Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-02-19
TheTryst
BY GRACE NJ. PETERS

teHt-Tan Dtfniiy. Ten. tap. back and
forth It hutterei. vaguely persistent,
until Eversham finally wakened. He
opened his eyes and looked out into
the dim perspective of the forest.
Yes. there they were, the tall
straight confer trunks without num-
ber---hoary. painless. suggestive Of
lneffabie mystery.
Eversham did not stir - he
breathed very quietly. He wished to
cheat time into forgetting him and
the ecstasy Of the forest dream
the dream that he had dreamed every
night since first he took the fever;
more than that. the dream that had
been his souls life for twenty years,
since she failed to keep the tryst and
the Joy of life had died.
Now he was dying-so the strange
nurse and doctor who moved about
his bedside had said early in the
evening. When he heard a triumph
ant thrill had shaken his hot. dry
body, for he knew that tonight at
last he should know the truth-the
dream would not break OF, a frag-
meDt. as 1t had always done before.
II was so cool in the murmuring
forest-just such a night as that
other long ago when he left his tent
and went iown to the river to meet
her. Was that twenty years ago or
only the last sundown, as It seemed7
II had been a wild country in those
days; strange things often happened,
and when she did not keep the tryst
and never was seen again no. one
had wondered very much. They said
that others had loved her as well as
he, and that some young Lochinvar
had come out Of the West and borne
her away down the river-the swift
swirling river that had only chatter
ed on tauntingly as the sun went
down and the dark came on and he
waited alone and she did not come.
He could hear the faint murmur Of
1t now.
What was that? The doctor was
trying to rouse him, but he lay cum
ningly still. They could not snatch
him back from the forest again
the time was far too short.
The balsam boughs ON which he
lay were very sweet, and then there
was the moon just rising over the
pointed hemlocks He could not see
the moon. but he knew that It was
up for the reflection struck the pail
of water In the tent II was a blase,
worn-out old moon, neither silver
nor gold. but the drunken copper
color OF a useless candle burning out
toward daylight. He would look at
It.
Eversham crawled to moss
grown log that lay mouldering out
side the tent All, now he could see
the black, swift river with the end
less mute forest on the other bank
There was where the red campfire
had burned each night. He fancied
he saw the lurid fire now, dancing
and glowing with elfish light over
half forgotten faces of old eompan-
Ions. Wild snatches OF their song
and laughter seemed borne on the |
night wind down the river-down to- !
ward the trysting place that stood |
out a shapeless mass Of rock above !
the seething current.
Eversham suddenly drew a sharp |
painful breath OF wonder. Some |
thing was moving at the trysting |
place-something vague and indis-
tinct but surely neither shadow nor |
mist. What was It? Could II be |
she? Had she come at last to keep |
the tryst now that he was dying?
The thought made him tremble with |
ecstasy-he could not bear so much
Joy all at once.
"Oh, my darling. my darling" he |
whispered imploringly. with all the
pent-up love of twenty years in his
tone.
Yes, there she stood. beckoning
and smiling. elusive, a shadow among
shadows. Her lips moved as II she
spoke, but the words were lost In the
roar Of the water.
Eversham sprang to his feet-he
cared no longer for the nurse and the
doctor; they could not hold him
back now. He was dying and he
cared not for that-was she not wait
ing to keep the tryst? The useless
old moon was almost set, and It was
very dark as he groped his way
through the fantastic lacy network
of shadows down to the rock on
which she stood.
"Oh. my darling, my darling" he
cried, stretching out his arms.
But she turned from him, and
bowed her head and wept.
Look into the treScherous river"
he heard her say. What do you sect
I slipped and fell-Ah. why did you
not know?"
Eversham grovelled at her feet in
agony,
my darling. my darling" he cried
again.
But his voice met only its own
echo reverberating from across the
swift flowing river. He stood at the
tryst alone.
Come rest with me-" a voice
crooned from the swirling water far
below. Come rest with me in my
river bed. Twenty years have ]
waited, dear heart. Come rest with
me, forever"
Eversham gave a mighty cry--hs
leaped out into the darkness; and
then there was quiet.
The old moon had set, the tryst
was kept. The doctor and the nurse
who had watched by the bedside
since early evening knew that the
fever with its restless phantoms
would irnnhla ENarsham M mnra-