Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-05-29

try's battles In skirmtshes 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 a highly colored print of 1T 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 Chrlstabel and she liked the
scenery and the solitude and stayed on.
This was about their last day.
She was thinking Of her soldier-loyer
far across the waters, as she gazed,
when her mind was suddenly recalled
to her present surroundings by NUT
tered exclamation borne to her ears
on the soft summer wind. She turned
round hastily and saw, little farther
OIL, tell, spare figure standing on
the very edge of the cliff. an edge that,
as Christabel knew, was unprotected.
To call out would be to startle the
rash adventurer, whoever 1t 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. Christabel, 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.
The woman, who looked anything
from 80 to so, laughed.
{. cts the edge like" she answered
shaking her arm free of the OBTAINING
hand and taking step forward. Have
you ever walked over cliff? Should
you like to come with me and try the
sensation now?"
Chrlstabel 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.
"It's nothing to walk over cliff.
she returned, trying to steady her voice
at would be much more wonderful IL
YOU started at the bottom to walk TO
the top!"
The other shrugged her shoulders.
4 ats 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 reckoning to me-over thereY
She glared ferociously out to sea.
and grlpped the girls arm in vice.
"He? WhO?" asked Christabel, hop
ing thereby to gain time.
The ruse was for few moments sue.
icessful. The woman drew 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
beating. 1t was portrait of her lover
Jim Blakiston-she would know 1t
, in Thousand. It had been cut out of
an illustrated paper and gummed on
to correspondence card.
"This man-what is he to your" she
asked hoarsely.
The woman laughed again gleefully.
"He-he is handsome, enough, isn't
he?' she querled. "You seem to adj
mire his picture-they all do. Come,
we will go together and see him. He
will be surprised; he loves me-he
loved me once, and they said he died"-
she lowered her voice, then raised II
again suddenly-"but 1t wasn't true.
He Is reckoning to me to come, and we
will go together, you and for do
not want to go alone. No? Then will
go alone!"
Whereupon fight, swift and sharp,
ragged In Christabel's heart. Why should
she not let this mad woman perish
Why save hsr--for him7-ths being she