The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-06-06
CHAPTER xI.
The Home Port.
for.

The darkness of the night slowly llrt
ed, revealing only 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 GOODNESS 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 new draft Of misery
Only Agatha watched, however; James
gave no sign of caring, or even OF
knowing, whether the sun shone or hid
it's face.
He had slept ftfully 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
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 mother talks to a sick child,
cajoled and commanded him; and
though he was restless and voluDle,
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-
suaded James to drink little more OF
the milk, and afterward took what was
left herself-less than half 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 To
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 H.
She believed he would come.
The soft rain cast a pail over the
ocean, SO that only small patch OF
sea was visible; and it flattened the
waves until the blue-fashing, white
capped sea of yesterday. was now q
smooth, gray surface, touched mere
and there by bit Of frothy scum
Agatha looked out through the deep
curtain of mist, remembering the
night, the Jeanne Dare, and her re
cent peril. Most wildly of all she
heard In her memory voice shouting
Keep Up! I'm coming, I'm coming!
All. what welcome coming that hae
been! Was he to die. now, here or
her hands, after the worst of their
struggle was over? She turned quickly
back to James, vowing in her heart II
should not be; she would save him Il
it lay In human power to save.
i Her hardest task was to move theil
camp up into the edge of the brush
wood, where they might have thu
= shelter of the trees. There was
Mace. near the handle Of the sickle
where he rockwell partly disap
peared, and the underground from tn
cliff reached almost to the beach. i
was from here that Hand had begun
\ his ascent; and here Agatha chose
MACE under a clump of bayberry
where she could make another bed To-
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 wa
stronger, physically, now in his deltrl
UNI than he had been during his periot
of sanity In the night. She made hin
/. sit down while she ran back to gathe
an armful of the fir boughs to sprea'
out for his bed; but she had scarcel.
started back for the old camp befor
James got to his feet and staggered
after her. She met him just as sh
was returning. and had to drop ne
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.
fTo BE CONT1NUED)