The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-13
A EcCree OF Fate
BY My e. DaIrymplc.

OF the girl crouche | on the rocks be.
low, her great, som re eyes fixed sea-
ward, In tense, unseeing gaze. as
If striving to pierce beyond the sky
line OF dark, threai ching clouds, her
fingers clasping her knees. De.
spair--unutterable grief-a deep,
hopeless vodsor .ething almost I'M
natural depicted in the crushed atti.
| tude and drawn features.
"Cynthia!"
The girl reused hercalf as II by
panied effort. brushed back the dark
mass of hair, damp from tae sea mist,
low moan escaping her as she
Slowly rose and dragged hcreelf up
the path.
You'll have yourself loolSin' like
a ghost snapped the old lady
sharply, as the girl appeared and b).l
moved in the direction of the t.Ay
cottage. not far distant.
Frequent and bitter were the i'm
precautions of the honest, sturdy SET
men Of the little fishing town, be-
slowed upon the handsome stranger
who, the previous summer, seeki
rest and novelty from the gay rount
OF pleasure In the seething, fashion.
able world, had sojourned for a fe.;
brief weeks In their village.
Small wonder was K that Cynthia
gay, light-hearted. dark-eyed Gym
thia-unused to the world and its
in, oh
the approach of the massive. we'll
knit figure as he made his way along
the sandy beach, and her g!rlish
heart beat unanimously and the faint
color grew in her cheeks at the Wits.
pered nothings that came SO 81 bly,
from the lips of the newcomer,
Amusing Dick Bedding comment
ed, with a shrug and a smile, but,
by Jove. nevertheless, charming"
Her quaint wonder at his descrip.
ton of the world--his world--that
great whiriing vortex OF pleasure and
gayety, fascinated the girl. But at
length his stay came to an end HE
was summoned back to town." he
laughingly told her.
But you will come back." There
was a pleading tremor in her voice;
her hand lay almost beseechingly on
his
A little annoying frown came be-
tween Belongs eyes, but the next In
slant he laughed-a melodious. ring.
ing laugh The girls eyes met his
blue ones sorrowfully for moment.
Something gripped him-consc:ence.
perhaps-and then he laughed again.
THE girl is in love with me-" hc
thought.
Belding, the irrepressible, he who
had never known a serious moment In
all his gay, careless life. had actual,
been taken seriously, and he laughed
again.
TO Bedding this little Irritation had
been very pleasant "incident"--to
the girl it had meant the giving Of
her answering, girlish affection, last.
ing with life itself
why do YOU laugh? You will come
back to me?'
"Wry, of course, little one" he an
swered, smilingly. kissing the rosy
lips.
And then he went from the little
village.
Weeks went into months and Gym.
.hia's 1.-THE figure lost it's buoyancy.
Her laughing face grew grave and
Densiye and the simple fisher folk
sighed when the girl passed. she who
vas their pride, and waxed angry at
he mention of the strangers name.
AT high noon today the climax %
What has been very pretty romance
vas brought about. when Miss Ethel,
'nly daughter of John Waring, mag
late, was given in marriage to Rich
Ird Bedding, clubman and scion of an
Id Knickerbacker family.
The happy pair will spend the
in southern waters on the
Diana. the yacht recently purchased
y Mr.. Belding"
Society read this item and nodded
pprovingly.
A fiercely hot, tropical sun beat
on the figure of man II
eakly clingng TO a fragment OF
'reckage in mid.ocean. For days he
ad lain like this, after the typhoon,
hich comes sudden and swift in the
'eacherous southern Pacific, had
vept down upon his yacht tearing
lie craft TO atoms while he helplessl!
atched the merciless waves sweea
YER the deck, bearing away the creF
the young wife who had pledged hei
9th few weeks before.
"Oh, God! let me die he moanes
-okenly. The burning thirst tina
orched his throat would soon take
81 reason.
Suddenly long sandy beao
rctched before him. In the bac.-
ound a great wall of cliffs broe
,alnst the sky.
A figure beckoned, and as it care
t from the shadows the man recig
zed the face--he laughed-a dill.
ruthless cackle and then STOPPED
ort-it was not the happy, girish
ce he had left in the little fishing
llage, but a white-faced wopan.