Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-07-28

= = - - ~ AZ VI a ~ ~
over without doing any >~aparaf,e
damage to either Of us. And ssen.
when 1t didn't blow over-when Il rot
worse and meant ruin for somebody
the fact that he hadn't spoken at first
would have made 1t ten times harder
TO speak at last. might have helm.
ed him. He sent word to me once.
when was under arrset, to ask II !
would see him, and refused. was
very His speech was punctu-
ated now by longer and longer pauses
but still Jeanne waited. VERY surs
OF the correctness of my own
attitude then. Correct is. perhaps. the
exact word for it wouldn't turn
hand to save mana man who had
been my friend. too-from living out
the rest of his life in hell He shua.
cered little at that and she quickly
laid her hand upon his Inns
That was long ago she said. "you
can see now what Cod perhaps.
would have seen and done then. And
II you did wrong. then it's you who
nave suffered for it--you who have
paid the penalty. You have paid for
the thing you left undone as well as
Tor the thing he did But we must
not talk about it any more. now.
foure rot strong enough ought
not to have spoken of it at all. but
scnahow, couldn't wait any longer"
Just this much more, Jeanne. and
then We viii let Ii 80: Yod see now.
don't yea, dear, why said never
eould SO 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 il was
when | first said ito
II, was with half laugh and half
sob that she kissed him.
~, - dear" she said. what does
the worlu matter? - = the world
here. You an r. 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
you warm enough out here, or shall we
go back to the hut?"
I'm warm, soul and body, thanks
to YOU" he said
But 1t was Jeanne who went to
sleep Somehow, since that last ex-
PLANTATION wonderful great, soft calm
seemed to envelop her. She slept
there like child beside him, his hand
still half-clasped In hers.
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.
is anything the matter?"
He could hardly command his voice
to answer.
ITS that aurora, over there" he
said. No, it's gone now. 1t may
come back. It's right over there in
the south-straight in front of you"
But, my dear-my dear" she per-
sisted, why should an aurora . i.
Is it because of the one we saw the
night you killed Roscoe? Is it 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.
don't know think | may be go
ing mad, perhaps. know | wasn't
dreaming. | thought so at first. but
know I'm not now" Then she felt
his body stiffen. he dropped her hand
and pointed out to the southern ho-
riZon.
There" he said, look there!" What
she saw was simply a 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
significant, and from it 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 a spirit. For
the faint pencil of white light swung
on a pivot, dipped clear to the hori-
zon, rose aagin and completed its 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 somettmes>on the zenith,
to turn back upon itself-sometimes
continuing through unchecked. At
last her breath burst forth from her
In great sob. She turned and chung
to him wildly.
Philip" she said, sit can't be that
it can't-it can't"
Tell me-tell me what 1t looks like
what you think you see?"
She STAYED inst where she was. cling