The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-09-04

On clear morning its shout: Il
come-from the seattle seattle
sea; I come from the sea-come from
the seal" brought the roar Of the
breakers dashing against the cliffs.
To the girl listening with a strained
expression on the pale face, its cry
was threatening. accusing, pleading.
and as the last echoes died away.
they were drowned by the cry Of
human soul in mortal fear. She saw
him again, standing beside her on
the rear platform of this same train,
bored expression on the handsome
face above her, heard his voice as in
an awful sickening dream:
Surely you must have understood
that it was impossible, such a mar
riage now would ruin my prospects
forever"
"But you promised, you promised"
"Yes, as many a fellow has prom.
ised in an idle summer, lured by the
scent Of honeysuckle, a pair Of beau.
tiful eyes and a splendid August
moon"
"But you must you must. l am not
the only one to he considered; there
is another-another life to be consid-
cred"
"The devil there is! And you think
1t possible for me to marry you after
this? Why, two months from this
very day | am to marry my cousin.
But did not dream 1t had come to
this. Here, take this and let me
know when it Is gone"
The bills fluttered from her nerve
less fingers, were caught in tho draft
of the rapidly moving train and
whirled away.
"Oh, very we'll" And with a graf
Ing laugh he leaned over to flick the
ash from his cigar. Just then the air
was rent by the shrek of the whistle,
as the train dashed on to a long
bridge with hollow roar. Suddenly
something seemed to snap in her
head, and with a strength born OF
desperation, she had thrown the
weight of her slender body against
him as he leaned out over the steps;
for moment be had swayed, clutch
ing wildly at something to stay his
fall, and then with that horrible cry
that rang yet in her ears, he had
nftnh4I hnod1nn dnuy into tho
rushing waters below.
There had followed weary months
OF waiting, and when at last the wait.
ing was over, the tiny life fingered
only few weeks Afterward there
had been nothing to keep her, and
waiting only until the grass was
green on the little grave. she had left
the old home, the little she had
learned of stenography was brushed
up, and when fate placed the chance
Of clerkship in the superintendent
office in her way
Each morning whel her days work
began the prayer had gone up: Don't
let it come today, God-oh, not to-
day! Give me strength to bear it,
for II ! go away ] can never come
back. Give me strength, my Father,
until it is over. You have promised:
Though your sins be scarlet, they
shall be white as snow Help me to
wash them away"
Each day the struggle had grown
stronger. At the first shrill note her
fingers would clench on the arms of
her chair, her nostrils twitching spas
modicallv, as the pale lips whispered
mot today, o Cod not today" AS
1t grew louder and reached the full
limit OF ils mighty voice, the blood !
would beat IN her head until 1t
seemed bursting, then as 1t died down
to whisper, her hands would slow.
ly unclench themselves, and her
breath would come slowly between
the closed teeth. She had conquered
once more.
On this morning she had come to
work feeling strangely weak, and az
she heard the crowd gathering, the
vans creaking and preparations being
made for the incoming train, the old
and oft.repeated prayer rose again TO
her lips: mot today, oh. not today.
Father" Then with a quiver, the
air trembled with the first long-drawn
note.
Slowly, as moved by an unseen
hand, the girl arose and went slowly
forward, her hands grasped the door
knob and clung there until the veins
stood out and the nails turned white
lnder the strain, then seemingly un-
clasped by the same unseen power.
hey relaxed and hung limp at her
,ide, as with wide, unseeing eyes. she
walked hatless through the crowd
md into the sunlight beyond