The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-18

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became an enchanted sea on which be
foated, and its color changed from
crimson to coral pale, and then 70
white, and became a cold, cold polar
ses-saHd he lay on 1t like frozen
man: whose exploration had been in
vain, and above him Greenland's Icy
mountains rose like emerald, onfeyefy
side.
That Is it-"Greenland's icy moun-
tains." How she sang it-deEn-
down. Her voice fell on him Ike
magic balm. He was a little boy In
church, sitting small and shy in the
pew. The tune was deep and low
and heavenly sweet. What a pretty
mouth the sodafountaiu girl uad-like
coral; and her eyes like gray seas.
The flies buzzed, they droned SO loud
ly that he couldn't hear her Alb, that
was terribie-he couldn't hear her.
Mono; It wouldn't do. He must
hear the hymn out before he died.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Way down
he almost heard the soft note. 1t was
ecstasy. sky-high up-too faint: All,
Saltwater Fountain Girl-sing sing
with all your heart so that 1t may
reach his ears and charm him to those
strands toward which he floats.
The expression Of anguish on the
young fellows face was so heart
breaking that the doctor, his ear at
Dams lips. tried to learn what thing
his poor. fading mind longed for.
From the beds foot, where he stood,
Dams chauffeur came to the gentle
mans side, and nodded:
Right, sir. right, sIr-l'll fetch Miss
Lane-1'll ave 'er ere, sir-keep up,
Mr.. Blair"
He was going barefoot. boy still
following the pillow through the noun
tain fields. Miles and miles stretched
away before him of dark, loamy land.
He saw the pillow tear up the waving
burrows, tossing the earth in sprink-
ling lines. He heard tn shrill note
Of the phoebe bird, and looking heav.
onward saw it darting into the pale
sky.
"what a dandy shot" he thought,
What bully shot"
Prince Poniotowsky had made a
good shot.
Alb, there was the smell Of the hay
fields-no-yiolets that sweetly laid
their petals on his lips and face. He
was back again in church, lying prone
before an altar. If she would only
sing, he would rise again-that he
knew-aRd her coral shoes would not
dance over hts grave.
He opened his eyes wide and looked
into Lefty Lanes. She bent over him,
crying.
Sing" he whispered.
She didn't understand. 4
"sodawater, Fountain Cliff you
only knew how .. the flies
buazed, and how the droning was a
living pain. 80. :"
She said to Ruggles; He wants
something so heartbreakingly
can we dor She saw his hands stir
rhythmically on the counterpane-he
didn't look to her more than ten years
old. What cruel thing-he
was a boy just Of age-a boy
Ruggles remembered the nights he
had spent before the footiights Of the
Gaiety, and that the pale woman trem'
bling there weeping rwasfa great sing
er. rs
81 guess he wants to hear you sing.
She kneeled down by him; she
trembled so she couldn't stand.
The others, the doctor and ,Ruggles,
the walters and porters gathered in
the hall, heard. No one Of them I'M
derstood the Gaiety girls English
words.
"rrom Greenland's icy mountains,
From Inda's coral strands
They were merclful and let him
listen in peace. Through the blur in
his brain, over the beat of his young
ardent heart, above the short breaths
the notes reached his failing senses,
and lifted INHIBITED him. There
wasn't q very long distance between
his boyhood and his twenty-five years
to 70 and he was not so weak but
that he could travel so far.
He sat there by his father again
and heard. The flies bazzed, and
he didn't mind them. The smell OF the
fields came in through the windows
and the Saltwater Fountain Girl sang
and sang; and as she sang her face
grew holy to his eyes-radiant with
beauty he had not dreamed wom-
ans face could wear. Above the choir
rail she stood and sang peerlessly,
and the church began to fade and
fade, and still she stood there In a
shaft Of light, and her face was Ike
an angels, and she held her arms out
to him as the waters rose to his lips.
She bent and lifted him-lifted him
high upon the strands.
CHAPTER XXI.