Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-10-24

and could barely hear the words, as II
they came rather from the other than
this side of the portal. Il will send
her"
Several years after these two impor-
tar %partings. the one ut Rome and the
other at sea. was spending a brief
season at IN ocean beach In Virginia.
1t vas the spring of the year in that
climate. The sun shone with a genial
warmth; the leaves were opening; the
birds were singing. was reminded OF
the day | had sailed from Naples when
my sorrow was fresh. 1t was no long
er fresh. but it was still with me. !
still felt that a certain perfection. a
complementary condition that would
have been mine with Angela, was want
ing. ! was the same being I had been
before, but under a different develop
ment, an incomplete one. | took no
thought of supplying the deficiency by
becoming interested In another wo-
man. for such seemed no more posi-
BILE than to change my being to be
come a different individual.
Nevertheless | felt a certain exhilara
ton yelling within me on this beauti
full spring morning. | wondered where
my happiness came from. ! had expe-
rienced 1t under the same conditions
before. but not after l had lost An
gela.
felt within me a desire to go down
on the beach and walk there. Nearer
the ocean l would get the odor I loved
that. salty exudation so different from
what we have in the interior. | stroll
ed along the road. crossed the dunes
and down on to the sloping sands
stretching far to the north and to the
south. A few sails were standing ap
parently motionless far out on the
horizon. though one was a trifle nearer
and by fixing my eyes upon 1t | could
detect a rocking on the waves which
were themselves undiscernable.
Then there arose a distant white
cloud bank. 1t grew In height and
density, and | soon saw that it was an
approaching fog. Then the sun was
dimmed, the air was dampened. and
the beautiful morning had changed.
Still, after being enveloped in the
mist l continued my walk. ] could
see nothing and could hear nothing ex
cept a light splash of spent waves
Notwithstanding that the sun had
ceased to CLINT on the water, that the
gulls had disappeared. that the all
was wet and chill. l felt hat same e X
hilaration | had experienced before the
mist came. | thought of my friend
who had died on shipboard. and what
he had said about the higher beings
who were directing the current of cur
lives, and what he had mean by the
words II will send her."
/ saw something taking shape in the
fog, and almost before | realized its
presence the form of a woman was
before me. Standing almost near
enough to touch her. l saw Angela
Coming out of the fog. wearing on her
face a sad expression. | could not for
a moment determine whether she We're
really Angela in the flesh. Angela a
| spirit or Angela a creation of my i'm
%agination. Then as she recognized me
her face lighted up. a smile took the
place of sadness. and she put out both
hands to me.
"Angelaw l exclaimed. what do
you do hereY'
"Walking on the beach. to be sure"
"Who sent your
"Who sent me2 What do you mean?"
'"This is very strange"
/ UA notn1flcno4 ~ a 6auun horn
in the early spring to get rid of the last
cold breath of winter. just as all the
others have come. as you doubtless
have come, There is nothing very
strange about 1t. though ! admit we
might have passed our lives without
ever meeting again."
Her voice lost something of JOY at
this. stood looking at her with a
sort of wonder. A marvellous mean
ing came into the death words of my
friend-"I will send her" The people
not in the grave. but In the world
above us and about us. who are con
trolling our destinies, had suddenly be
ings, but demonstrated by Angela's
coming Following upon the words. y
will send her.
You are changed" she said, with Il
slight tremolo in her voice.
II changed? How? What do you
mean?"
why, you seem to be SO absorbed with
some one or somebody else that you
have no pleasure in meeting me again
Are you thinking Of a sweetheart or n
wifeT"
Her complaint recalled me to my
self. | drew her toward me. We Were
under the dome of the heavens. beside
the broad ocean,, yet the friendly fol
concealed us from mortal gaze. In thr
midst of u transports 1t occurred t"
me that the friend who had sent her
to me was ~contentedly gazing upon Us
Angela had changed from a girl to u