Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-01-06
CHATTER XV.

taking place in the mind OF Pepeeta, or
which she was only vaguely conscious.
The strain which she had been under
going began at last to exhaust her
physically
Her vital force became depleted, her
step grew feeble. the light died out
of her eyes, she dropped and crept
feebly about her room. The determi-
nation which she had so resolutely
maintained to live apart slowly ebbed
away. She was, after ALL woman
mot disembodied spirit, and her wom-
ans heart yearned unquenchably for
the touch of her lovers hand. for the
kisses of his lips for the comfort of
his presence.
This longing increased with every
passing hour. Fatigue, weariness,
loneliness steadily undermined her
still struggling resistance to those hun
gerings which never left her, till at
last, when the failing resources of her
nature were at their lowest point. all
her remaining strength was concen-
trated into single passionate desire
TO look once more upon the face w, lch
glowed forever before her inner eye, or
at least to discover what had befallen
1t was a long and tedious journey
from New Orleans to Cincinnati In
those days, and it told terribly upon
the weaked constitution Of the way
farer. Her heart beat too violently in
her bosom; a fierce fever began to
burn in her veins; she trembled with
terror lest her strength fail her before
she reached her journeys end. 1t was
not of Death himself that she was
afraid; but that he should overtake
her before she had seen her lover!
Husbanding her strength as ship
wrecked sailors save their bread and
water, she counted the days and the
miles to the journeys end, and hav-
ing arrived at the wharf of the Queen
City the pale young traveller who had
excited the compassion of the passen-
gers but who would neither comuni-
cate the secret of her sorrow nor ac-
cept Of any aid, took her little bundle
In her thin hand and started off on
the last stage of her weary pilgrimage.
1T was the hardest of all, for her mon
ey was exhausted and there was moth
ing for her to do but walk.
1t was a cold December day. Gray
clouds lowered, wintry winds began to
moan, and she had proceeded but lit
tel way when light flakes of snow be-
gan to fall. The chill penetrated her
thin clothing and shook her fragile
form. She moved more like a wrath
than a living woman. Her tired feet
left such slight impressions in the
! snow that the feathery flakes obliter-
sated one almost before she had made
another and she was haunted by the
thought that every trace of her pas
sage through life was thus to disap-
pear!
ignorant Of the distance or the exact
direction, and stopping occasionally to
inquire the way, she plodded on, the
exhaustion of hunger and WEAKNESS
becoming more and more unendurable.
All that she did now was done by the
sheer force of WILL but yield she
would not. She would die cheerfully
when she had attained her object, but
not before. The winds became more
wild and boisterous; they loosened and
tossed her black hair about her wan
face; they beat against her person and
drove her back Every step seemed
the last one possible; but suddenly,
lust as she descended the slope OF
steep hill, she saw the twinkling lights
of the village and the feeble rays shot
new courage into her heart. Under
this accession of power she pushed
forward and made her way toward the
old Quaker homestead.
The night had now deepeued around
her; but every foot of the landscape
had been indelibly impressed upon her
memory. and even in the gathering
szIoorn she chose the road unerringly.
There were only a few steps more,
.and reeling toward the door yard fence
she felt her way to the gate, opened
1t staggered forward up the path in
che rays OF light that struggled cut
into the darkness, and with one final
effort fell fainting upon the threshold.
The scene within the house present.
sd q striking contrast to that without.
In a great open fireplace the flames Of
she beech logs were wavering up the
chimney. Seated in the radiance of
their light, on a low stool. was young
F,oy with his elbows upon his knees
and his cheeks in the palms of his
hands. His mother sat by his side
stroking his hair and gazing at him
an fond. brooding love. The father was
Bending over DADiO AJAAb OpCh OAA
she table, and had just articulated in
uIow and reverent tones the words of
Iesus. Il was a stranger and ye took
me in" when they heard a sound at
the door.
Father. mother and son sprang to
fbeir feet and, hurrying towards the
,5oor flung 1t open and beheld a wom-
ans limp form lying on the threshold.
II was but a child's weight to the
stalwart Quaker who picked it up in
F,is great arms and carried It into the
radiance Of the great fireplace, and in
an instant he and Dorothea his wife
were pushing forward the work Of
restoration. The little boy stood gaz-
ang wonderingly at her from a dis
tance. The calm features Of the Qua
Eer were agitated with emotion. His
wife knelt by the side Of the pale
sleeper. and her tears dropped silently
.,,n the hand which she pressed to her
Alps.
For many days Pepeeta's life hung
An the balance her spirit lowering un-
certainly along the border land Of be-
ing and Il was only love that wooed
II back to life.
When at length. through careful
aursinE, she really regained her can