The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-29


Her eyes were lit WITH a seraphic fire,
her sweet face resigned as that of an
angel.
Il have thought it out" she muir
INJURED, gazing at him steadily, yet
scarce seeing him. 1T is worth trying
as a last expedient. We are abandoned
by all, save the Lord; and it does not
appear to be his holy will to help us
on earth. We can struggle on here
until we die. Is that right. when one
of US may live?"
Her very candor had betrayed her.
She would so away with these mon
strous captOrs. endure them, even fat
ter them. until she and they were far
removed from the island And then
she would kill herself. In her innocence
she imagined that self-destruction, un-
der such circumstances, was a pardon
able offense. She only gave life to
save life, and greater love than this
is not known to God or man.
The sailor, in a tempest OF wrath and
wild emotion, had it in his mind to
compel her into reason, to shake her,
as one shakes a wayward child.
He rose to his knees with this half
formed notion in his fevered brain.
Then he looked at her, and mist
seemed to shut her out from his sight
w
that had gone before an idle dream of
joy and grief, a wizards glimpse of
mirrored happiness and vague perils?
Was Iris, the crystal-souled-throw to
him by the storm-lashed waves-to be
snatched away by some Irresistible and
malign influence?
In the mere physical effort to assure
himself that she was still near to him
he gathered her up 10 his strong hands.
Yes, she was there, breathing, wonder
ing, palpitating. He folded her closely
to his breast, and, yielding to the pas
sionate longings of his tired heart,
whispered to her
MY darling, do you think 1 can sur
vive your loss? You are life itself to
me. If we have to die, sweet one, let
US die together"
Then Irish flung her arms around his
neck
81 am quite, quite happy now" she
sobbed brokenly. Il didn't-imagine-
il would cOme-this way, butt am
thankful-it has come"
For a little while they yielded to the
glamour of the divine knowledge that
amidst the chaos of eternity each soul
had found its mate. There was no need
for words. Love, tremendous in its
power, unfathomable in its mystery,
had cast its spell over them. They were
CARRIED in light, throned in a palace
built by fairy hands. On all sides
squatted the ghouls of privation, mis-
cry, danger, even grim death; but they
needed not the Inferno; they had Gre
ated Paradise in an earthly hell.
Then Iris withdrew herself from the
mans embrace. She was delightfully."-
shy and timid now.
so you really do love me?" she whis-
peTed. crimson-faced, with shining eyes
and parted lips.
He drew her to him again and kissed
her tenderly. For he had cast all doubt
to the winds. No matter what the su-
ture had in store she was his, his only:
1t was not in mans power to part
them. A glorious effulgence dazzled his
brain. Her love had given him the
strength of Goliath. the confidence of
David. He would pluck her from the
perils that enVironed her. The Dyak
was not yet born who should rend her
from him.
He fondled her hair and gently
rubbed her cheek with his rough fin
gers. The sudden sense of ownership
of this fair woman was enhancing. il
almost bewildered him to find Iris
nesting close, clinging TO him in utter
confidence and trust
But 1 knew, l knew" she MUIR
INJURED. You betrayed yourself SO
many times. You wrote your secret To
me, and, though you did not tell me-
| found your dear words on the sands
and have treasured them next my
heart"
| What girlish romance was this? He
held her away gingerly, just so far that
he could look into her eyes.
"Oh. il is true. quite true - she cried
drawing the locket from her neck
| Don't you recognize your own hand
writing, or were you not certain. just
then, that you really did love me?"
Dear, deari How often would she re-
peat that wondrous phrase! Together
| they bent over the tiny slips of paper
/ There it was again-"I love you
| twice blazOned in magic symbols. Witt
/ blushing eagerness she told him how
! by mere accident of course, she caught
| sight OF her own name. 1t was not
| very wrong, was il, to pick up thai
| tiny scrap, or those others, which she
could not help seeing. and which un-
/ folded their simple tale so truthfIlly
| WrOngi 1t was so delightfully."- right
| that he must kiss her again to empha-
size his convictions.
All this fOndling and love-making
| had, of course, an air of grOtesque alb
surdity because INDUCED in by two
grimy and tattered individuals crouch.
ing beneath a tarpaulin on a rocky
ledge, and surrounded by bloodthirstS
; wages intent on their destruction
Such incidents require the setting oil
convention. the conservatory, with it.
wealth of flowers and plants, a sum.
mer wood, a Chippendale drawing.
room. And yet, God wot, men and Nvo.
men have loved each other in this gray
old world without stopping to consider
the appropriateness of place and sea.
son.
After delicious pause Iris begar
again
Robert must call you Robert now
there, there, please let me get a wore
in even edgeways-well then, Ropert
dear, / do not care much what happen:
now. l suppose it was very wicked
and foolish of me to speak as did he.
fore-before you called me Iris. Nov
tell me at once. Why did you call me
Iris?"
You must PROFOUND that riddle t.
your godfather"
NO wriggling, please. Why did yoI
do it?'
Because I could not help myself. L
slid out unawares.'
How long have you thought of r1t
only as Iris, your Iris?'