Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-09-11

eees l;ss u isaaFis am sauNsss RsHhl.
sss Stsa'n 4 hEstst tnas .Wha Rahfsas
steapsly, steadily, faaslesslfvrAa 4
heart should beat in the breast OF him
who has taken at last his fighting
chance. He took 1t now under her
eyes for honor, for manhood and for
the ideal which had made manhood
no longer an empty term muttered In
desperation by a sick body and mind
too sick to control it.
Yes, at last the lifelong battle was
on. He knew it. He knew, too, what
ever his fate with her or without her
he must always go on with the battle
for the safeguarding Of that manhood
the consciousness Of which she had
aroused.
All he knew was that, through the
medium of his love for her, whatever
in him of the spiritual remained or
had been generated, was now awake,
alive. strong, vital, indestructible-an
impalpable current flowing from
| sane intelligence, through medium or
her. back to the eternal truth, return
ing always, always, to the deafness
source from whence 1t came.
Lingering over the fruit, the cham
payne breaking in the glasses stand
ing on the table between them, rim TO
rim. Leila and Plank had fallen into
a low, desultory, yet guarded exchange
of words and silences.
Sylvia sprang up and pushed her
chair into the farther corner against
the balcony rail, where no light fell
except the radiance Of the stars. Here
Siward joined her, dragging his chair
around so that it faced her as she
leaned back, tilted against a shadOWy
column.
In the darkness his hand encounter
ed hers on the wooden rail, and the
tremor of the contact silenced her.
She freed one finger. then let it rest
with it's slender fellow prisoners.
There was no use in trying to speak
just then-utterly useless her voice in
the soft, rounded throat imprisoned by
the swelling pulses that tightsned and
hammered and frightened.
Years seemed to fall away from her,
slipping back, back into glrlhood, into
childhood. drawing not her alone on
the gliding tide. but carrying him with
her. An exquisite languOr held her.
Drifting deiciously, her eyes some
| times meeting his, sometimes lost in
the magic of her reverle, she lay there
In her chair. her unreslsting fingers
| locked in his.
Odd little thoughts came lowering in
to her reve7ie-thoughts that seemed
distantly familiar, the direct. uncon-
scious impulses Of child. To feel
was once more the only motive for
expression; to think fearlessly was
once more inherent; to desire was to
demand unlock her lips, naiyely, and
ask for what she wished.
Under the spell she turned her blue
gaze on him, and her lips parted with
out tremor.
"What do you offer for what you
ask? And do you still ask It? Is 1t
me you are asking me for? Because
you love me? And what do you give
lover
"Weigh it with the-other," he said.
81 have-often-every moment since
I have known you. And what win
teri" Her voice was almost inaudible.
"What a winter-without your
"That hell is ended for me too. Syl-
via, know what / ask. And l ask.
know what offer. Will you take it?"
| "Yes," she said.
He rose, blindly She stood up, pale,
wide eyed, confronting him, stammer-
| ing out the bargain:
81 take all-all, every virtue, every
vice of you. I give all-all, all ! have
been, all / am, all shall be! Is that
enough? Oh, if there were only more
to give! Stephen, if there were only
mOre!
Her hands had fallen into his, and
they looked each other in the eyes.
Suddenly through the hush OF the
enchanted moment sullen sound
broke, the sound Of voice they knew.
threateningly raised, louder and loud
er, growing, profanely menacing.
Aghast, they turned in the darkness,
peering toward the lighted space be-
yond. Leroy Mortimer, his face shock.
ingly congested, stood unsteadily bal.
ancing there, confronting his wife, who
sat staring at him in horror. At the
same instant Plank rose and laid
hand on Mortimer's shoulder, but Nor.
timer shook him of with a warning
oath.
"You and will settle with each 9th.
er tomorrow" he said thickly, pointing
a puffy finger at Plank. you'll find
me at the Algonquin Trust. DO you
hear? That's where you'll settle this
matter-in the presidents office!" He
stood swaying and leering at Plank,
repeating loudly: "In Quarters office!
Understand? That's where you'll set
tie up: See"
Leila. white face quivering, shrank
as though he had struck her, and he
turned on her again. grinning: LAS for
you, you come home! And that'll be
about all for yours"
"Are you insane to make scene
like this?" said Plank.
But Mortimer swung on him insult
ingly and said: That's about all from
you! Leila, are you coming"
He stepped heavily toward her. but
Plank's sudden crushing grip was on
his fat arm above the elbow, and he
emitted a roar Of surprise and pain.
"Dnn,t touch him Don't. In heaY-