Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-06-13

But the time mas H0l YET COME 10 lie
down and die. Be strong. We shall
yet be SAFE"
So | was obliged to turn and leave
her sitting alone there, the gray sweep
of the merciless plains all about her.
The dog was our savior. Without his
nose could not have traced out the
little travois trail. but he, seeing what
was needed and finding me nosing
along and doubling back and seeking
on the hard ground, seemed to know
what was required or perhaps himself
thought to go back to some old camp
for food So presently he trotted along,
his ears up, his nose straight ahead.
and |, savage. depended upon crea-
ture still d little lower in the order of
life. and that creature proved a faith
full servant.
We went on at swinging walk or
trot or lope, as the ground said, and ate
up the distance at twice the speed we
had used the day before. In couple
of hours was close to where she had
taken the belt. and so at last saw the
dog drop his nose and sniff There
were the missing riches. priceless be-
yond gold-the little leaden balls, the
powder. dry in its horn: the little rolls
of tow, the knife swung at the girdlel
/ knelt down there on the sand, |. John
Cowles, once civilized and now heath
en-, and raised my frayed and ragged
hands toward the Mystery and begged
that I might be forever free of the
great crime of thanklessness. Then,
laughing at the dog and Looping on tire
less as when l was boy, ran as
though sickness and weakness had
never been mine and presently came
back to the place where had left her
She saw me coming She ran out to
meet me, holding out her arms-I
say she came holding out her arms to
me.
"Sit down here by my side" COM
manded her. IT must talk to you. /
will will"
do not" she implored "Ah, what
shall / do! You are not fairr'
But I took her hands in mine. 81
can endure it no longer" said. Il
will not endure it."
She looked at me with her eyes wide,
looked me full in the face with such
a gaze as / have never seen on any
woman's face.
II love you,' said to her. II have
never loved any one else. l can never
love any one again but you l say
that I, John Cowles, had at that mo-
ment utterly forgotten all of life and
all of the world except this then and
there. II love you'll" 1 said over and
over again to her.
She pushed away my arm. "They
are all the same,' she said as though
to herself
Eyes. all the same," / said. There
is no man who would not love you,
here or anywhere"
ITO how many have you said thatY'
she asked me, frowning.
ssTo some,'' said to her honestly.
But it was never thus"
She curled her lip, scorning the
truth which she had asked now that
she had it. .sAnd if any other woman
We're here it would be the same. It is
because | am here, because we are
alone, because l am woman-ah, that
is neither wise nor brave nor good of
your
"That is not true We're it any 9TH
er woman. yes, what you say might be
true in one way. But love you not
because you are woman. 1t is be-
cause you are Ellen. You would be
the only woman in the world, no mat
ter where we We're nor how many
were about us. Though l could choose
from all the world. it would be the
same
at is the old story she sighed.
eyes, the old story I said. 1T is
the same story, the old one. There
are the witnesses, the hills, the sky"
"You seem to have thought Of such
things" she said to me slowly. 81
have not thought. I have simply lived
along, enjoying life. not thinking. Do
we love because we are but creatures?
l cannot be loved SOL will not be-!
/ will not submit that what have
sometimes dreamed shall be SO narrow
as this. John Cowles, woman must
be loved for herself, not for her sex,
by some one who is man, but who
is beside"
"Oh, have said all that. I loved
you the first time saw you-the first
time, there at the dance"
'.And forgot and cared for another
girl the next day" She argued that all
over again.
'That other girl was you," I once
more reiterated.
Sand again you forgot me-
s.And again what made me forget
you was yourself. Each time you
were that other girl, that other wom-
an. Each time have seen you you
have been different. and each time
have loved Won over again. Each day