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

what she was doing.
Going to sea, Greg" she said.
"Alone?" he cried. "Alone?"
Joe and t. she said.
1t was on his tongue to tell her
Joe was dead; but, though he tried,
he could not do So 1t wasn't in
flesh and blood to tell her he had
killed her husband. He could only
look at her helplessly, and say over
and over again: "To seal"
Greg" she said, Il mean to leave
you while l am brave-while | am yet
able to resist-while can still re-
member l am Joe's wife!"
"And drown" he said.
What do l care if l do?" she re
turned. What do I care for any
thing?"
."If it's to be one or the other" he
said, I'll go myself. With my big
schooner I'd have twice the chance
you'd have"
She put her arms round HIS neck
and kissed him.
"You sweet traitor" she said, you'd
play me false!"
He protested vehemently that he
would not deceive her.
Besides" she said, II could risk
myself, but / couldn't bear to risk
you, Greg"
He tried a last shot. The words
almost strangled in his throat.
"And Joe?" he said. 'Have you no
thought of Joe?"
'Joe loves me-" she said-"loves
me thousand times better than you
ever did, Joes man enough to
chance death rather than lose his
wife"
but l won't let you go!" said Greg
ory
"You can't stop me-" she returned.
He caught her round the body and
tried to hold her, but she fought
herself free. His strength was
gone; he was as feeble as a child;
in the course of those short hours
something seemed to have snapped
within him. Even Madge was start
led at his weakness.
"Greg, you're ILL" she cried, as he
staggered and caught at backstay to
save himself from falling. He sat
down on the house and tried to keep
back a sob. Madge stopped and
looked anxiously into his face. She
had known him for two years as a
man of unusual sternness and self
control; obstinate, reserved, willful
and moody, yet one that gave al
ways the impression Of unf1inching
courage and resolution. 1t was mex
plicable now to see him crying like a
woman, his square shoulders bent and
heaving, his sinewy hands opening
and shutting convulsively.
You're ill.," she repeated. I'll go
down and fetch you something"
This pulled him together. I'm all
right, Madge," he said, family. Il
suppose it's just touch of the old
fever See, it's passing already"
She watched him in silence. Then
she stepped forward, dropped down
the forecastle hatchway, and reap
peared with an AK While he was Won
dering what she meant to do, she raised
it in the air and crashed it down on
the grooming anchor chain. 1t parted
at the first blow, and the Edelweiss,
now adrift, blundered broadside on
to leeward.
Madge ran aft, brought the schoon-
er up in the wind, and cried out to
Gregory to get into his boat
He said sullenly he wouldn't do any
thing of the kind.
She dashed the wheel and came up
to him.
Il mean it, Greg" she said.
"You are going to your death,
Madge," he said.
Get into your boat!" she re-
peated.
He rose, and slowly began to obey.
obey.
"You may kiss me good-by, Greg"
she said.
She put up her face to his; their
lips met Then, with her arm around
him, she. half forced, half supported
him to the port quarter, where his
boat was stopping against the side.
He wanted to resist; he wanted to
cry out and tell her the truth, but a
strange, leaden powerlessness be-
numbed him. He got into the dinghy,
drew in the dripping painter she
cast after him, and watched her ease
the sheet and set the vessel scudding
fol- the passage. With her black hair
flying in the wind, her bare arms
resting lightly on the wheel, her
straight, girlish, supple figure bending
with the heel of the deck, she never
faltered nor looked back as the water
whitened and boiled in the schooners
wake.
Gregory came to himself in his own
cabin. Cracroft, the mate, was bend
ing over him with bottle of whisky.
The Malta steward was chafing his
naked feet Overhead the rush and
roar of the gale broke pitilessly on
his ears.
'The Edelweiss!" he gasped; "the
Edelweissl"
Went down an hour ago, sir" said
Cracroft grimly.