Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-04-09
BENEATH THE STARS
BY


The armament seemed ablaze with
a million ~twinkling stars. A slim.
pale quarter of the moon cast a faint
path of light over the vast expanse of
water.
To the man, leaning over the ships
railing, the night was perfect; to the
girl, slim and pale as the itself,
the night held a feeling of unrest that
was both definite and vague.
Il do not see how you can feast your
soul-on a night like this" the girl
said softly, land still refuse to believe
in hin who created it"
Felix Valdez looked down at the
girl and shrugged his shoulders.
Il believe in some great force with
which we are powerless to COPE" he
said. but / do not call that force
God"
ITO whom do you pray when you
are in trouble or when you want ONE
thing?" asked the girl
Il DO not pray" Valdez said
The girl shivered in spite OF the
warmth of the night.
Are you cold?" inquired the man
"No-only shocked. l have never
before met an u~nbeliever."
You would meet plenty in my coun-
try who believe as l do" Valdez told
her quietly. I'VE are even now fighting
a religious faction in Chile. They are
SO strong that they are holding our
country back from any kind of prog
ress. They oppose everything that
means growth and betterment for the
people"
You win win out though you
have e million men beside you," Ma
dine Vance said softly. You have no
power upon which to call in moments
of weakness"
II am strangely weak-at this mo-
ment," he said only half aloud.
Comet" cried Nadine. Tell me
some more about the stars. l was in
terested-until 1u shocked me with
your lack of faith"
Can you not teach me-faithr' VAL
DEE realized that he had spoken more
because he wanted to hear the girls
soft voice than from any desire to
swerve from his own philosophy OF
the creation.
Il a scarcely do 30 great a thing
in SO short a time" Nadine replied.
Tomorrow night you will have ar
rived in Plymouth. while l will go on
to Cherbourg."
"AIl things must have a beginning"
suggested Valdez.
"And an ending" laughed Nadine.
mo, no! There Is where my philos.
ophy Is happier than yours. That
which lives never dies-in my opin.
ion"
Love dies" said Nadine with q
quaint assumption of experience.
Then it Gid not live" He turned
suddenly toward the girl and his voice
took on an accent of seriousness. DC
you think that should you and l love
each other time would rob US of that
love? Do you not want to believe
that a million years from now it would
be the same when we. were perhaps
reincarnated as flowers or birds or
that twinkling red planet up there?'
He pointed to the red star about
which they had previously spoken.
Nadine turned her face upward to
ward the wonderful sky and gazet
with ~unseeing eyes at the armament
Have you no answer for me?" Ques
toned Valdez.
NO." whispered Nadine, and swayet
slightly toward him.
In another second she was in hi
arms, held tightly. as If the very wint
would rob him Of his treasure. "Yo'
do love me-you wonderful being" h.
said. And you will marry me an
come down into the mountains o
Chile with me-wil you not-and I vii
show you the red star that watche
over my country"
mo, mol" she cried swiftly. -
could not marry you! 1t woald XII
faith" With q movement sudden an
unexpected Nadine slipped from hi
arms and along the deck. She ha
disappeared before Valdez could gatt
er his bewildered senses.
The girl had torn aside the draI
, cries of Valdez rather comfortabl
philosophy and had set a tiny lighte
, candle somewhere within his tabel
nacle of ,Resh. After that she ha
. left him alone and he knew not wher
to turn. He realized that life withou
7 Nadine would be as void of beauty q
a garden without flowers.
AS for Nadine. she went below I
her cabin and fell to dreaming and I
her dreams she saw herself boardin
q a steamer for Panama, then going b
rail to Colon and from there to Va
4 paraiso. After that Madness cles
reasoning became vague. for 1t wa
= there that Felix Valdez again entere
= her actual presence and only the mel
:. DRY OF the touch of his arms RENAME
clear to her. So great was the Ion
ing to see him once again before tt
long separation that Nadine slippe
into her coat and went up on dec
The stars were faint in the sky ar
. only q few travellers remained outsid
She made her way toward the bow
the ship and Nsaw Valdez standiI
where she had left him. Her hea
was beating unanimously, yet 81
went bravely to him. He put out b
arms.
Il wanted to tell you my plans" N
D dine said softly when she could spea
% Love canot die. l think we will To-
;, one another-in all other lives"
q Dearest" whispered Valdez, n
first prayer to your God has been a
le swered. l asked him to send o
me-out here beneath the stars"
Copyright, 1914. by the Mcclure NewsI
Der Syndtcate)