Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-01-19

rived at her door, how much time it
took him to clear 1t way, he had no
idea. He had no thought but that he
must open a passage and get to her
dead or alive.
1t was not wise for him to expend
breath in cries. but until he had some
reply he could not keep silent. After
that. when her answer came to him,
ne worked more quietly save for those
periods when he felt that he must
hear her voice to enable him to go on,
Such was the furious energy of his
toll that by and by the great mass OF
rock was cleared away save one huge
boulder which fairly blocked the en-.
trance. 1t was light outside now. A
gray dawn and full of storm. Through
the wider interstices she could see him
plainly. She knew now that her res
cue was only a matter of time. A
branch of a tree for lever and his
strength would roll the rock away.
She started to tell him but he caught
d glimpse of her white face pressed
against crevice and the sight in
spired him. With great burst of
strength, the like of which possibly
had never been comprised by mortal
man since Samson pulled apart the
pillars of the temple. he rolled the
great rock aside and stood in the en-
trance, gasping. painting, with out.
stretched arms.
But a step divided them. That step
| she took. With a sob of relief she
fell upon his breast, naturally, newt
ably His splendid arms swept her
close to him Her own hands met about
| his neck. With uptulned face she
Looked upon him in all the abandon.
ment OF perfect passionate surrender.
He bent his head and kissed her, the
first time in all his years that his lips
had been pressed upon another mouth.
He chung to her there in that kiss as
| II to make up in one moment for all
the neglected possibilities of the past,
as II never in all the bringings forth
OF the future should such another op-
| portunity be afforded him. He felt
| for the first time in his life the beat
OF another human heart against his
own, the rise and fall OF another hui
man breast, the throbbing of another
human soul. Tighter and tighter
his arms strained her to him. She
| gave herself up in that mad, delirious,
awful moment to the full flow of long
checked passion. and kiss for kiss,
pressure for pressure. and heart beat
| for heart beat, she made repsone.
| 1t was too much. 1t was the man
who broke away. There was nothing,
no experience. no remembrance to
teach him. 1t was all surprise. He
thrust her from him slowly. Her hands
fingered about his neck, but his back.
ward pressure would not be denied.
He held her at arms length, her hands
| outstretched to him, her bosom pant
ing, her eyes shining, her cheeks
atlame in the gray dawn. Yielding,
giving up to him absolutely, yet some.
thing, the magnificent metal of the
man, the restraints through which he
had gone, the long battles with his
! own passion, rose to his soul and gave
him mastery once more.
Woman! woman!" he whispered
no mere local name would represent
her now. She was humanity to him
woman" he whispered my God!
my Godw
He turned away, sank down on one
of the great boulders that he had
thrown aside and buried his face in
his hands. his body shaking with emo.
tons he could scarce define but well
understood. The woman threw herself
down on her knees before him and
took him once more in her arms.
Man" she said. 81 love you!"
SHE drew his hands away from his
face; she laid her own face in his
bleeding palm and kissed it.
Man" she said, her lips wet with
HE own blood in sort of wild, bar.
barrie sacrament, man. love you'll"
He stared at her as one dIstraught.
He had dreamed of this, he had mag
ined II. he had prayed for 1t, he had
hoYed for IT. but no revelation that
had CONE to him In the years of their
association ecnaled in its binding
biiliiancy. In Its intense illumination.
the revelation IN that Woman's voice.
~ that women's eyes, IN that womRp's