness Of The mountain
peaks shone out against the dark sky
( The moon shed an unearthly radiance
! over all Shadowy and unreal. a phan-
/ tom host, mountain after mountain
I stretched as far as one could see. And
! our helplCssness vas made the more
/ pitiable because at our feet we could
! SEQ enc Hghts Of the VILLAGE.
The sun rose at last But 7 was
/ terribly exhausted with the cold. the
I nights vigil. and fatigue. Three times
I we attempted to resume our descent.
/ and three times my exhaustion para.
iyzed every effort. wish to make no
/ excuses. and yet"
! I paused. looked at her wistfullv.
] saw no pity or sympathy in her eyes.
/ She came from a race Of soldiers.
They. too. had suffered and died, and
their honor had been stainless. why
( should she make any allowance for my
suffering and weakness2 When all is
said. weakness to her meant COW.
! ardice. She forgot. as the world had
forgotten, that it Is not so difficult 60
be brave when tho danger is "a famil.
lar one. She looked at me quite IN.
moved.
The rocks" ! continued. were GOV
cred with snow and were iee-glazed.
( Wiiloughby was anxious now. And
yet It was impossible TO linger: no
one would dream OF looking for us on
this side OF the mountain. SO that
presently when the sun rose higher
and we were partially warm. I STUN.
bled painfully and slowly after my.
companion.
For a time I followed him mechan-
ically In perfect silence. Suddenly he
came 20 pause. He told me very
quietly that we wero lost. He point.
cd as proof Of that 20 tho overhanE-
Ing ledge around which we had
climbed tho evening before. am
nearly at tho end OF nay story. Miss
Brett"
Again she shuddercd, and we both
looked 40 the little beacon light alck-
ering very family now. About US the
people laughed and talked: the or
ohestra was playing & Strauss waltz.
do not spare me. please" whis-
pered Helena
To retraco our stops was impossi-
bic. Just around the mountain-side
wo know that we should nnd ourselves
Ga comparative safety. But Co climb
down tho overhansing procipico had
been uppollngly difficult the day be-
fcro. Now exhausted in mind and
body, the rocks slippery with snow
and Zee. Sc seemed impcssiblo-fo NC.
az least. And yet Il IS who am alive
20 tell you how desperate that chance
was
Generous to the last. he insisted
that go first The ropo was fastened
about my waist; I climbed down tho
overhsnging cliT, supported by the
rope held by my companion above.
Il reached the ledge I was safe. .
But I had put forth the last Of my
strength. I could only stand there. .
FIGHTING FOR my breath. Almost imme- F..
diately Wi,oughby flung down the
rope and warned me that he
was coming, and that should
be ready 10 give him what as
sistance could. I tried 20 speak
to implore him TO delay the
descent for a few moments; my voice
seemed mere whisper. Probably he (
did not hear me. Or he dared not de-
lay lest he should lose his own nerve; ,
for he must have known that the
chances were waolly against him.
"Not even for you can / linger over
the details of these last atgful mo-
ments. He had almost ACCOMPLISHED .
the impossible. He was just above
me. ] could have reached up and .
clasped his body And then what I 4
had feared, what / had known would
happen, did happen. His feet
slipped. He was hanging by his arms.
He called 20 me In a strong and
steady voice 10 come TO his aid
did not. At least. until it was too
late. re hung there one frightful in
stant and then"
Helena clasped her hands con-
vulsively. And so the end came"
she murmured. And he died with
out one word?"
I hesitated.
ct Is my right 10 know" She
looked at me with burning eyes.
''Yes. he spoke one word-one-"
And that was"
Coward / whispered
CHAPTER v.
a Life for a Life.
A long silence fell between us. I
looked where the little beacon light
had hickered feebly a few moments