Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-22

only the sensation OF a vague md
very gentle murmur that slulled her
into childlike docility. And she sui
fered herself to be led away, almost
unconscious, he, full OF precautions
and attentions, addressing her in
caressing tones, as though she were
an invalid, while, from time to time
also, she stopped to heave long signs
that suddenly broke into tears, afcer
which her head would drop upon the
mans shoulder.
Days passed. The quarrymen were
lost, and undiscoverable, dead, 1t was
declared, crushed by the rocks. This
thought was a satisfaction to Claud.
Inc. In the long idle hours in which
these things were talked over, she
listened silently, in mournful atti.
tudes. finding. gradually soothing
charm In being pitied. Little by lit.
/ tie she seemed to awake as from q
long sleep. and to return from great
distance; and at the same time, in.
sensibly. the sxigencies Of life pre-.
scented themselves to her mind; she
began to live again, with the progress.
siye growth OF a slow fear, that OF
poverty and solitude.
Then she became interested in the
news, In the subscriptions opened for
the relief of the victims. And sud.
denly she had feeling of rest, al.
most of Joy, when Pierre, returning
from the city, told her that the sums
subscribed were sufficient to warrant
an annuity for the widows, and that
she had been allowed one of 600
francs,
Then. idle and patiently awaiting
events, she daily returned to the quar-.
ries. Often Pierre accompanied her,
with his accustomed gentleness. There
they spoke in low voices and walked
with muffled tread, respectful of the
grave. In these habitual visits as to
! q cemetery, where both went, over
the hillside, through the melancholy
OF the thick woods, under the per.
petual influence Of the same thoughts,
Claudine's tears gradually ceased to
flow lnsensibly they arrived at con-
versations and slow and gentle rever.
les in which new possibilities began
to shape themselves.
Gradually weight was lifted from
the young woman's breast; the hori.
zon. long confined, enlarged about
herr and In the trembling dawn OF a
new future there was new and in.
definable impression that grow rap
idly In the penetrating charm of ST.
lence. Little by little, in the heat
OF summer, under the breath of the
trees. her sorrow wore away, and la
mentable death vanished in the dis.
lance, while slowly, like sap, new
love grew up that irradiated and en-
veloped them, but OF which they
dared not speak, out of respect for
the grave which enabled them to med
itate.
"Claudine." said the man at last.
Pierre"
Suppose we marry?"
1T has been only two months"
said she, suddenly becoming sad.
ooh. do not hurry you. meant
later would you?"
"Yes." she sighed, later"
Thenceforth 1t was an understood
thing between them, upon which their
thought centered more and more, ac-
cording the dead only friendly mem
DRY, a feeling of tender gratitude.
They began to make plans. They
wandered about in their accustomed
walks with the manners of open low
ers; and Soon, upon the hillside tomb,
amid the entwinings of the flowers,
laughter was heard, and then kisses.
One evening they went among the
rocks loosened by the disaster. There,
in the gentle warmth of-the twilight,
in their slow reyerie of peasants, they
looked through the trees below at the
glittering of stream, and, farther
on, at the windings of the white road
and the surrounding hills that inclosed
them In vast amphitheatre.
Suddenly strange noise startled
them. 1t was in the ground beneath
them, like the stirring of beast at
the bottom of a hole. They bent over
the edge of crevice; and there the
noise, more distinct, seemed to them
like the desperate clambering of a
man in narrow ditch. At first they
We're transflxed by fear of the UNI
known; then at the same time the
the same though struck them-the
thought of the quarrymen buried
alive.
From the bottom an appeal rose,
far away. yelled, almost a breath.
"It is he!" Kissed Claudine, her
knees trembling.
Pierre was fairly liyid as he
Strengthened up. He! then dead al.
ready SO far away, already disappeared
In the abyss of irremediable things!.
And thus was their love to be broken,
the future ruined, the beautiful future
over which Claudine's GOO francs
threw the glitter of fortune?
By what right did he come back?
His image now appeared, not in friend
ly perspective, surrounded with CRATE
full memories, but as menacing spec
ter suddenly arisen on the ruins of a
shattered sdream.
Meanwhile the appeal rose again:
they could imagine the exhaustion Of
the wretched man after crawling IN
der ground for nearly three months,
living on roots and water in the dark
ness, and doubtless aroused to a last
effort by the perfume of the sun-bath.
eds woods entering through the crew.
ices in the ground. Pierre uttered a
cry and threw himself violently back
ward, the victim of bitter struggle.
But again the appeal rose. sinister,
lamentable; and pity gained the vic.
tory.
Then he shouted feverishly and
suddenly:
wait for me! I run. l will come
hack with a rome The hole ie i,,et-