Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-30
BOOK II.
CHAPTER I.

,h. nitch-black heaven there rushed a
.,,shtv wind, and the pitch-black seas
.nove me rose high, and ever higher,
s.ctsa with kissing white; wherefore, l
80, me face downwards in my little boat
,ns. might not behold the horror Of the
.,a,ers; and above their ceaseless, surg
~ thunder there rose long-drawn cry:
acharnianr'
stood upon a desolate moor, and the
,,suess rain lashed me. and the fierce
r,,,,d buffeted me; and, out OF the gloom
rhere frowning earth and heaven met
there rose long.drawn cry:
"Charmian"
started up in bed, broad awake, and
B-kenlng; yet the tumult was all about
"a stili-the hiss and beat OF rain, and
she sound Of a rushing, mighty wind-a
Wind that seemed to flll the earth-a wind
.hat screamed about me, that howled
move me. and filled the woods. near and
a. with a deep booming, pierced now
snd then by the spllntering crash of
snspuing bough or falling tree. And yet,
snrnewhere in this frightful pandemonium
!, sound. blended in with it. yet not OF
n It seemed to me that the cry still
fsintly echoed;
iCharmian"
"a appalling was all this to my newly
.wakened senses, that / remained, for
fine. staring into the darkness as one
dazed. Presently. however, rose, and,
SonuhnR some clothes, mended the fire,
which still smouldered upon the hearth,
anal having filled and lighted my pipe.
sat down to listen to the awful voices
Of the storm.
I Now. in a while, becoming conscious
mat my pipe was smoked out and cold,
reached up my hand to my tobacco box
upon the mantelshelf Yet did not reach
n down, for, even as my fingers closed
mon Il, above the wailing of the storm,
above the hiss and patter of driven rain,
there rose long-drawn cry:
"Charmian"
So. remembering the voice had seemed
1 70 hear calling in my dream, sat there
1 With my hand stretched up to my tobacco
1 box, and my face screwed round to the
easement behind me- that, as 1 watched,
shook and ratified beneath each wind-gust.
Is II some hand strove to pluck 1t open.
How long ! remained thus. with my
l hand stretched up to my tobacco box, and
1 nv eyes upon this window, / am unable
] 70 say, but. all at once, the door of the
/ cottage burst open with a crash, and i'm
/ mediatelv the quiet room was full of
rioting wind and tempest; such wind
/ IS stopped my breath and sent up a swirl
| cf smoke and sparks from the fire. And,
borne upon this wind, like some spirit of
/ the Storm was a woman with flying
draperies and long, streaming hair, who
turned, and, with knee and shoulder.
forced to the door, and so leaned there,
| painting.
Tall she was, and nobly shaped. Her
dress had been wrenched and torn at the
neck. and. through the shadow of her
| fallen hair. / caught the ivory CLEAN
Il A. har - hna N.,
multi Of her bosom.
Here reached down my tobacco box
md mechanically began to I'LL my pipe
tsatching her the while.
Suddenly she started, and seemed to
I listen. Then, with swift, stealthy
movement, she slipped from before the
door. and l noticed that she hid one
iand behind her.
'Charmian!"
The woman crouched back against the
wall, with her eyes toward the door, and
ways her right hand was hidden in the
ods OF her petdcoat. So we remained.
ne watching the door, and her.
/ 'charmian!"
1 The voice was very near now, and, al
most Immediately after. there came loud
vlew halo" and heavy fist pounded
lpon the door.
/ "Oh, CHAIRMAN. you're there-yes. yes
hine-l know you are. 1 swore you
mould never escape me, and you shan't-
~ God" hand fumbled upon the
nleh. the door swung open, and a man
niered. As he did so / leaped forward
'nd caught the woman's wrist. There
" binding fash, a loud report and
bullet buried itself somewhere in the
'1'ers overhead. With a strange, re-
PRESSED cry she turned upon me so fierce
II mat fell back before her
fno newcomer meantime had closed the
~ iatching 1t very carefully. and now,
Lnolng before IL, folded his arms, star
AZ her with bent head. He was a
~ tall man, with rain-sodden, bell
o"ned hat crushed low upon his brows
~ wrapped In a long. many-caped over
eS me skirts of which were woefully
-ea and torn. All at once he laughed.
1 softly and musically.
70 You would have killed me-. would
~ Cnarmian-shot me-like a dog?" His
was soft as his laugh and equally
.'oal and yet neither was good TO
E 30 you thought you had lost me.
Sou' when you gave me the slip a
'.as % egoY Lose me7 Escape me2
wy l tell you I would search for
u.y and night-hunt the world over
n ! found you, Charmian-untll I
you, said he. nodding. his head
'eao by God"
ne woman neither moved nor uttered
P.a' only her breath came thick and
n - sna her eyes cleaned In the shadow
t'.-x stood facing each other. like two
|,.Iies each measuring the others
|,nssn, without appearing 10 be con-
l,1 Ok my presence; indeed, the man
|l... aot 80 much as looked toward me
M "nen l had struck up the pistol.
80 with every minute / was becom-
|nla.e curious to see this mans face.
|,|'-@ ~ II was In the shadow OF his
nat brim. Yet the fire burned
,., =. Always were a spithre, weren't
~, enafmianr' he went on In the same
1A. voice; hot, and fierce, and proud
sns ~. ~ beneath the ice-I knew that,
~sea yoI the better for Il; and SO
A. ~ nlned to win you, Charmian-to
I,5' -. whether YOU would or no. And
I1S 30 strong-so tall, and glorious.
N, %'ong. Charmianl'
0A !, We had sunk 10 a murmur again,
>nr-. VIZ" slow step nearer 70 her.
.h''H wonderful you are. charnaianr
Xuon5 ea your shoulders and that
Ird n ~m'e throat. Loved7 Worship
Il|.ht worshipped theml And to-
i hi. ne paused, and / felt, rather
|t1I1h- that he was smiling. And
n4n-s 10Y would have killed me. Char
E to 1not me-llke a dogl But i would
1...+ft 4 diiferent Won No.. aS,,.-s