Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-06-19
~.
The Homo Port

The darkness of the night slowly iift
ed, revealing only a gray, leaden sky'
There was no dawn such as had glad
dened their hearts the morning be-
fore, no fresh awakening of the day
Instead, the coldness and gloom OF the
night seemed but to creep a little far
Their away, leaving its shadow over the
world. A drizzling rain began to fall
and the wanderers on the beach were
destined to a new draft Of misery.
Only Agatha watched, however; James
gave no sign of caring, or even Of
knowing, whether the sun shone or hid
its face.
He had slept itfully since their hour
Of wakefulness together in the night,
and several times he had shown signs
of extreme restlessness. At these
periods he would talk incoherently,
Agatha being able to catch only a
word now and then. Once he endeav'
ored to get up, bent, apparently, upon
performing some fancied duty far
away. Agatha soothed him, talked to
him as a mother talks to a sick child
cajoled and commanded him; and
though he was restless and voluble,
yet he obeyed her readily enough.
AS the rain began to descend, Aga
tina bethought herself earnestly as to
what could be done. She first per
suuaded James to drink a little more Of
the milk, and afterward took what was
left herself-less than half a cupful.
Then she set the bucket out to catch
the rain. She felt keenly the need OF
food and water; and now that there
was no one to heed her movements,
she found it difficult to keep up the
show OF courage. She still trusted In
Hand: but even at best he might yet
be several hours in returning; and
cold and hunger can reduce even the
stoutest heart. II Hand did not return
but there was no answer to that If.
She believed he would come.
The soft rain cast a pail over the
ocean, so that only a small patch OF
sea was visible; and 1t fattened the
waves until the blue-1ashing, white.
capped sea of yesterday was now q
smooth, gray surface, touched here
and there by a bit Of frothy scum
Agatha looked out through the deep
curtain of mist, remembering the
night, the Jeanne DArc, and her re
cent peril. Most wildly Of all she
heard In her memory a voice shouting,
Keep up! I'm coming, I'm coming!"
All. what a welcome coming that had
been! Was he to die, now, here on
her hands, after the worst Of theft
struggle was over? She turned quickly
back to James, vowing In her heart II
should not be; she would ave him II
it lay in human power to save.
Her hardest task was to move their
camp up into the edge Of the brush
wood, where they might have the
shelter of the trees. There was a
place, near the handle Of the sickle,
where the rockwell partly dlsap.
peared. and the underground from the
cliff reached almost to the beach. II
was from here that Hand had begun
his ascent; and here Agatha chose q
place under a clump of bayberry
where she could make another bed fol
James. The ground there was still
comparatively dry.
She coaxed James to his feet ant
helped him, with some difficulty, up tt
the more sheltered spot. He was
stronger, physically, now in his deliri
UNI than he had been during his periot
of sanity in the night. She made hin
sit down while she ran back to gather
an armful of the fir boughs to spread
out for his bed; but she had scarcely
started back for the old camp before
James got to his feet and staggered
after her. She met him just as sht
was returning, and had to drop he
load, take her patient by the arm. ant
guide him back to the new shelter
He went peacefully enough, bu
leaned on her more and more heavily
until at last his knees weakened unde,
him and he fell. Agatha's heart smot'
her.
CTo BE CoNTINUED)