Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-07-14

other clothing about her waist Last
of all, be gathered her up in his arms
again. wrapped the great sheep-skin
bag about them both and. with the
brandy and water within arms reach.
settled down to attempt to get some
of the warmth and vitality OF his own
body into hers.
She was not fully unconscious now,
for the next time he offered her
brandy she swallowed H. Her eyelids
we're fiuttering little, too. and pres.
emily she sighed
He was thrilling all over with q
tremendous sense OF power. He felt
he could have brought 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
$50 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 It,
she said:
Il shan't need any more I'm get
ting quite beautifully warm again"
He knew 1t was true. She no longer
felt iifeless 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. "If
you had been. II would have been my
own doing"
She contradicted him with sharp
negative gesture
You left me we'll enough wrapped
up to have resisted the cold for any
length of time. Besides, if Id wanted
to could have come back in here.
But--but, Philip Oh, 1t seems
| dreadful thing to confess, now you
are here with mel didn't want to.
| just lay down on the snow, thinking
| | could go to sleep and--and that
/ would be the end--such an easy end!"
She felt him shudder all over as
she said It, and she clasped his Shout.
ders and held them tight, in desire
to reassure and comfort him.
/ Did you mean to do that.
Was that why you asked me to fly
away for while?"
| No! No! 1t 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 gravely.
f! We'll, what l 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 like
witches"
He laughed, but the laugh had some
thing very like sob mixed up In It,
You poor child! No wonder II
frightened you. But that's the ortho-
dox way for the moon to set in the
arctic. It's part of the same refrac-
ton that plays such strange tricks
with the daylight colors. No, you're
long way from ice madness, Jean
ne"
But that wasn't all ! saw. Philip.
1t wasn't the worst. saw ship
against the moon, only 1t seemed too
high above the horizon, somehow
That's the browning impossibility And
then the moons began to dance, that
| wicked, witch-like dance of mockery.
| So lay down in the snow and hid my
F. face in my arms to to go to
sleep. 1t seemed so easy and, some
how, seemed right, too; not wicked
| any way"
/ She felt him shuddering again, and
his clasping arms strained her so
close they almost hurt.
Thank God / came In time!" she
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 a little silence.
Then she added: And I'm quite warm
now"
His arms slackened for a moment,
and then once more they clasped her
close.
"I-I-don't want to let you co. he
said, and his voice had note in 1t
which she had never heard before.
| Jeanne-Jeanne, dear, can you for
give me-forgive me that It's true? For
give me for telling you? | have the
whole world in my arms when | hold
| you like this And life and death and
| promises, and past deeds, and right
and wrong are all swallowed up, Just
in the love of you. God forgive me,
Jeanne; it's true," Then he unclasped
his arms Cant you forgive, too?'
She caught her breath In great
sob. Turning a little, she clasped her
| own young arms around his neck and
L