The Irish standard., 1911-09-30

- 'ou oiu "AoA8' tneu lIS you WHO
have suffered for it-you who have
| paid the penalty. You have paid for
the thing you left undone as we'll as
for the thing he did. But we must
not talk about 1t any more. now.
You're not strong enough. 1 ought
not to have spoken of it at all, but
somehow. I couldn't wait any longer"
Just this much more, Jeanne, and
then We will let it go: You see now,
don't you, dear, why said never
could 60 back to the world, never clear
myself of the old charge at Hunters
expense - Perry Hunters expense
now that he is dead: and don't you see
that that's as impossible now as 1t was
when l first said IT."
1t was with a half laugh and q half
sob that she kissed him.
"Oh, my DEAR" she said, what does
the world matter? This is the world
here. You and I. The space of this
great bear-skin We are lying on. The
past can't come between us, and what
else Is there that matters? Come, it's
time for you to take another nap. Are
SSu wa LII CLlCuSu OuI uCI0, OF SHALL We
60 back to the hut?"
I'm warm, soul and body, thanks
to you," he said.
But It was Jeanne who went to
sleep. Somehow, since that last OK.
PLANTATION wonderful great, soft calm
seemed to envelop her. She slept
there like child beside him, his hand
tn
1t was Philips voice that wakened
her. How long afterwards she did
not know. He was sitting erect on the
great bear-skin, and all she could see
Of him was the dim silhouette of his
back against the sky.
What Is it?" she asked, drowsily.
SIS anything the matter?"
He could hardly command his voice
to answer.
It's that aurora, over there" he
said. NO, It's gone now. 1t may
come back. It's right over there in
the south-stratght in front of YOU"
But. my dear-my dear" she per.
sisted, why should an aurora
Is it because Of the one we saw the
night you killed Roscoe? Is 1t that
old nightmare that 1t brings back?"
She was speaking quietly, her voice
caressing him just as her hands were.
She was like a mother trying to reas.
sure a frightened child.
mo, it's not that" he said, uneasily,
I don't know-I think may be go
ing mad. perhaps. l know wasn't
dreaming. l thought SO at first, but
| know I'm not now" Then she felt
his body stiffen, he dropped her hand
end pointed out to the southern no.
rizon.
There" he said, look thare!" What
she saw was simply pencil of white
light, pointing straight from the no.
rizon to the zenith, and reaching an al
titude Of perhaps 20 degrees Com
pared with the stupendous electrical
displays that they were used to seeing
In that winter sky, 1t was utterly in
significant, and from 1t she turned to
search his face, in sudden alarm.
mo, no-look-look!" he command
ed his excitement mounting higher
! with each word
She obeyed reluctantly, but at what
she saw her body became sudden.
ly rigid and she stared as one
might stare who sees spirit. For
the faint pencil of white light swung
on pivot, dipped clear to the hori
zon, rose aagin and completed It's cir
cult to the other side.
She sat there beside him, breath
less, almost lifeless with suspense
while that pencil traced its course
back and forth from horizon to hori
zon, stopped sometimes on the zenith,
to turn back upon itself-sometime
continuing through unchecked Al
last her breath burst forth from her
In great sob. She turned and chung
to him wildly
Philip" she said. 1T can't be that
1t can't-it can't"
Tell me-tell me what it looks like
what you think you see?"
She stayed just where she was, cling
ing to him. covering to him, AZ If some.
thing terrified her, her face pressed
down against his shoulder.
Signals" she gasped ont. from q
light-from search-light."
He drew long deep breath or two,
and his good arm frightened about
(; her.
WELL" he said, his voice breaking
in shaky laugh, "if we are mad, we
are mad together, Jeanne, dear, and
! with the same madness; and If we are
dreaming, we are living in the same
dream. Did you read what It said?
Oh, no. OF course you couldn't-but
did. It's the old army wig wag, and
1t has been saying all sorts of things
Spelling out your name most of the
time. What it just said was, 'Cour-
age. They are coming"