Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-10-24
HELL never do no MORE" Brace an.
sMered. nointing I'D the ledge.

way he came, after shooting Lola, and
had got to some distance along the
ledge when the great rock opened and
slid away.
He stood on the narrow path now
a CHASTITY spectacle. A piece Of quartz
had struck him on the head; thin
stream of blood was trickling down
his cheek. In one hand he held the
Great Hesper; in the other he grasped
his rife.
But he dared not move from the
position he had reached when the roof
tilted up; for the light that burst in
had blinded him once more. The sen.
sitive retina had closed over the pupils
and the blank, sightless eyes stared
wildly around, incapable of seeing.
1t was possible for Brace to reach
him by going along the ledge.
evil you save him?" asked.
mot I, pardner," he replied. 81
leave him to Providence. be his end
what it may. The shot he fred at my
poor youngster started the consarn,
anu tHC WAOlC lhlES W." LIZ
IT'S God Almighty's judgment. Let it
be-"
Van Hoeck let the rifle fall from his
hand; how insignificant to us seemed
the sound that came up from below;
the weapon struck rock, after the
mighty discord that had Numbered in
our ears, and yet to him how terribly
significant!
We could see his hand quivering rs
he CROPPED along the edge of the wall.
In vain now he strained his eyes to
see the ledge by which he had followed
us. Yet he could not stand forever
there.
He found a crevice for his fingers.
and made step forward; he ad-
vanced again, but the rock he put his
foot on was piece of the debris that
had fallen from the ledge. 1t rolled
under his weight. He staggered BACK.
! swinging his arms in the vain attempt
to get an equilibrium, then he shot
forward and fell headlong down, down,
| lOWn INTO Tue abyss.
held my breath; it seemed minutes
before that hollow pong" reached our
ears, telling us that Van Hoeck was
gone forever, and the Great Hesper
with him.
There was cord, and to spare, in the
coils. Weighing ono end with a
stone. I threw an end across to Brace,
and when the cut ropes were knotted
and n bridge once more formed. he
crossed, and knelt down by me over
poor Lola.
He examined her wound and shook
his head in silence; there was no hope.
We made a mattress Of the rugs on
the smoothest part Of the rock and at
tempted to lift her upon it. But the
movement gave her pain, and she mo-
toned us to desist. Then pointing up
ward. she made signs for s to leave
her:
mot while you are with us, my poor
GEL" said her father, with more ten
derness than l had ever heard in his
voice.
We had the flask, and some food in
4 wallet. We ate when we were hun
cry. seated beside Lola.
Then exhausted with fatigue. and
the terrible strain we had been sub
jected to, we unconsciously II asleep,
with our backs resting against the
rock. The last thing Of which | was
conscious was the pressing of Lola's
lips upon my hand.
Brace touched my arm.
"Pardner," he said, in tone Of awe,
"the Kids gone"
looked where had seen her lying
with her face to my hand. She was
gone literally. There was little stain
| of blood upon the rock-a drop further
on, another close to the edge Of the
platform. She had kept her promise
she had been good; and now the suf-
ferings of her short life We're ended.
"She knowed it was no good our
waitin'-poor little cuss."
! felt something in my hand; opening
it, l found a ring had bought for
Lola. She had slipped it there before
she went
| Sir Edmund and Edith came to San
Diego in June, the loveliest season or
that lovely land. The air from the sea
tempered the suns heat. The planta.
tions were already burdened with fruit
and everywhere there was n redolence
of orange blossom-"a very suggestive
fragrance, my dear fellow" said the
baronet, pressing my hand.
Edith was charmed with all she saw.
us this my homer she asked.
turned to Sir Edmund.
"Well we must 60 through the for
mality of looking at the books, my
dear" said he.
had no hesitation in showing them,
and when he had seen the splendid re.
suits showed, he formally sanctioned
| a renewal of our engagement; but we
had not waited for that consent to let
our hearts join in unconstrained de-
light.
Our second engagement was happily
longer than the first, but we were
married the week after the vines were
cleared.
Brace was at our wedding breakfast.
When it was over, he took some of the
flowers from the table and disappeared
for some days. knew how he had
spent his brief holiday. If l had enter
tanned any doubt, 1t would have been
dispelled when, on his return, he took
the old agreement from his pocket
and pointed to the postscript:
4 hot thu nhONA