The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-04-23

She Was Blown Bodily Into His Arms.
up There was a strong wind blowing
once more, a gale in fact, but it was
now coming steadily instead of in gil
gantic gusts and the roar from above
had diminished to the long, dull rum
BILE of dying thunder. All was yet in
darkness so dense that he could not
see his hand before his face.
For a moment he sat quietly as his
brain tried to grasp the full signifi-
canoe of all that had happened, his
name, his whereabouts, the cause of
the blackness, the roar and the wind.
All, he had it now. The collision. 1t
had evidently taken place and he was
still alive-Doris! His heart leaped to
his throat and he went fumbling over
the ground on his hands and knees in
blind search for her. His touch fell
upon her still lying PROSTATE, and
placing his arm under her he raised
her to a sitting position, feeling of her
face as he did so. Thank all things
she was alive and now even able to
move bit. He drew her gently to
him until her head rested against his
shoulder where he held her with his
arm clasped about her waist. He
could feel the deep and rapid pulsing
of her bosom and knew that she was
breathing systematically as though
greatly exhausted, realizing for the
first time that he, also, was painting
as after a severe race. He spoke to
her with an effort and after a few
fruitless trials succeeded in making
himself heard. He asked her if she
was much hurt or in pain and she
shook her head against his shoulder in
a negative.
He became conscious that something
to which it seemed he had always
been accustomed had suddenly alb
scented itself and for a moment pom
dered vaguely as to what it could be.
Oh yes, the roar! 1t was gone now,
the earth was steady beneath them
and the wind almost dead. What had
become of the others of the party?
He must see at once. He found that
Doris was now able to sit upright with
out assistance, told her to remain
where she was until he returned, and
got upon his feet. AS he did so he
saw a light flicker a short distance
away and a moment later the fame of
a Japanese lantern revealed the set
face of Desmond. Alan went hurrying
up to him.
For a moment the professor stared
at the one who had come to him from
out of the darkness as though trying
to recall a familiar face for the mo-
ment forgotten, then he spoke in a
low, strange voice like one who talks
in his sleep. "Oh yes, ] know you
now. You are my old friend March l
congratulate you upon your escape.
Come with me. There must be other
lanterns scattered about and we will
need all the light and help we can get
in order to search for the missing ones
| have hopes of finding most of them
alive" Rapidly they searched the
grounds, coming across the forms Of
their fellow guests at every few steps.
Some still remained inert, some were
sitting up in daZed way, while others
were already upon their feet directing
their way to the will-o' the-wisp lantern
light which fitted about the lawn. In
the course of the next few minutes
they had also found q dozen of the
lanterns which had not been torn to
pieces or blown from their fastenings
upon the trees, and these they lighted
and distributed to the ever increasing
searching party. 1t had been a case
of suffocation into insensibility in a
partial vacuum which had followed
the departure Of the great weight, a
condition which had only prevailed for
very few minutes, and with the re-
turn of the normal quantity OF air the
victims had quickly recovered with
the exception Of Mrs. Emmonds. She
had been in a faint and breathing but
feebly when the crucial moment ar
rived, and Doctor Raymond, who was
among them now, pronounced her
dead. Silently they bore her within
the house, found the telephone to be
unresponsive to their appeals, and
leaving Two OF the women beside her
they returned to the lawn They