Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-08-11
CHAPTER x.
Hearts Awakened.

storm which had finally cast her away,
produced in her such strange emo
tons as she experienced then. For
the earth itself was trembling, quiv-
ering, rocking. The cave wall above
her, seen dimly by the altering light
Of very early dawn which came
through the opening, partook Of the
mad, fantastic motion. In another sec
ond she realized that It was an earth
quake. The air seemed filled with a
peculiar ringing sound OF storm.
Her bed, of course, was the soft
sand over which grass had been
strewn. She lay, therefore, on the
floor and could not be thrown down,
but she was rolled from side to side
in a way which paralyzed her senses.
Never in all her experience had she
known such a sick feeling Of terror.
When the foundations of things are
shaken, when not merely the great
deep but the solid earth is broken up,
humanity stands as If IN the presence
of the power OF God. She lay resist
less, staring, praying, wondering
whether the shaking rock over her
head would fall and crush her.
In a moment the instinct Of life
quickened her to action. She rose to
her knees, staggered to her feet and
tried to make her way to the en-
trance. Walking was terrible. The
earth seemed to have shaken for
hours, and yet the duration Of the
shock was really less than a minute.
| It's violence was terrific. Just before
she reached the opening, 1t stopped
with one tremendous shock as sudden
ly as 1t had begun. The next second,
with a roar that sounded like a thou
sand pieces Of artillery, the gray ha-
zy light in front Of her was blotted
out by a falling mass Of rock which
just escaped her. The face Of the cliff
had given away. In deeper, intenser
terror than before she threw herself
against the barrier. It was as hard
and as unyielding as the other walls.
No light came to her even. She was
imprisoned alive in this rocky sepul-
cher. She sank down on her knees
and buried her face in her hands. She
murmured words of prayer.
Her mind flew to the other side Of
the island, TO the man. Was he, too,
entombed? Was this the end Of her
labors? Outside she could hear the
wind roar and the waves laundering
with awful violence on the shore Be
fore the earthquake had come the
storm. There was still some connec.
ton between the cave and the outer
air, It seemed, for she was now con-
scious of lightning flashes. After the
storm, came the fire. Her mind went
back to what she had read from the
Bible a few days before of Elijah's
despair. Therefore in like case she
listened with all her heart for the still
voice of comfort to her awestruck
soul. It did not seem to come. She
was doomed; she would never see
him again, If indeed he were yet alive.
She knew her feeling for him now.
She slipped forward and fell fainting
on the sandy floor of the cave. And
still the voice was there. Presently
it came to her, as the voice of God
usually comes to humanity, through
the lips Of man.
After a space, how long after she
could not tell, she was conscious OF
human cry through the wild clamoI
Of the storm. A voice that she knew
and loved was calling her by name
Was 1t some wraithlike fancy of the
storm? She rose to her knees, sich
and faint, and listened. No, 1t wal
human voice, his voice, her name
The cry was fraught with frantic ap
peal. It thrilled and vibrated will
passion. It told her in that awful mo
ment story which she had not read
It revealed to her imaginations o
which she had not dreamed. She wal
fascinated with what she heard. Sh'
forgot for the moment to answer. Al
the woman in her, the eternal femi
nine in her, listened. Her bosom ros
and fell, her heart throbbed, he
pulses beat Alone with that wild
passionate, appealing, frantic cry, sh
forgot the earthquake, she forgot tn
prison, she forgot the storm, she fol
got the world. She only realized tina
: there out in the dawn, man, the maj
l Of all the world, who loved her wa
; calling her name. The old call @
t manhood to womanhood, Of mate :
a mate.
She rose instantly to her feet Thi
d time It was the beating Of her hear
that pitched and tossed her body. Sh
y leaned against the rock wall and the
p she called his name.
e Man." she cried, ARE you safer"
t YES" was the answer IAN
d your"
0 Entirely so, save for this prison.
d Thank God!" came family to he
n from beyond the wall. Thank God,
Il hear your voice shall have you on
n never fear
e She pressed her ear close TO th
3 heap Of huge loose stones which lille
g the opening. She could hear hil
4 working outside.
Is Don't be afraid" he said at last.
-