Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-07-12
A HEROINE
Il of Necessity


-~~
A way to the right, as far as eye
could see, stretched the shimmering
ocean, the sunlight dancing on the
waves and turning them into carpet
OF gold To the left lay glorious
patches of purple heather, broken here
and there by big gorse bushes, covered
with golden blooms and soft green
spikes. Overhead the seagulls whirled
lazily across a turquoise bay, uttering
their plantiye notes as they greeted
one another in passing.
And one, at least, of the millions of
created beings was thanking God at
that very moment, as she leaned her
arms on the slight railing which formed
the only protection from the cruel shin
gle below the edge of the steep cliff.
Fate had been more than ordinarily
kind to Christabel Tredennls up to now.
She had never known a single sorrow
all her life through; twenty years of
unspotted peace lay behind her. She
was young fair to look upon, wealthy
beyond the dreams of most women, and
dear TO manly heart, now far away
In Western Africa, fighting his coun-
try's battles in skirmshes with tribes,
with pluck that was tenfold more
| thorough because of her.
Mrs. Tredennis had come to the quiet
little village of Croone, on the Dorset
shire coast, because she had happened
to see highly colored print of it in
some ones photo album 1t had not
turned out to be all that 1t was paint
ed--what does?-upon closer acquaint-
ance, but Christabel and she liked the
scenery and the solitude and stayed on.
This was about their last day.
She was thinking of her soldier-over
far across the waters, as she gazed,
when her mind was suddenly recalled
to her present surroundings by NUT
on the soft summer wind. She turned
round hastily and saw, little farther
OH, a tall. spare figure standing on
the very edge of the cliff. an edge that,
as Chrstabel knew, was unprotected.
TO call out would be to startle the
rash adventurer, whoever it was; but
the girl crept softly across the heath
er that lay between the figure and her.
self till she was just behind her.
The woman turned round and almost
screamed. Chrlstabel. with fear knock
ing at her heart, brought there by the
look in the eyes riveted on hers, laid
a hand on the others arm.
"Come farther from the edge; 1t is
dangerous" she said.
from 80 to so, laughed.
ITS the edge like" she answered,
shaking her arm free Of the OBTAINING
hand and taking step forward. Have
you ever walked over a cliff? Should
you like to come with me and try the
sensation now?"
Christabel looked round wildly. There
was no one in sight; the only sound
to be heard was, the mournful cry OF
the gulls.
A story she had once heard came
into her mind at that moment.
Its nothing to walk over cliff"
she returned, trying to steady her voice.
"It would be much more wonderful If
you started at the bottom to walk to
the top!'
The other shrugged her. shoulders.
"It's matter Of opinion, of course"
she said. LET us try my way first. 1
want to go to-hlm. Don't you see he
is beckoning to me-over there?"
She glared ferociousIy out to sea,
and gripped the girls arm In vice.
"He? Who?" asked Christabel, hop
Ing thereby to gain time.
The ruse' was for few moments sue
cessful. The woman drew a photo
graph out of her pocket, and thrust 1t
under the girls nose.
Christabel started; the blood had left
her face, and her heart seemed to stop
lbeating. 1t was a portrait Of her lover