The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-01


mtiit Of perfect passionate surrender.
HeSbent his head and kissed her the
FIRST time IN an his years4tha his lips
had been pressed hpon: another mouth
He chung to her there In that Kiss as
~ to make up In one moment for all
the neglected possibiil.iesagf the past.
lasaif never In call the bringings forth
ofsthe future should such another OF
p~ortnhity be afforded him. He felt
forsthe first time ii his life the beat
of another human heart against: hts
own, the rise and fall or another hui
man breast, the throbbIng :of. another
human soul. Tighter and tighter
Ills arms strained her to him, She
gave herself up in that mad, delirious,
awful moment to the full flow Of long
checked passion. and kiss for kiss
pressure for pressure. and heart beat
for heart beat, she made repsone.
It was too much. II was the man
who broke away. There was nothing,
no experience. no remembrance to
teach him. It was all surprise. He
THRUST her from him slowly. Her hands
fingered dboit his neck; bit his back.
ward pressure would not be denied.
He held her at arms length, her hands
outstretched to him. her bosom pant
Ing, her eyes shining. her cheeks
afame In the gray dawn. Yielding.
giving up to him absolutely, yet some.
thing, the magnificent metal Of the
man. thesrestraints through which he
had gone. the long battles with his
own passion. rosesto his soul and gave
him mastery once more.
Woman! woman!" he whispered
no mere local name would represent
her now. She was humanity to him
Woman" he whispered. my God!
my Cod"
He turned away. sank down on one
Of the great boulders that he had
thrown aside and buried his face In
his hands. his body shaking with emo
tions he could scarce define but well
understood. The woman threw herself
down on her knees before him and
took him once more In her arms.
Man." she said, II love you!"
She drew his hands away from his
face; she laid her own face In his
bleeding palm and kissed 1t.
Man." she said, her ilips<wet with
his own blood In a sort. OF wild, bar.
barrie sacrament, man, / love you!"
He stared at her as one distraught.
He had dreamed of this, he bad, imag.
ined 1t, he had prayed for 1T. he had
hoped for 1t, but no revelation that
had come to him In the years of their
association equaled in Its binding
b%rllliancy, In Its intense Illumination.
the revelation In thy. woman's voice.
in that woman's eyes, "a that woman's
touch.
Man. she said again. 81 love you.
Do you understand! Do you know
what 1t means?"
Then he found his voice. He took
her hand and pressed 1t against his
heart.
u know" he whispered. 81 under.
stand here" T
He rose to his feet. stopped, caught
her by the shoulders and liftedlher to
Ibis: ;,leYeg4 A piece OF rock Ill bal
Sanoeds onE the edge Of the cliff fell
IGrashlngsfE The place was dangerous:
sWishol6ia word he sllRped. bis arm
!bensashtRer. lifted her ,up, as Hetmisht
;haYs4ohe|a child and carried her out
Sipon Ae.sand away from the beetling
scragsfoffsahe rocky wall. She nestled
I'm his arms with q sense Of Joy and
s%satisfaeti6n and. helplessness cared Tor
sso exquisite that Il *as&ala6st pains
He sat her down presently on the
sand and knelt before her. The sun.
light sprang through the gray haze
on the horizons edge and lighted her
face as he peered into It. Suddenly he
threw himself PROSTATE before her
and his lips upon her feet.
Not there" she whispered, laying
her hand upon his bent head, "but
here. here in my arms, upon my heart,
for Man, Man., | love you!"n
Then kneelins by her side he took
her once o within his arms.
But You have not said!" she began
ut last, that you loved me-"
There is no word" he said, softly,
lin that speech that you have taught
me which is equal to what | feel. You
1on't know how | have looked upon
you and longed for you ever since you
made me know and feel that | was a
mar with a mans soul. Night after
night | have watched you as you went
TO your nook In the rocks. But that
you have taught me honor and consid.
Grafton, what 1t Is to be a gentleman.
[ had followed YOU and caught you in
the dark within my. arms"
She laid her hand upon his breast
and looked, at him feelingly, entreat.
lngly, with touching consciousness OF
his strength and her weakness.
3"Wha / have taught .you," she
asked. you will o. forget?"
Never! Never"
He released her waist and took her
hand and kissed 1t. There was as
much passion in the pressure NJ his