The independent-reporter., 1909-12-09

Axaia 60 eesra sse sssss. sss .sss
tine she ssls=t sst . gsessssa-
Yea eAs tho anssa, far abuxs
.xaa rea heaf mes- grestiy sxeit@d.
shs esiied ask that she c0ald bear
aud unaerslssa "i'm eeEaing do~n
the rege. Ia fof ne bat dont wof
r.! Please 3 inside until we land 10
the garden irs a long drip. yoo
knas"
ARE you ss1ils SURE l. II safef sh.
called. xhuadrflng al the thoneht II
the l-rilous descent Of nearly 30 feet
sheer thronsh the darkness
"li's safer han stopping here. Please
go inside"
she DULY eumprehended his mean
Ing. lie wanted Go save her from see.
Ing his fall II the event that the worst
should come IL pass Scarcely know.
Ing what SHE did. she moved over Into
the shadow near the walls and waited
breathlessiy al the Tine wondering
why some eue did not come from the
chateau TO lend assistance
At last that portion Of the rope
which lay In the garden began TO jerk
and writhe vigorously. She knew then
that he WIS coming down hand over
hand through that long. dangerous
stretch OF darkness. The cliff reared
itself sheer 10 the height Of $50 feet
directly behind the chateau. At the
summit of this great wall shelving
ledge projected over the hanging gar
den. A rope dangling from this ledge
would fall into the garden not far
from the edge nearest the cliff. The
summit OF the cliff could be gained
only by trayersing the mountain slope
from the other side. II was impossible
to scale 1t from the floor of the valley
which 1t bounded.
The rope WAS undoubtedly attached
to the trunk of a sturdy tree at the
brow Of the cliff.
She could look no longer. 1t seemed
hours since he started from the top.
Every heart beat brought him nearer
to safety, but would he hold out? Any
instant might bring him crashing to
her feet-dead, after all that he may
have lived through during that awful
night.
At last she heard his heavy painting
-groaning almost-the creaking and
straining of the rope, the scraping of
his hands and body. She opened her
eyes and saw the bulky, swaying
shadow not twenty feet above the
garden. Slowly 1t drew nearer the
grass covered floor, foot by foot,
straining, struggling, gasping In the
final supreme effort, and then with a
sudden rush the black mass collapsed,
the taut rope sprung loose, the end
switching and leaplng violently
Genevra rushed frantically across
the garden, half fearful. half joyous.
As she came up the mass seemed to
divide itself into two parts. One sank
Imply to the ground, the other stood
erect for a second and then dropped
beside the PROSTATE, gasping figure.
Chase had come down the rope with
another human being clinging to his
body
Genevra fell to her knees beside the
man who had accomplished this mir
acle. She grasped his hands, warm
and sticky with blood She tried to
lift his head from the ground, moan
ing with pity all the time, uttering
words of encouragement In his ear.
Many minutes passed. At last Chase
gave over gasping and began to
breathe regularly, but heavily. The
strain had been tremendous. Only
superhuman strength and will had
carried him through the ordeal. He
groaned with pain as the two beside
him lifted him to sitting posture.
'Tell Selim to come aheadp' he
gasped, his bloody hand at his throat.
"Were all right"
Then, for the first time, Genevra
peered In the darkness at the figure
beside her-a slight, graceful woman
In oriental garb. The woman turned
and lifted her face TO the heights from
which she had descended. In a shrill,
eager voice she called out something
In language strange to the princess.
A faint shout came from on high, and
once more the rope began to writhe.
ne princess pdSSeu uci uduu ofei
her eyes, bewildered. The face of the
woman In the light, half shaded. half
illumined, was gloriously beautiful
young dark, brilliant!
"Oh" she exclaimed, starting to her
feet, look of understanding coming
into her eyes. This was one of the
Persians! He had saved her! A feel
Ing of revulsion swept over her. COM
batting the first natural womanly pride
In the deed OF brave man.
Chase struggled weakly to his feet
He saw the tense. strained figure be-
fore him and, putting out his hand,
said:
"She is Selim's wife. ! am stronger
than he, 80 brought her down." Then,
looking upward anxiously, he shouted:
BE careful, Seliml It's easy II you
take your time to it."