The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-11-18

ually died away In her heart.
One evening she climbed YEARLY to
the top Of the hill and listlessly swept
the horizon. the bare, vacant, un-
broken horizon, which she had sur
veyed morning and evening all these
years. She expected nothing, but sud
denly there sprang into the object
glass OF the telescope = dark blur
which she had never seen before. Her
hand trembled so that she almost
dropped the glass. She strove to pick
up that object again and could not do
it in her nervous agitation. Finally
she lay down upon the bill and rested
her arms upon little rise OF ground
and thus steadying the glass, managed
to find it once more. It could be moth
Ing but the smoke Of q ship!
She had means Of striking a light
which Langford had left her, which
methodically and mechanically she al
ways brought with her when she
climbed up the crest Of the hill to seek
for a sail. She lifted the matches and
approached the beacon. She remem-
bered how once before she had lighted
that beacon: she remembered how he
had pleaded with her not to do so,
how In doing It she had brought the
world upon her with such terrible con-
sequences to her. Should she DO 1t
again. What would happen II she did?
She laid the matches down and lifted
the glass once more. Yes, the ship
was still thore. She was SO far away
indeed that the short time which hao
elapsed would have made no change IN
her apparent position.
She looked back to the westward
The sun was setting. There would Dc
no twilight. Darkness would come
swiftly. II she did not light that bea
con the ship would pass In the night
II she did light it, the darkness woule
lend force and efficiency to 1t. Nc
ship would disregard such light II
such a quarter. Should she do It!
In one swift moment her resolution
was taken. She dropped the glass
turned to the boz Of matches whlcf
she had boarded for this very purpose
knelt down, struck one OF them
watched the blue fame develop AM
swell out in the still air, paused Tor
moment hesitant, touched the light t
the inflammable mass Of dead wood a
the base Of the pile.
AS the flames cracked up throug
the wood, roaring and catching, tn
sun sank and the darkness fell. lie
! last act ere the curtain Of night shu
her in had been to fix her glass upo
the faint blur Of smoke. Now she coul
see nothing. 1t was a moonless nigh
but bright with stars. She move
away from the IRE and sat down q
she had sat before, sheltered by tn
peak, to watch the sea. Now that 81
had done what she had sworn not
do, she was eager for the success
, her attempt.
And so she waited wonder1n
, through long hours while the name
exhausted themselves and by ana .
, fell to a heap Of glowing ashes. SUI
denly there leaped out through Il
+ darkness a distant twinkle OF light.
+ was too low for a star. Feeling 4
the telescope, she found 1t and VII
! difficulty focused 1t on the tiny spar
) It was red light, the light OF shl]
. The vessel had seen the signal. It vi
!. nearer. much nearer now. She kne
about how far such light could
. seen. The ship was coming towal
her, She almost tainted from the !
: yulsion of feeling from hope to sce
\ tainty, from anxiety to assurance.
). It was close at hand now. She mu
Z 20 down to the beach to meet It. 5
t rose to her feet and started down t
q hill. She went slowly, cautiously
e first, but finally she broke into
! reckless run. She strayed from t
, path in her excitement, her foot caug
e in a projecting root A sharp, exc
d ciating pain shot through her. Son
4 thing seemed to break in her ank
" She pitched forward on her face a
~ lay still.
When she came to her senses lie
was shining in her eyes. Men ste
about her holding ships lanter
Some one bent over her as some
rs had bent over her five years bef'
,e when she lay senseless on the sa
it A voice she knew called to her; ar
d. to whose touch she thrilled gather
OF her up; she felt heart beat agal
If. her own, He had come back. He
le5 there.
til Woman said the man, I hi
or come back to YOU
re Man" returned the woman, obi
at Gus Of those who stood around. N
ar. ing the lights, to whom she gave
cs single thought-indeed they "
those who knew her well-"Man,'
of asked, true to her resolution, do
he love me as much as on that night"
nd More, thousand times!"
IA. 'sAnd do you think me worthy;
ed "Do not ask! It is ! who am
he worthy Of YOU
lat Il can die now, said the VOL
an softly IasDing into unconscious