River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-05-14


the house and ran to her, she shrink
ing back from him as he tried to take
her hands
You must mott" she cried, a. he
would have kissed her. Greg, you
must not! I'm married. It's all diff
ferent now
He tried to put his arms around
her, but she pushed him fiercely back.
Her eyes were flashing and her bosom
rose and fell
I'm Joe's wife," she said.
Then, from his face. she seemed to
divine something.
What have you done to Joe?" she
cried. She would have passed him,
but he stopped her.
mo, no." he protested.
Let me go, or l shall call him" she
broke out You shan't insult me!
You shan't kiss mel"
He was kissing her even as he held
her back, even as she fought and
struggled with him-on the lips, on
the neck, on her black, loosened hair,
now tangling and flying in the wind.
He was so weak that she soon got the
better of him-so weak and dizzy that
she did not guard himself as she struck
him on the mouth with her little
doubled-up fist.
He put his hand to his lip and
found it bleeding. He showed her
what she had done She drew back,
and regarded him with mingled pity
and exultation.
Nov will you let me go?" she
cried
"Madge'' he returned, "Joe's drunk
in his berth. / made him drunk,
Madge. l had to talk to you, alone,
and there was no other way
She was stung to the quick. Her
husbands shame was hers, and it was
somehow plain that Horrible had been
at fault before. She never thought
to doubt Greg's word, though his cal
lousness revolted her.
What is it you want to say?" she
said at last in an altered voice.
''To ask you to forgive me-"
For what? for taking advantage of
Joe's one failing?"
mo; for leaving you the way I
did"
"I'll never do that, Greg-never,
never, never!"
your father"
Don't try to blame my father,
Greg"
Il blame only myself
"Why have you come back to tor
ture me?" she exclaimed. "You said
it was forever. You cast me off, when
1 cried and tried to keep you. You
said I'd never see you again"
II was a fool, Madge."
"Then accept the consequences, and
leave me alone"
"And if I can't"
She looked him squarely in the
eyes. Il am Joe's wife," she said.
"Madge," he said, Il am not try
ing to defend myself. I'm throwing
myself on your mercy. I'm begging
you, on my knees, for what threw
away. I"
you've broken my heart" she
said; ''why should l mind if you
break yours?"
"Madge," he cried, 'in ten minutes
we can be aboard the Northern
Light and under weigh; in an hour
we can be outside the reef; in two,
and this cursed island will sink for
ever behind us, and no one here will
ever see us again or know whittier we
have gone. Let us follow the gale,
and push into new seas, among new
people-Tahiti, Marquesas, the Pearl
islands-where we shall win back our
lost happiness, and find our love only
the stronger for what we've suf-
fered."
She pointed to the windward sky.
II think I know the port we'd make"
"Then make it," he cried, "and go
down to it in each others arms"
For a moment she looked at him in
a sort of exaltation. She seemed to
hesitate no longer. Her hot hands
reached for his, and he felt in her
quick and tumultuous breath the first
token of her surrender. Herself a
child Of the sea, brought up from in
fancy among boats and ships, her
hand as true on the tiller, her spark
ling eyes as keen to watch the huff Of
sail as any mans, she knew as
we'll as Gregory the hell that await
ed them outside. To accept SO ter
rible an ordeal seemed like a purifi-
cation of her dishonor. If she died,
she would die unstained; if she lived,
it would be after such a bridal that
would obliterate her tie to the sot
below Then, on the eve of her Civ
ing way, as every line in her body
showed her longing, as her head
dropped as though to find resting
place on the breast of the man she
loved, she suddenly called up all her
resolution and tore herself free.
I'm Joe's wife," she said.
Gregory faltered as he tried again
| to plead with her.
"You gave me to him." she burst
IN y <1<0@III