Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-12

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He laid her down for long enough
to light the lamp, to throw OF bis sti6
leather jacket and to got Q little
: brandy out Of the kes. This he mixed
with Q little water aud. with the aid
Of Q small ivory spoon. he succeeded
in getting . little of 1t between her
lips.
He took OF her heavy seal coat, and
the wooden Jacket she wore under It.
and. 40 well - he could, loosened the
| other clothing about her waist. Last
| Of all, he gathered her up In his arms
again. wrapped tho great shsepskin
bag about them both and. with the
brandy aud water within arms reach.
settled down to attempt to get some
body into hers.
She was not fully unconscious now.
for the next time he offered her
brandy she swallowed It. Her eyslids
were futtering q little. too. and pres
emily she sighed.
He was thrilling all over with .
tremendous sense Of power He felt
he could have b:cught her back from
the very dead. His arteries seemed to
be running with electricity. not blood
Her lips were moving now. and he
bent close to catch the whisper that
barely succeeded in passing them.
"Don't-bring me back-Philip. It's
so much-easier to go-this way"
His only reply to that was to hold
her little closer.
She did not resist when he held
the drink to her lips again: but, after
she had taken two or three sips Of 1t,
| she said:
Il sha'n't need any more. I'm get
ting quite beautifully warm again"
He knew 1t was true. She no longer
felt lifeless in his arms. though she
still lay there quite relaxed. He
knew he could let her go now. safely
enough. And yet he held her fast
Il thought you were dead when
saw you lying there on the snow" he
said at last. not very steadily. I'll
you had been. it would have been my
own doing"
She contradicted him with a sharp
negative gesture.
You LETT me well enough wrapped
up to have resisted the cold for any
length Of time. Besides. II I'd wanted
to could have come back in here
Rut-but, Philip Oh. 1t seems a
dreadful thing to confess. now you
are here with mel didn't want to.
Just lay down on the snow. thinking
could so to sleep and-and that
would be the end-such an easy end!"
II She felt him shud6er all over as
she said 1t, and she clasped his shout
ders and held them tight. in a desire
to reassure and comfort him.
Ibid you mean to do that. -. !.
Was that why you asked me to fly
away for while?"
mo! No! It was something saw
while you were gone, something that
terrified me. Philip. do you remem-
Der how many Of the people of the
Phoenix died Of what father called
the ice madness?"
He nodded grave!y.
well, what I saw made me think
that was going that way, too Philip.
was watching the moon 60 down,
and gradually 1t spread out into three.
quite far apart, and then they changed
into strange colors. and stranger
shapes. and began to dance Ike
witches"
He laughed, but the laugh had some
thing very like q sob mixed up in it.
you poor child! No wonder It
frightened you. But that's the ortho-
iox way for the moon to set in the
7rctic. It's part of the same refrac-
ion that plays such strange tricks
Nth the daylight colors. No. you're
4 long way from ice madness, Jean
,e"
But that wasn't all saw. Philip.
It wasn't the worst I saw Q ship
gainst the moon. only 1t seemed too
nigh above tho horizon. somehow.
That's the GROWING impossibility. And
then the moons began to dance, that
wicked, witch-like dance Of mockery.
SO I lay down in the snow and hid my
face In my arms to E. to 60 to
sleep. 1t seemed 20 easy and. some
how, seemed right, teo: not wicked
any way"
She felt him shuddering again. and
his claspins arms strained her 20
close they almost hurt.
| luS0k OO0, CeuO u SA10O1 O0V
heard him whisper.
"But you did come in time" she re-
minded him, for she could still feel
him shuddering with the horror Of the
thing. ''You brought me back. and I'm
not even afraid any more" She
paused. and there was little silence.
Then she added: "And I'm quite warm
now"
HIS .-ws .!eckeceA for a moment.
and then once more they clasped her
close.
"EI-don't want to let you Co." he
said, and his voice had . note In It
which she had never heard before.
"Jsanns-Jeanne. dear, can you for
give ms-forgivs me that It's uuef For
give me for telling you7 l have the
whole world In my arms when hold
you like this. And Life and death and
| .--s.>. e~a oc.< 49,. 80 .a~ht