Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-04-01

eu iihe u rOSe leul, On utr uech. II
was rather an imperfection than a
blemish.
"Where are we?" I asked.
81 don't know" she replied.
81 hear the sound of waves"
"Then we must be on the seashore."
"And birds singing"
THAT would indicate that the beach
is lined by woods"
wherever we are. we were evident
ly sent for each other"
att would seem So" She lowered
her y
"You were certainly sent to be with
me. What would become of me alone
In this dense mist without the power
to find my way out of it ? With you
I shall be happy even here. You are
very lovely"
"You do not say beautiful"
"But you are beautiful"
"No; I can't be that"
"Why?
Because of this" She put a finger
on the birthmark.
do you know" I said after a brief
pause, that l like you so well as you
are that l would not have even that
changed?"
"How good of you to say that! You
say it to make me feel less dissatis-
fed on account of my defect. You do
not near it."
Suddenly the mist was gone. 1t did
not melt away; it vanished. We were
standing upon a beautiful bay. For
miles on either hand Tie beach urved
in a semicircle. Back of Is the shore
rose till it mingled with Mountains.
The waters of the bay we're of differ
enAco1oTs. Near Us where it -Yassshal-
low, It WIS a pale green, beyond a
deep blue and beyond that silver. On
this silver an island rested, rising from
its base to a height on which the sun
shone golden. We stood looking out
at the view. l was entranced, and,
turning my eyes upon my companion,
l saw that she was equally wrapt.
Il feel" | said, that l must go out
on the bosom of that sea-"
"There is a boat" she replied,
chained to a stake"
Lowering my eyes to the verge, 1
saw a skiff rising and falling with the
ianguid swells.
The next scene of which l was cog
infant or at least remember now was
pulling along under great cliffs that
formed the island.
There is a cave" said my compan-
ion. with a waterway for an en-
rance"
Turning the boat, l pulled for the
cave. The rocky roof over the water
way just grazed Il heads as we made
the entrance. Inside we found our
selves within a cavern. its roof hung
with stalactites. The light coming
from the entrance tinged the vaulted
roof with ever changing colors. Now
it was a blood red, now a pale blue,
now sea green, now white.
1T is from the changing of the wa
tiers outside" | said. "A changing
sky changes the bay, and the changing
bay changes the hues In here"
1T is all change" she said sadly.
II wish something in the world were
fixed"
| dropped my oars and, seating my
self beside her. took her in my arms.
II wish this would eve change" l
said, for | have found my love-" l
kissed her. She put her arms about
me. and it seemed to me that l had
thrown off something that had trou-
bled me, some great evil that had over
hung me, and | had passed to a con-
v~alescence Of perfect happiness.
Alas, while supremacy happy in this
companionship. l felt my love slip
ping through my arms and saw her
floating over the surface of the wa
ter toward the mouth of the cavern.
AT that moment both the water and
its rocky dome were a pale blue. They
tinged her garments with the same
hue. She looked back at me with an
expression of indescribable melan-
choly. l called to her not to leave me,
but she f1oated on, passed out through
the mouth of the cavern and was gone.
| seized the oars to follow and,
dashing under the low arch that sep
arated me from the outside, In another
moment was under the greater vault
Of the heavens.
All was serene as when we entered
the cavern. but my love had vanished.
Then came a sensation of being
tossed to and fro, up and down, as
though I were on a stormy sea. 1t
was merely a consciousness of feeling.
There was no communication with the
outside world. There were voices in
the air. What they said l did not