Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-07-24
Constable carefully related tho CrusI

| SoASAUA1y T6ldLeQ the CruSOe
| episode.
Breen groaned Don't you see. Peter,
you are winding yourself up tighter and
tighter in my crimes?''
Somehow, can't get wrought ND over
| trif1es tonight. The detective matter dis
posed OF, what are the other reasons why
you and I must dfverge after this night?"
Breen was silent moment 81 was
pretty hard-hit this morning." he said
finally. "The rough weather broke down
| my idea about not going to the shop
again. 1t seems incredible, but Soronia
| has never had a lover-before l found
| her-lf you'll forgive me-in need Of me-
You see, l had just come from the reek-
| ing stone Of sacrifice where you lay; and
| L rellt pair of creole eyes-promised
| to go to sea no more"
Suppose I had missed Crusoe?" Con-
stable asked bitterly. Suppose I had
| been a poor liar?"
| won't all fail. You can't keep this one
off always. 1t amounts to just this for
me-that l have found my little isle in
the midst of the sea, like that other pro-
moter who all but conquered Europe"
"But why could you not both go aboard
with me?' the other persisted.
II have told you that after this ride
l cease to vampirize the career of Con-
stable. If Crusoe finds the Rue de Rivoli,
very we'll. If not, for the present, very
we'll again. None of his ilk shall find
you and me together. Two or three times,
| back across the forbidden tundras Of
years, l have met men who stack up
something as you do in my thoughts to-
night. 1 never hurt any Of those fellows
| as l have hurt you. I'm too fond of you
| to hit you any harder. Let's talk about
something else"
Constable had received a singular ap-
| peal. He knew that If there were any
| future for him, he would think of Breen's
last words coordinate in memory with
the quaking rim Of the crater. 1t did not
occur, 10 him to answer at once. They
| were passing through Morne Rouge, so
overcrowded now that people were sleep
| ing in the streets. On the dark down
| trail again, words did not come to him,
and when the party re-entered the bank
of falling ash and the sulphur stencil, it
was not good to open ones mouth in
speech.
The guides were paid at the edge of
| the city. Saint Pierre was dark and har-
rowingly still. The hoof-beats of the two
mules which the Americans retained were
| muffied in the ash, as if they were pound
| ing along the sandy beach. Often the
| rousing fetor of death reached the nostrils
of the riders above the drying, cutting
yapor of the volcano, and their beasts
SHE'D and snorted at the untoward humps
| on the highway. 1t was as II war and
pestilence had stalked through Saint
Pierre that day, and winter storm had
tried to cover the dreadful aftermath. A
door opened at last before them, and
there was a cry from Soronia. Pere
| Rabeaut hurried out and led the mules to
shelter.
Constable sank into his old seat at the
round table under the window. He watch
ed Breen and the woman. His friend was
huge and lean in the lamp light; his
white clothing stained from the saddle
| his hair and mustache white from ash, ms
| black eyes burning in face haggard unto
| ghastliness. The woman was IN his arms
as they stood together. what they salo
Constable did not allow his mind to rea-
| son with, but the glory of her lovers
nresence which shone in the eyes OF So
roma called down upon the watcher his
own black vistas of desolation. She had
found. for an hour, the true and the beau
tiful-the soul anchorage which he was
never m know! He would keep
all craft of the Crusoe stamp from
laundering into her sweet haven-thls
mich he could do, was his thought. Food
was placed before him, and he ate lit
+le for the sake of Breen. His eyes
named from the lampight, and he drop
nod his face forward into his arms on the
fable. Close to the wood, the vibrations
80 tho mountain doomed louder in his
ears. go,
"But you must not go away again !"
Soronia implored.
Eyes, for an hour-two hours at the
most-little fairy" Breen whispered.
They we're in the living rooms across
tbe court. where the bird cages were
tered and covered with cloths. She chung
to him pitifully.
"With YOU away-oh, my lover, no, no! !
I cannot live again for hours
and hours !"
"Hush he is in great trouble. He
uust not awake until after L am gone.
Then he must not know where have
cone, I am going to the plantation house
on the Morne d'Orange. 1t is for him.
Two hours at the most, and the last
tba last I shall ever leave you, little
fairy"
Breen recrossed the court and entered
the fruit shop on tiptoe. Constable did
not move; his breathing was inaudible.
Ar the street door Soronia joined him like
a shadow. He kissed her and put her
arms from him. 1t was eleven-nkeen
by the old French clock.
Soronia, alone, stared for an instant
at the figure sprawled across the table,
the man who had caused her lover twice
TO be torn from her arms that day. Then
she moved to a chair, in the shadows at
the far end of the shop, and sat down
rigidly to wait.
CHAPTER XII.
In the dim upper hallway. Lara read