Gilpin observer., 1911-03-02

Nathaniel lowered his head, and the
rawhide tightened perceptibly at the
| movement. Neil was watching him.
His face shone as white as the starlit
sand His mouth was partly open.
I'm devilish sorry-for you-Nat-"
he said.
| His words came with painful slow
ness. There was a grating huskiness
in his voice.
This damned rawhide-is pinching
my Adams apple"
He smiled. His white teeth gleam-
ed. his eyes laughed. and with a
heart bursting with grief Nathaniel
looked away from him. He had seen
courage. but never like this, and deep
down in his soul he prayed-prayed
that death might come to him first, SO
that he might not have to look upon
the agonies of this other, whose end
would be CHASTITY in It's fearless resig-
nation. His own suffering had become
excruciating. Sharp pains darted like
red-hot needles through his limbs, his
back tortured him, and his head ached
as though knife had cloven the base
of his skull. Still-he could breathe.
BY pressing his head against the post
1t was not difficult for him to fill his
lungs with air But the strength OF
his limbs was leaving him. He no
longer felt any sensation in his
cramped feet. His knees were numb.
A moaning, wordless cry broke
through the cloth that gagged him.
At the sound of that cry, faint, ter
rifying, with all the horror that might
fill human soul in its articulate note.
a shudder of life passed into Neils
body. Weakly he flung himself back.
stood poised for an instant against the
stake. then fell again upon the deadly
throng. Twice-three times he made
the effort. and failed. And to Ma
thaniel, staring wild-eyed and silent
now, the spectacle was one that
seemed to blast the very soul within
him and send his blood in rushing tor
rents of fire to his sickened brain.
Nell was dying! A fourth time he
struggled back A fifth-and he held
his ground. Even in that passing in
stant something like a flash of his
buoyant smile flickered in his face and
there came to Nathaniels ears like q
throttled whisper-his name
Nat"
And no more
The head fell forward again. And
Nathaniel, turning his face away, saw
something come up out of the SHIN
mering sea, like a shadow before his
blistering eyes, and as his own limbs
went out from under him and he felt
the strangling death at his throat
there came from that shadow a cry
that seemed to snap his very heart
strings-a piercing cry and (even in
his half consciousness he recognized
it, a woman's cry! He flung himself
back. and for a moment he saw Neil
struggling. the last spark of life in
him stirred by that same cry; and
then across the white sand two figures
flew madly toward them, and even as
the hot film in his eyes grew thicker
he knew that one of them was Marion
and that the other was Winnsome
Croche
His heart seemed to stop beating.
He strove to pull himself together,
but his head fell forward Family,
as on a battlefield, voices came to
him. and when with a superhuman ef-
fort he Strengthened himself for an
instant he saw that Neil was no longer
at the stake but was stretched on the
sand. and of the two figures beside
him one suddenly sprang to her feet
and ran to him. And then Marion's
terror-filled face was close to his own.
and Marion's lips were moaning his
name. and Marion's hands were slash
ing at the thongs that bound him.
When with a great sigh of JOY he
crumpled down upon the es tn he
knew that he was slipping off into OBJ
livion with Marion's arms about his
neck. and with her lips pressing to his
the sweet elixir of her love.
Darkness enshrouded him but few
moments, when a dash of cool water
brought him back into light. He felt
himself lowered upon the sand and
after breath or two he twisted him
self on his elbow and saw that Neils
white face Was held on Winnsome's s
breast and that Marion was running
up from the shore with more water.
For space she knelt beside her broth
er, and then she hurried to him. Joy
shone in her face. She fell upon her
knees and drew his head in the hollow
of her arm, grooming mad senseless
words to him. and bathing his face
with water. her eyes shining down
upon him sloriously Nathaniel
reached up and touched her face. and
she bowed her head until her hair
smothered him In sweet gloom, and
kissed him. He drew her lips to his
own, and then she lowered him gently
and stood up In the starlight. looking
first at Neil and next down at him:
and then she turned quickly back to
the sea.
From down near the shore she
called back some word. and with a
shrill cry Winnsome followed her. Ma