Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

comfort-that he
had known at the last and had for
given Hugh. OF this she could assure
him when he returned. for she could
not really believe-so deep is the heart
OF u woman-that he would not return.
In the days of vigil she had found re-
lief in the rough, hard work of the NAL
let. None had intruded in hat out OF
the way spot. save that ore day Mrs.
Halloran, led by curiosity to see the
grave of the rich man whose within IL
had been to be buried on the mountain
side, had found her at her work, and
her Jessica had pledged to silence. She
was no fool, was Mrs. Halloran, and
10 learn the name of the dead man was
To put two and two together. Her
motherly heart ,~over1owed to the girl
who worked each day at that self ap-
pointed task. Only the afternoon be-
fore Jessica had finished carving the
words on the base of the statue oil
which the look OF the startled man
was now resting: II will arise Ii So
unto my father"
The gazer turned from the words.
with quick question, to the mound.
He anne close and Ia the fading light
looked at the name on the low head
stone. So he had come too latel IL
he could only have learned the truth
earlier! If he might only put back
the hands of the clock!
Hours went by. AT length be rose
to his feet. his limbs cramped and stiff
ened, and made his way back tc the
lonely cabin IN the hillside There
he found fuel. kindled a blaze In the
fireplace and cooked his frugal supper.
He thought of the losing battle he
had fought there once before, when
tempest shrieked ~without-the battle
which had ended in defeat. He
thought of the will he had seen, now
sealed with the great seal of death.
He was the shorn beggar, she the ben
eiciary. What duty she had owed his
father was ended now. Desolate she
might be-in need Of a hand to guide
and guard-but she was beyond the
reach of penury. This gave him a
sense of satisfaction. Was she there
on the mountain at that moment?
At last he took Old Despair's batter
ed violin from the wall and, seating
himself in the open doorway. looking
across the mysterious purple of the
gulches to the skyline sown with
pale stars, drew the bow softly across
the strings. Through manifold varia-
tons the music wandered till at
length there came from the followed
wood an air that was an unconscious
echo of a forgotten wedding day-"O
perfect love, all human thought tran
scendingi"
The light breeze that shook the pine
needles bore the sound far to an ear
that had grown tense with listening
to one on the ridge above to whom 1t
had sounded the supreme call of youth
and life. He did not feel her nearer
presence as she stole breathless across
the dark path and stood behind him.
The music died, the violin slipped
from beneath his chin, the bow drop
ped and his head fell on his arms.
Then he felt a touch on his shoulder
and heard the whisper: "Hughi
Hughp'
"Jessical' be cried and sprang to
his feet.
81 have watched every day and lis
tened every night" she said. II knew
that you would come-that you must
come back"
"If l had never gone. Jessica" he
exclaimed. "Then / might have seen
my father. But l didn't know
She clasped her hands together.
"You know nowi You remember 1t
-n0t
Continued next week
An Inference.