El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-25
The HeraId's
Daily Short Story

on earthl Twould be suicide, man
! plain sUicidei"
! Crack went the tiles, a culver were
/ inc cnlmneys, with snap the windows
! Dlackeued and disappeared, with re-
I neWed vlgor, welcoming the inrushine
air, the flames leapu upward. With a
roar and a shower Of sparks and dart
Z ing tongues Of crimson fire feet
I high great mass of the roof fell in
The village was unprovided with ar
engine 1t was long before the black
I smith and others organized a string
I OF people passing buckets from the
I village pond to the cOnflagratiOn and
commenced to fight the flames.
From the first it was realized that
the utmost that could be hoped for
was TO save the adjoining buildings and
to them their efforts were directed
Jim, grimy with smoke, staggered
out from the crowd as the beaten
flames Kissed and ran Ike VermilliOn
serpents over the debris Of the hotel
Ida," he gasped, "the stones! ny
God, the stonesi"
She had forgotten them. IN the hor-
TOR ana excitement Of the moment they
had slipped from her mind. Now the
thought OF them stabbed her.
IT I had been here"' he exclaimed,
poignant misery in his eyes. IF only
I had been here-at the first alarm I
would have saved them"
1T was my fault" she sobbed.
all mine"
WIKI the Pickering light Of a Ian
tern over the drenched ruins OF the inn
Jim and Ida searched. In their heartss
depths they knew the search TO be
vain one. No gem would live I'm such
furnace, let alone pearls of such
rare dellcacy. Yet they hunted till the
moon was nigh, because they dare not
put their horror into words.
jim had left his post.
he had not fulfilled a trust
NO partnership could reward him.
He would be lucky if a months time
found him even as he was-a clerk.
and marriage was as far off as ever
Silently, Ida bitterly weeping, they
retrod the high road towards Enoch's
cottage and Ida's home. AS they
passed the garden gate IN the midst Of
her own great grief she remembered
the old lonely man and the child lying
there.
Z must say good night-see II little
sue IS comfortable, she said. oh,
jim ais sorrows Worse-she's dying
We're young, were well, we're long to
i've. Fate must relent and let us come
He kissed her. saying. TIL walt for
you sweet Then / must drive over to
Lord Eogate and tell him my news"
But DIT Kent met her at the cottage
door, his -ace very grave and his ex-
Of the low ceilinged room Ida heard
me sound OF fearless, -racking
EoDE.
she's gone" whispered the doctor.
81 called in 30 minutes ago; she had
been dead then some hours. Old
Enoch's half demented. I don't un-
derstaud why she took such a sudden
change Tor the worse"
Dead Oh. how dreadfulr'
she stood there ia the darkness try
ms 60 calm herself, while the doctor
NaEcned her, wondering at her shaking :
lips and her dlstraught appearance.
LOOK he said, hoarsely
1"lce ne commanded her. his blazing I
q rs purnlng into hers, his hand out Z
stretched between them.
Against the dark skin OF his rinkled |
pam run OF leaping. glowing fires
creamy white, sky grey in a tumbled I
heap OF high lights and shadows, the 4
pear-shaped Orbs oH a string Of match /
less pearls met her astounded vision.
Twas for 'er," she heard him NUT /
stranger would be at the Fox, and 7 /
5kulked across the fields and up over
ne tank by the pantry window to the /
passage. Past 50 years without falling
and now thief
Don't fear" she whispered, mo one
nan ever know--only one other, and /
le II De silent / promise you that Z
liners wouldn't understand. Sheltered ]
Ives, easy lives, don't make wise /
Judges. But think 7 knOw-seefnu !
Ter fade away know the temptation:
.udden' swift overpowering, but tenn
)orary only, Enoch. You wouldn't have ,
Kept the pearls know it-Tm sure"
jim Baker is partner now. and
Inocn is his gardener al the small
rouse IN BeacOnsfield. while a little
nald-almoSt replica of the mistress
-e WOrships-is slowly and surely
,ancing her way into the Old mans
leart and strewing lavender over the
memory of the past