Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-05-28
CHAPTER III.-(Continued.) J

tHJ stress. DuC tHe Iucd OF the girl DtluS
in the shadow Of danger took all the
relish from the work,
Il should prefer 20 hear you discuss the
Sreachery Of volcanoes outside of the fire
zone" she said shivering. Its like
listening TO ghost stories in a haunted
house"
I'll tell you the best way out OF it,"
he declared Il don't say that Pelee is
about to rise aad rend Saint Pierre. but
l want to take you all out TO sea for
few days. The Madame will behave her
prettiest with you on board"
81 can't imagine anything finer. but
you know mother is not a graceful sail
or"
Unfortunately, any effort of mine TO
prevail upon her might spoil matters"
Constable said.
''Oh. l don't think that she replied;
''but it will be something of conquest
for any one to shake her trust in Pelee.
STILL I'll do what / can
And III begin work tonight upon
Uncle Joey. BY the way. Miss STAINS
bury" be added in a lowered voice, don't
you think that if | chose to stay here in
Saint Pierre, your mother might consent
more willingly to try few days on the
Madame? You know Pelee is more than
ever interesting to me now"
THAT would be entirely unthinkable,"
she replied hastily
Pelee rumbled again, and the girls fin
gers frightened upon his arm. The heavy
wooden shutters of the plantation house
ratified in the MINDLESS night; the ground
upon which they stood seemed to vince
at the monsters pain. The man was con
scious of the fragrance of roses and mag
nola blooms above the acrid faint of the
air. 1t was as if, through some strange
freak of the atmosphere. a pressure was
exerted upon the flowers, forcing a sud-
den expulsion of perfume. The young
moon was a elbow, formless b!otch in the
fouled sky. 4 sigh like the whimpering
of sick child was audible from the SER
wants cabins behind the big house.
You'll plead with your mother to-
night?" he whispered, as they walked
back
Mrs. Stansbury was on the porch. Her
nicely modulated voice. as she spoke to
her daughter, struck Constable with a
cold force. The women went indoors.
Breen and Uncle Joey were in CONVERSE
ton. Constable drew his chair to the
north end of the porch, and faced the
mountain vast black beast couchant
under the dim stars. Since he had gazed
in that direction from the ship the night
before, the whole purpose of his life had
changed. Then he had asked no sweeter
favor of the FatPs than TO be permitted
to observe the giants struggle to contain
the fury Of his fluids. Now his thoughts
weres magnetized by a new substance
the substance of fear. Self, the tribune
of all his reckonings heretofore. had been
lifted from his brain, as a familiar vol
ume is lifted from its case.
81 knew it," he muttered. II knew il
five years ago-that | should come back
here some day. look upon that girl, and
become a raver like other men. TO think
that | could stay away from her year
at a time y
He regarded the double chain of lights
out in the harbor-the Madame pulling
at her mornings among the lesser craft.
like q uStrous empress in the midst of
dusky maid-servants. Between the black
mountain and the illumined ship stretched
q battle. 1t was his own particular bat
tie. His name was called from the lists.
To win was to run away. The old mas
tering complication was his at last. Yes
terday a splendid contribution to the i'm
perfect records of seismology. such as
was now within his grasp, was identified
with his highest ambition To-day the
safety of the woman lowered above it,
as the dome of St. Peters above the
head of tourist. He was afraid of Pc
Zee Breen drew over to him and sat
down upon the railing.
Whats on your mind, peter?"
"A mouatain," said Constable
Rain did not fall in the night, and
Constable was abroad with the dawn.
regarding the white world and the source
of the phenomenon, with the sketchy
tints of earliest morning upon the huge
eastern slope. He had slept little, aud
that with his face turned to the north.
He would scarcely close his eyes before
a cortege of volcanoes would pass before
him. as in a dream-all the destroyers
Of history, each with a vivid individuality,
like the types of faces of all nations
the story of EACH and the smear it had
made of men and the works of men.
Most of them had given warning. Pc
Ice was warning now. His warning was
written upon the veins of every leaf.
painted upon the curve of every blade of
grass, sheeted evenly white upon the tiles
Of every roof. Gray dust blown by steam
from the bursting quarries of the noun
tain, clogging the cutters of the city. and
the throats of men 1t was a moving
white cloud in the rivers, q chalky shad.
ing that marked the highest reach of the
aarbor tide. 1t settled in the hair of the
children, and complicated the toll of the
oees in the nectar cups of the roses. With
seague-long cerements, and in a voice that
caused to tremble his dwarfed cohorts,
the hills and mornes, great Pelee had
proclaimed his warning in the night.
Constable was standing in the garden.
Good old Vulcan, to wait for her ~ he
murmured. ''Sit tight for another day,
and keep a stiff bride-arm-for one more
day.
1T isn't really ash, you know" he
found himself saying at breakfast. "but
rock ground as fine as neat and shot out
by steam through Pelee's valves"
How intensely graphic! ~ Mrs. STAINS
bury observed.
Its q graphic morning" said Breen.
'and Peter is virie from night of medi-
tation. | believe he has made q covenant
with the mountain"
Constable had met The eyes of the
daughter, and found no hope there. He
had taken his uncle apart and charged
him TO labor for the cause of fight.
Ursula" the planter began gravely, ad-
dressing Mrs. Stansbury, Peter has ask
ed us to spend a few days with him in
the Caribbean, on board the Madame.
confess that l don't like the way Pelee
Is acting and the heat is telling on us
all. The prospect of refreshing breath
of the Trades is mighty pleasant one to
me. Doesn't it sound so to you?"
AS a specialist in volcanoes, | should
think Mr.. Constable would find it i'm
possible to leave at such a time" the
elder woman answered smoothly. THE
mountain needs his doctor more than ever
now"
Il have not yet attained unto such a