The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-08-30

spangled and the purple-blue oil the star (
spattered sky The thln pier creaked on It's
fral spindles OF steel the mile long surges
rolled laundering on the tawny shore behind
him, and he did not near her footsteps, but
started, dropping MS cigar into the water as
her shadow tell his shoulders
Its you. Frank" she said, her voice
rising sweet and clear above the roar and
nIurmur OF the sea and wind
God bless you, Gal," he cried, sprInging
up and taking both her hands
No, no. Not that She struggled away
! from him and sat down, smiling she point
ed to the place beside her.
1T is seven years, Gail, " he said, his lips
lose to her ear
1t will be seven to day Tuesday night
You have not forgotten anything
Nothing. Frank Not even that you ran
away from me 1t was cruel; you don
know hoa cruel 1t was. Frank
They silent, watching the sea-
How cid you know / was nere." be
asked
Il saw your name or the register at the
hotel"
And you knew I'd be here in the old place
after 50 many years.
Il guessed that
Il nave sat on this pier at night every
-Wns, Frank sau
Il vas hoping you d come back" >,
And you still
Il lo.e yon still Gal- l have loved yor
since tirs; | saw YOU he answered, lay ing
his great, brown hand upon hers But she
drew it away and said. Why did you leave
me ike that them
y on have mol heards Guessed2 Come.
Gail, dent you know"
That YOU we're married. Yes | knew
that" tossing her yellow curls against the
breeze But lie lsaned over so that he could
her face and said
Yet you dared
Darrell Yes. | dared, and would have
dared anything | loved you and you said
You loved NE better than all the rest OF the
world Was not that sufficient \ GU know
at least you sand YOU knew then, that there
is nothing else Scandal What did care
Your wife"
">h-=a, She's dead, Call he whiz
, pered-
''Deads She was dead then so far as You
were concerned You did not love her Sns
never loved anybody except, perhaps, hel
daughter"
And YOU knew | had daughter, too.
Gail, Call"
IL knew everything about you, tell you
Yes, and | wanted you 10 run away with me
want you now
WHAT What is 1t you want, DEAR
He was hoarse with passion as his hanc
sought hers again But she thrust it from
| her and cried:
No. 10. Frank. | want you to tell ms
| | why you ran away from me. Or cid you lie
! TO me, as they have all dones'
| Lie. No, no, did not lie, Gail. Yes,
1 ! axa-- h...1.t@s-i- vas he e-ilt Cal
| could not cruelty her that | might gain my
| own, best guerdou- Sac loved me clung L
| me believed n ure. She was ten years Ole
| then | gave up you gave up the best
! hoped or wished for, and. it seemed,
I thought did we'll Ii seemed manifest anC
! most unseltish TIC do that, Gail That
! why"
| And t. Did not have children-two O
| them? Was | not everything to them, Die
| I not love them, Frank. They had no on
! but me. Yet would have made orphans o
! them, forgotten them. cut them out OF u,
| hungry heartl For what Why"
| Because you loved me, CALI" he asket
! her. But she did not answer. for her whit
d, teeth pinched her red lip as she stared a
the ful-ssied brig that bore across the hori
zon. blurred and baleful through the tear
! that welled into her eyes
| Because you loved me, Gail?" he aske1
I again. She looked at ham for i full minute
/ wondering. silent, her mouth a-quiver AM
her strong white hands clssped together
! And your laughter" she asked at las,
striving to be calm
/ She's to be married next month. She
of age now"
And so she has repaid you, Was
worth while to do for her as you did, Sh
would have lived down that grief as she hs
outlived her need of you But L. Can i on
| live"
Her voice trembled now and broke, an
be gained her hand for the moment.
you do love me- CALI ne went on. tn
ing to draw her towards him, but she awol
from the dream OF the instant and said, yer
sadly and with hollow note in her swe,
voice.
TOO late: TOO late, Frank. Yes.I love yc
better. if that were possible. than | love
you then. But it is quite too late"
"Late Nonsense. | am but 40; you loo
like girl. | have come here wholly to fin
you. to win you back. to take you away wit
me You have come back, too. | don
know what brought you but you love mt
Come, smile with me, Gall 1t is the ver
dawn and glory OF our liSes
She sat silent, her loose hair blown like
nebulous halo about her tine head. her arm
J hanging listess by her SIDE, her eyes nxed o
the pearl-pink granite of the island cliffs IA
out at sea Then, fercely:
And H. Must | do nothing for my ow
childrens Because lost you are they to
I without home7 Is woman's year but
Jay, and is it only week since you left n
/ here alone, starved at the heart, guessing
wondering. To hope for seven years, witt
out word, line, message a sight
you, How did | know that one DAY you
I be free? And there is answer now. Yo
are free What of it, am not. You al
! too late. You have been unselfsh, you Sd,
1t will be easier for YOU You've had seve
years practice. l was selfish, bold. reel
less, Ii viii be hard, always harder for ny
I have had no practice | gave you up b
cause l thought l had to. That was nS
unsel6sh- But now-pshaw. Frank, Let
go back to the hotel"
What do YOU mean, Gail Great Co
woman, you re not
"Yes; that's it; I'm married
But Gail" ne would persist weakly, de
perately now
There are no butts now, Frank 81