Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-11-06

ed, reckless, veritable angel OF
battle. Once she turned round In her
stirrups and shouted to her wavering
forces. Again the line rode on;
again that death-dealing rife fire
broke forth. There was no resisting
that The line shriveled away. The
battle was over.
1t was but rear-guard defense
after all, for the Turks had packed
their tents and drawn away their i'm
pediments during the night. When
the Italians occupied the oasis they
found nothing but the bodies of those
who had fallen. They halted there
some half mile from Paul. They did
not find him.
He saw men pass nearby by at
times, but could not cry for aid, for
his swollen tongue Glove to the roof
of his parched mouth and all his
senses seemed about to fail him. He
felt the pangs of imminent dissolu-
tion. He closed his eyes, waiting for
death. He had no longer any fear for
he had seen her horse go down; and
he knew that few Of those who had
fallen could have survived that in.
trepid ride into the zone Of DEATH
He did not feel the burning sun that
beat ON him. He did not see the
shimmering wastes of sand, nor taste
the sand drift in his choking throat
But he heard the softly whispered
words that came to him; and, as a
man in a dream who does not dare to
wake lest the vision vanish, he
listened.
A soft hand soothed his brow. At
last, venturing to open his eyes, he
knew that his dream was true.
For she crouched at his side-the
woman who had been the cause Of all
his venturings, she who had drawn
him from the placid existence of his
Long Island home to dare and do
among the world of men. And all the
scorn had faded from her face; only
with looks Of compassion; now she
soothed him and stroked his burning
forehead.
She crouched at his side and he
saw that her white burnouse was spot
ted with blood from Gripping wound
which had left her arm limp and help
less.
WAS it for me-Paul?" she whis-
pered, and the sound of his name,
whispered by her lips, thrilled him.
WAS it for me, Paul?"
1T was for you." he mumbled
through his swollen lips. "You have
always leen in my thoughts night and
day since found you, only to lose
you And | have never learned your
name. 1t was too hard test OF
service that you laid on me-"
But you were SO impatient, Paul"
she whispered. Had you been eau
ii ,us all would have gone we'll"
There was none of the old impert-
GUS glance in her eyes-nothing
but softest compassion. In that mo-
ment of ecstacy Paul knew that his
love was returned. But he knew also
that there was some barrier which
might not be easily passed.
She thrust her hand into the sand
and began frantically digging to re
lease him. But her efforts were
futile. The sand, baked hard by the
hot morning sun, might have been
stone With bleeding fingers the girl
ceased her labors at last and stared
into his eyes in terror.
II cannot help you," she whispered.
81 must go to the Italian quarters. |
must bring aid" She rose and stag
gered few PAGES forward. then sank
down with moan. She crept toward
him again.
Il cannot!" she said slowly. I'VE
must die here"
But together!" whispered Paul.
There was exultation in his voice.
Suppose we shout in unison" he con-
tinued
Their voices hardly made them
selves audible across the wilderness
of sand.
Tell me you love mel" Paul whis.
pered eagerly, and heard the whisper
ed answer. And there is-there Is
none who has the right to claim you?"
he asked again
She shook her head family and fell
forward beside his grave. Paul closed
his eyes. He had no further wish to
live. He swooned into what he thought
was eternity.
1t was long afterward that he fan.
cied he heard the whirring of great
wings above him. The sound passed
through his mind like the shadowy
fancy of dream. He hardly felt the
sand shoveled away or the hands that
hoisted him from the pit. 1t was the
taste of brandy in his throat and the
long succeeding draught of cooling
water, infinitely grateful; above all 1t
was the agony of the returning circu.
lation in his limbs that brought him
back to consciousness.
When he opened his eyes he found
himself lying in the shadow OF a great
aeroplane At his side stood an officer
wearing the uniform Of the Italian
aeronautical corps. Within the ma
chine, strapped carefully to the up
rights, her face pale as death, her
eyes closed, was the unknown lady
But when Paul stared, not yet quite
sure Of his surroundings, into the
face of the man who had rescued him,
he was more amazed than at anything
that had occurred during his adven-
ture For this was Captain Won Holz-
rath, whom he had met In antagonism
on the Long Island shore that day
when he had his first meeting with
Mademoiselle.
The captain gazed into Pauls face