River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-21

Because understand Orlando. He
reads mems natures like book. The
man he trusts, we may trust. Tomor-
row, he will speak openly enough. All
cause for reticence will be gone"
"You have confidence then in the
success of this undertaking."
If I hadn't, should not be here.
/ could hardly bear to witness his fail
ure, even in secret test like this.
should find it too hard to face him aft
erwards."
II don't understand"
Orlando has great pride. If this
enterprise fails I cannot answer for
him. He would be capable of any
thing. Why, Doris! what is the mat
ter, child? l never saw you look like
that before"
She had been down on her knees
regulating the lantern, and the sud-
den flame, shooting up, he'd shown him
her face turned up toward his in an
apprehension which verged on horror.
do l look frightened?" she asked,
remembering herself and lightly ris-
ing. II believe that / am a little
frightened. Tiff anything should go
wrong! If an accident" But here
she remembered herself again and
Quickly changed her tone. "But your
confidence shall be mine. / will be-
lieve in his good angel or-or in his
self-command and great resolution. I'll
not be frightened any more"
But Oswald did not seem satisfied.
He continued to look at her in vague
concern.
He hardly knew what to make of
the intense feeling she had manifest
ed. Had Orlando touched her girlish
heart? Had this cold-blooded nature,
with it's steel-like briiliancy and hon
orable but stern views of life, moved
this warm and sympathetic soul to
more than admiration? The thought
disturbed him SO he forgot the near
ness of the moment they were all
awaiting till a quicl rasping sound
from the hangar, followed by the sud-
den appearance of an overwhelming
band of light about it's upper rim,
drew his attention and awakened them
all to breathless expectation.
The lid was rising. Now it was
halfway up, and now, for the first
time, it was lifted to it's full height
and stood a broad oval disk against
the background of the forest. The eff
feet was strange. The hangar had
been made brilliant by many lamps,
ard their united glare pouring from
it's top and Illuminating not only the
surrounding treetops, but the broad
face of this uplifted disk, reused in
the awed spectator thrill such as in
NEUROLOGICAL times might have greet
ed the sudden sight of Vulcan's
smithy blazing on Olympian hills.
But the clang of iron on iron would
have attended the flash and CLEAN of
those unexpected fires, and here all
was still save for that steady throb
never heard in Olympus or the halls
of Valhalla, the pant of the motor
eager for flight in the upper air.
AS they listened in trance Of burn
ing hope which obliterated all else,
this noise and all others near and dis
tant, was suddenly lost in a loud clat-
ter Of writhing and twisting boughs
which set the forest in roar and
seemed to heave the air about them.
A wind had swooped down from the
east, bending everything before it and
rafting the huge oval on which their
eyes were fixed as though it would
tear it from it's hinges.
The three caught at each others
hands in dismay. The storm had come
just on the verge of the enterprise,
and no one might guess the result.
"Will he dare? Will he dare?"
whispered Doris, and Oswald an
swered, though it seemed next to i'm
possible that he could have heard her:
"He will dare. But will he survive
it? Mr.. Challoner," he suddenly shout
ed in that gentleman's ear. what time
is it now?"
Mr.. Challoner, disengaging himself
from their mutual grasp, knelt down
by the lantern to consult his watch.
AI< "