Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-21
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
Constable rested and reflected in the
cistern. 1t did not occur to him, save in
the most fimsy and passing way, to doubt
the efficacy of the distance in the case of
Lara. She was safe, eight miles at sea,
and watched over by Macready, whom he
had learned thoroughly to trust. Here
| was gladness immovable. Second, for the
present and to all intents, his own life
had been spared. This was not so impor-
| tant in itself, but was exceedingly vital
in consideration of the third point--that
she loved him, and had said so. His first
worry was that Lara might be thinking
him dead.
The aspect of Constable's mind being
| touched upon, it may be we'll to outline
the state of affairs as a third party
| would see it. In the first place, there
was a woman in his arms, a woman whom
| the fire had touched and in whom con-
seriousness was not; the mother of the
| worlds matchless girl. Then ne was sit
| ting upon Shiny stone in a subterranean
| cell, the floor of which was covered with
| six inches of almost scalding water, and
| the vault filled with steam. The volcanic
| discharge, showering down through the
| mouth of the pit, had heated the water
| and released the Vapor. An earthquake
years before had loosened the stone walls
| of the cavern, and with every shudder OF
| the EARTH under the wrath of Pelee, the
masonry lining the cistern tottered. Then,
his hand had been torn during the descent
| of the chain, and the terrific heat in the
we'll livened his burns to exquisite pain
| fitness. But, as has been stated, these
were mere cuticle disorders, and the heart
of the man sang again and again its tune
| full story.
Pelee was giving vent to the after
| nanes. Torrents of rain were descend
| ing. The man in the cistern had lost
track of time Though replenished with
rain, the water was still too hot to step
| in: therefore, he could not change his
| position, and relieve the tension of his
arms. Still, he felt that he owed an as
tonishing debt to the old cistern. No sud
| den impulse had brought him there. Since
| he had discovered the place in his nights
vigil, and examined it more closely the
| following day, the idea had become fixed
| in his mind that it might be used at the
| last minute.
The women sighed now and stirred in
| his arms. The first gripping realization
| took his mind. He waited in embarrass-
| ment for her to speak. Would the TACT
that he had saved her life stand as ex-
| tenuation for his rough treatment? Con-
stable was by no means sure that he was
NOT about TO hear her estimate of him
| on the old footing, with the rage OF a
n,arhardled woman added-the whole a
finished document delivered with Mrs.
Stansbury's art and force. But she did
not yet awake.
His brain worked rapidly now. She
| had lain upon his shoulder during the de-
scent, Livid dust had fallen through the
oriice His burns were slight.
His ewes strained into her face, but the
| c;stern was dark, dark The fire had
| touched her hair-he knew that Her
| hare arm brushed his cheek, and his Whole
| being crawled with fear 1t
scanned that hours elapsed. Where had
Uncle Joev been at the last? Did Pelee
tolerate anv favorites? Breen, Soronia
| Pere Rabeaut, Mondet, the ships in the
| inner harbor. the thirty thousand of Saint
Pierre-were they all wrecked in the mills
IF tba world? But the Madame
was eight miles at sea- Pelee had waited
this joy.
The breath of life was returning to MS
| burden. She sighed once more, and then,
full pityingly, he felt her vince with the
main which consciousness brought.
"What is this dripping darkness! ne
hoard at last. The words were slowly
uttered. and the tones vague. In
great dark room somewhere, IN past
life perhaps. Constable had heard sucn
a voice from some one lying in the shad-
| ows.
1--WE are in the old cistern-you ana l,
Peter Constable" His tones became glad
as he added, But your daughter IS SAFE
at sea y
"Did you forget something, or did Lara
| Sand Won for her parasolT
Il came for you--came TO tell you no"
mucb we needed you-how much we tear
Cd for your life, and to ask you once
| more -,
..Wbat-an -extraordinary youth
sbo murmured Was-there-sver-
-darkness-as- this:"
The cavern was dark, but not utterly