Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1909-10-30


served to turn her thoughts from her
own danger. She prayed aloud for his
safety, beseeching God that he be
| spared She sought to pray even for
Winthrope. But the vision of that
| beastly face rose up before her. and
she could not-then.
Presently she became aware OF
| change in the storm. The terrific
gusts blew with yet greater violence,
the thunder crashed heavier, the light
ming filled the air with flame Of
dazzling white light. But the rain
no longer gushed across on the spot
where her bed had been. 1t was en-
| tering at a different angle, and its
| force was broken by the bend in the
thick wall of the entrance. After
time the deluge dashed aslant the en-
trance, gushing down the door in
| cataract of foam.
Another interval, and the driving
downpour no longer struck even the
edge of the opening. The wind was
veering rapidly as the cyclone center
moved past on one side. The area of
the hurricane was little more than
thrice that of tornado, and it was
advancing along its course at great
speed. An hour more, and the out
ermost rim of the huge whirl was
passing over the cleft.
Quickly the hurricane gusts fell
away to a gale; the gale became
breeze; the breeze lulled and died
away, stifled by the torrential rain.
Within the baobab all was again
dark and silent. Utterly exhausted, the
girl had sunk back against the friend
ly wall Of the tree, and fallen asleep.
She was wakened by hoarse call:
Miss Jenny! Miss Jenny, answer
me! Are you all right?"
She started up, barely saving her
self from fall as the big unhusked
nuts rolled beneath her feet. The
morning sunlight was streaming in
over her door. She sprang down ankle
deep into the mire Of the cave floor,
and ran to loosen the bars. AS the
door swung up, she darted out, with
cry of delight: you are safe-safe!
Oh, 1 was so afraid for you! But
you're drenched! You must build
fire-dry yourself-at once!"
Wait" said Blake. 1--WE got to tell
you something"
He caught her outstretched hands,
and pushed them down with gentle
force. His face was grave, almost SOL
emn.
Think you can stand bad news-a
shock?"
hot fc Cn
strange!"
ITS about MISUNDERSTANDING
very bad"
She turned, with a gasp, and hid
her face in her hands, shuddering with
horror and loathing.
ooh! OH" she cried. 81 know al
ready know ALL"
"All?" demanded Blake, staring
blankly.
think it was you!" She gasped, and
fell silent.
Blake's face went white. He spoke
in a clear, vibrant voice, tense as an
overstrained violin string: 81 am
speaking about WINTHROP - under
stand me? - Winthrope. He has
been badly hurt"
THE door swung down and struck
him. when he was creeping in"
Cod" roared Blake. 81 picked
him up like sick baby-the beast!-
stead of grinding my heel in his face!
God! I'll"
Tom! don't-don't even speak of
it, Toni"
God! When helpless girl-when
al" He choked, beside himself with
rage.
She sprang to him, and caught his
sleeve in a convulsive grasp. Hush,
for mercy's sake! Tom Blake, remem-
ber-you're a mani"
He Gained like ferocious dog at
the voice of its master; but it was sew
eral minutes before he could bring
himself TO obey her insistent urging
that he should return to the injured
man.
I'll CO." he at last growed.
Wouldn't do it even for you, but he's
good as dead-lucky for him."
Dead"
Dying You stay away
He went around the baobab and
few PAGES along the cleft to the place
where a limp form lay huddled on the
lodges, out of the mud Slowly, as
though drawn by the fascination of
horror, the girl crept after him. When
she saw the broken, storm beaten
thing that had been Winthrope, she
stopped, and would have turned
back. After all, as Blake had said,
he was dying
When she stood at the feet of the
writhing figure, and looked down into
the battered face, II required all her
will-power to keep from fainting.
Blake frowned up at her for an in
slant, but said nothing.
WINTHROP was speaking, feebly and
brokenly, yet distinctly: Really, did
not mean any harm-at first-you
know. But a man does not always