Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-27
By Louis joseph Vance
Author of"7-he Brass BOwL "
"No Mans Land, " Etc.

NO Man Lana, EtC-
would ever be with him, despite what
ever alchemy of time and change.
The heat Of morning was becoming
uncomfortable; I'm distress of 1t the girl
stirred a little, with the faintest of COM
plant means. And she sadly needed
further rest A single glance had served
[, to tell him that. &. tr. 4Is. -tt
| Compassionate and tender and rever-
ent, he knelt and passed his arms be-
meath her, gently gathering her into
them 1t seemed impossible that she
/ should not waken. one the less she DID
not Her eyes, it's true, opened as her
head fell against his breast, but their
| look was dazed, uncomprehending; ana
her lips moved, shaping a single word
his name; then again--as is subcon-
sciously assured that she was with him.
/ all well with her-the slumbers Ge-
manded of drained energies regained
complete possession of her, mind anu
Inch by inch he lifted himself and his
burden, stood at length erect, balanced
himself, and bore her slowly and care
fully, at a measured and sure stride
| inland to a shadowed glade he knew OF,
where with the same infinite precautions
he put her down upon couch OF messy
turf. t.
The sweat was pouring from him when
Il at length MS arms were empty anu ~
| trembled in every limb and muscle with
the tremendous strain of the achieve
ment But Cynthia stih slept.
Satisfied, he watched her for a space,
then on tiptoe retired the way he had
come and, clothed as he was waded out
neck deep into lagoon.
Cleansed and refreshed, he retrieved
the life belt and took it with him to his
store of biscuit and water, where hel
1 g 49,. nd n unlr Of he
other. hastily, presently returning to the
woman with cup Of water against her
/ waking
She had not moved.
Crittenden sat down at a little distance
from her. waiting In silent, patient con-
temptation and grave, melancholy reverie.
An hour passed. and another, and still
she rested in utter insensibility.
In abstraction the man put forth his
hand and took up the life belt, ~detaching
the automatic pistol Aclxlin had fastened
to it. Drextrously Remembering the
mechanism, he dried II to the best of his
ability, then re-colIected its parts, re-
placed the cartridges, and put it in his
pocket.
/ Later, he began an idle examination
of the belt itself, something diverted to
ascertain il had been tempered with, the
cork blocks IN two sections having been
removed, their places filled with biscuit
| tins OF suitable dimensions. Curiously
speculative, Crittenden took these out.
Their edges and corners and the overlap
ping lips of their covers were all care
fully bound and sealed with strips Of adj
resive Insulating tape. a."
Thoughtful in his wonder, Crittenden
stripped one box and removed it's top,
finding that the tape had served toI
render it almost wholly waterproof. |
There had been slight seepage of mois- |
ture through at one joint; but that was
all, and withal not, enough to damage
the contents. RI
These last puzzled him; he knitted
perplexed brows until process of inferen-
tial reasoning demonstrated that they
spelled Cynthia's excuse for seeking |
him. A packet of surgical gauze, an
other of plaster. a phial of bichloride
tablets for nantiseptic wash. together |
with a quantity of absorbent cotton; |
these commonplace of every welI-regu-
lated medicine chest connected clearly |
the explanation of Cynthia's unhappy |
escapade. They, however, by no means
filled the box; the balance of its space |
good half, was closed in by cloth |
to which was pinned a triangular fold |
Of paper. superscribed in a neat and
scholarly hand: ---
For Mr.. Crittenden or Miss Grayce."
He unfolded the paper and read, his |
face tightening with a smile of sur
prised graduation.
His gaze lifted from the paper and
ranged back to Cynthia's face. Her eyes |
were wide and fixed to his own. AS yet |
the dust of dreams confused her; only |
the thought that they we're again to- |
gcther suffused with roseate glamor all |
her senses as they flooded back toward |
full consciousness. She knew that she |
was with him; with that knowledge she |
was well content.
All drowsily she stirred and smiled, |
Esleepily modifying the constrained ar
Irangement of her slim, exquisite limbs, |
shifting a little upon her side, lifting |
one knee across the other, moving her |
arms until her hands slipped, palm to |
palm, beneath her head. to be a pillow |
for her dream-dyed cheek
Smiling, her lips moved in tnumuring |
l-scarlet-bright against the snow of her |
immaculate white skin.
"Bruce!" she whispered gently. |
liable to her comprised the meaning of
existence and its end. -
Breathless, marveling, he bent over !
her, jealously regardful of each moder- |
ate. sweet phase of returning under
standing. wishing with all his heart !
that he might buy on with his remain |
ing span of days. breath for breath, her
hupeuuAllB ana ulSu VI COEnplele COnpIe- !
hension.
Meantime, he saw it's coming her
aided in the deepening shadows in her
nutbrown eyes, in the gradual ebb of
color from her face.
Suddenly she sat up, dropping a hand |
across his own, wild interrogation in
her look.
Bruce your wound ?"
Its nothing" he replied, quietly |
authoritative THE merest scratch"
They told me"
ITS nothing" he repeated in the
same manner, ''the bullet simply grazed |
my shoulder. Outside slight soreness
and tiffness-nothing."
He sat back, raising the arm in ques-
ton, flexing it's muscles Wfreely and /
without apparent pain. Her gaze en-
braced him, comprehended his inten- /
ton and the truth of his assertion, and |
turned back upon itself as her lashes
fell, quivering, upon her cheeks incar-
nadined.
CONTINUED in Next Issus.)