The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-04-24
CHAPTER XVIII,

mary Auus II1G1s Us our farewell
fire that night. almost putting it out
with the tears she shed as she ar
ranged the driftwood For Mary Anne
was a veritable Niobes these last days
poor soul, and every spare moment
was given over to weeping She was
she told US as she struck the match
going home TO England. where she
hoped she might die happy some day
if only she could learn TO forget She
could live on her savings. and IL not
work was always to be had when one
looked for II. And she hung lovingly
about Us. too. with protestations Of
affection and regret al all that had
happened.
L looked out fur you" she said: Il
done what | could. fur come to love
you ali. and 'ow could / 'elp it. I
made EN- give back your ring. Miss
Elizabeth. which she took often your
finger before you very h'eyes, miss
when you was 'olding of er and on
the rocks in the moonlight Oh. she
was clever. she was But | made 'er
give it up. / went out that night. but
she was away wi ATTY Graham and
! couldn't git 1t till next day. Which
it was my shadder and WHY'S you
seen that night, Miss Elise. He. 'alf
crazy. pore lad. because Jest as soon
as you was out of sight she up and
jined ATTY Graham and went out on
the water VT i'm And them red
roses. Miss Gabrielle-you seen 'ow 1t
was And she alwiz ad EN-, alwiz.
ATTY Graham seen to that, and Willy
couldn't do nothing"
Here she paused for breath.
And / never, never drugged you
but the once" she continued-''in the
chocolate. you know. l wouldn't do it
for neither OF EN-. and very ard they
thought of me for it, too; but 'ow
could go for to do Il and you trustin'
me. even when you card me and
Willy talkin' in the cellar? And I
brought you the tea myself that last
night. Miss Elise, when she wanted to
give it to you 'erself and put a powder
in il TO send you to sleep; but I
wouldn't let 'er, for all she was my
sons wife. Oh, Willy, Willy"
We got rid OF her after awhile, and
settled down fer our last evening,
while the fire burned with its green,
blue. lavender. and red lights. where
in now found wonderful pictures and
not so very remote either. and the
ocean rolled monotonously outside
In the first long silence | told the
girls about it-glad that the lamp was
not lighted. and glad also that the
81,
Well. they were very. very nice, and
considerate enough to ask but few
searching questions-although they
have since told me they were CON
sumed with the desire to do so.
So the evening passed. and at last
We went unwillingly upstairs. careful
not to mention that il was our last
night in the little cottage. which, in
spite Of everything. We still loved.
lay bread awake for a long time,
listening TO the washing of the
waves and thinking the thoughts that
come TO girl but once in a lifetime.
when | heard a low voice from the
next room. and knew the others were
wakeful also.
Were you surprised. Elizabeth
Yes. certainly was'-the en-
phasis in Elizabeth's tone left no
room for doubt Somehow, / never
associated Elise with marriage-or
men either. for that matter"
Neither did l. She'll never be the
same again. but oh. Elizabeth, if II
had been you. what should l have
done?"
And l was just lying here thinking
how dreadful it would have been if II
had happened to you. So long as we
have each other, nothing else mat
ters."
No. nothing else matters | hope
she'll be very happy, but Elise is
well, she's Elise, and l can't help won
dering how she is going to like mar
ried life"
And l wonder. too. for. after all. il
is always like starting a very small
ship across a very broad ocean. But
| am not afraid of the voyage, for Cor
don Is going with me, and we have
engaged a pilot whose name il
spelled with four letters; he is war
ranted 10 steer a safe course through
every sort of weather, and we both
believe he will bring us safe into MOTT
at last.
THE ENQ