Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-09-03


ness, and Berrie could not credit his
remOrse. "Give me your gun," she
said.
He surrendered it to her, and she
threw it aside, then turned to Way
land, who was lying white and still
with face upturned to the sky. With
a moan of anguish she bent above him
and called upon his name. He did
not stir, and when she lifted his head
to her lap his hair, streaming with
blood, stained her dress. She kissed
him and called again to him, then
turned with accusing frenzy to Bel
den: you've killed him! Do you hear?
You've killed him.
The agony, the fury of hate in her
ed man. He raised his head and
stared at her with mingled fear and
remorse And 50 across that limp
body these two souls, so lately lovers,
looked into each others eyes as though
nothing but words of hate and loath-
ing had ever passed between them,
The girl saw in him only a savage,
vengeful, bloodthirsty beast; the man
confronted in her an accusing angel.
81 didn't mean to kill him." he NUT
tered.
Eyes, you did! You meant it. You
crushed his life out with your big
hands-and now I'm going to kill you
for it"'
A fierce calm had come upon her.
Some faroff ancestral deep of passion
called for blood revenge. She lifted
the weapon with steady hand and point
ed it at his heart.
His fear passed as his wrath had
passed. His head dropped, his glance
wavered. "Shoot" he commanded sui
lenly. I'D sooner die than live-now."
His words, his tone, brought back to
her vision of the man he had seemed
when she first met and admired him.
Her hand fell the woman In her reas-
serted itself. A wave of weakness, of
indecision, of passionate grief over
whelmed her "Oh, Cliff she moaned.
"Why did you do it? He was so gen
tie and sweet"
He did not answer. His glance wan
dered to his horse, serenely cropping
the grass In utter disregard Of this tu-
multuous human drama, but the wind,
less insensate than the brute, swept
through the grove Of dwarfed, distort-
ed pines with a desolate, sympathetic
moan which filed the mans heart with
new and exalted sorrow. you're
right" he said. II was crazy. l de-
serve killing"
But Berrie was now too deep in her
own desOlatiOn to care what he said
or did She kissed the cold lips of the
still youth, murmuring passionately, II
don't care to live without you; shall
go with your
Beldens hand was on her wrist be-
fore she could raise the weapon.
Don't, for Gods sake; don't do that
He may not be deadH'
She responded but DULY to the sug-
gestion. "No, no. He's gone. His
breath Is gone"
maybe not. Let me see"
Again she bent to the quiet face on
which the sunlight fell with hooking
splendor. 1t seemed all dream till
she felt once more the stain of his
blood upon her hands. 1t was all so in
credlbly sudden. Only just now he
was exulting over the warmth and
beauty Of the day-and now
How beautiful he was. He seemed
asleep The comics crying from their
runways suddenly took on poignant
pathos. They appeared to be grievlng
with her, but the eagles spoke of re-
venge.
A sharp cry, a note Of Joy sprang
rom her lips. Gle is alive! l saw his
yields CULVER! Quick! Bring some
Hater!'
The man leaped to his feet and, run
ling down to the pool, filed his SOM
llero with Icy water. He was as
eager now to save his rival rs he had
oeen mad to destroy him. Let me
lelp." he pleaded. But she would not
! permit him to touch the body.
Again. while splashing the water
lpon his face, the girl called upon her
owe to return He hears me!' she ex-
llted to her enemy. He is breathing
now! He is opening his eyes!'
The wounded man did, indeed, open
his eyes, but his look was a blank,