Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-06
He was pushed away, and the woman
knelt at the rim, bending far down.
CHAPTER XVII

NOA4StdDAt ItSltu anu IeLcClEu III lAC
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 well to outline
the state of affairs as a third party
would see it. In the first place, there
was a woman in his arms, 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 a Shiny stone in a subterranean
cell, the floor of which was covered with
six inches of almost scaIding water, and
the vault filed 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
well liyened his burns to exquisite pain
fulneSs. 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
pangs. 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
MS aims. L uc III 81 SllpplllS ltdllLdlIOu
took his mind. He waited in embarrass-
ment for her to speak. Would the fact
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
manhandled 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
orifce. His burns were slight.
His eyes strained into her face, but the
cistern was dark, dark. The fire had
touched her hair-he knew that. Her
bare arm brushed his cheek, and his whole
being crawled with fear 1t
seemed that hours elapsed. Where had
Uncle joey been at the last? Did Pelee
tolerate any 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
of the world? But the Madame
was eight miles at sea Pelee had waited
for the woman. His heart of hearts held
this joy.
The breath of life was returning to his
burden. She sighed once more, and then,
full pityingly, he felt her vince with the
pain which consciousness brought.
What is this dripping darkness?" he
heard at last. The words were slowly
uttered, and the tones vague. In
a great dark room somewhere, in a past
life. perhaps, Constable had heard such
a voice from some one lying in the shad-
owS.
I'VE are in the old cistern-you and l,
Peter Constable" His tones became glad
as he added, But your daughter is safe
at sea ~
Did you forget something, or did Lara
send You for her parasol?"
Il came for you-came to tell you how
much we needed you-how much we fear
ed for your life, and to ask you once
Notwithstanding - youth ~
she murmured as-there-ever-su
misunderstanding?
The cavern was dark but not utterly
black now. The circle of the orifice was
sharply lit with gray.
They will come from the ship to res
cue us soon. Please-please turn your
face to the light-so. Yes, that
will do"
Did you not know that am blind,
boy? How big you seem! l
should think you would put me down and
rest your arms"
Her face had been turned upward in
the descent of the chain He steeled him
self to speak steadily. There was a
cumulative harshness in that her face,
above all others, so fragile, of purest line,
should meet the coarse element, burning
dirt. Furies leaped upon him that he
had not saved her.
The water is still hot in the bottom of
the cistern,' he said. My arms are not
in the least tired"
An interminable interval passed before
he heard the voice again. slower, fainter:
And so you came back for me-and you
knew Pelee-better, No. the
burns do not hurt terribly. My-face-
feels-dead. You were not burned-soT"
This was the moment of dreadful mem
DRY. Her body, her face, arms, throat,
had covered him. as the rusty chain Slip
ped through his hand. The molten stuff
had not cracked his flesh because she had
stood between.
Il tried to save you-you know that
but you kept the fire from me !"
His voice was broken with rebellion.
Then out of a sigh came the words that
| lived with him always:
Revolutionary u-know-th -
| In Montague pelee-is-artistici
Ito be conunued.l