The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-08-26

If IT win make you happy. Fl shanr
Good heaven, Mary you---you would
do that?" he cried hoarsely. Why.
little sister. you--youl No, by heaven.
you do not make me happy. You make
me feel so small so puny. so ashamed
Don't Eric. beg Of you'll" she
spoke rapidly. jerlxily. II mean It. I
will try to make them little bit hap
pier than they are. I will do this for
- She stopped I'm the middle of the
sentence, the soft, warm glow In her
eyes fading like a flash. In It's stead
came an almost venomous glitter COM
pletely Transforming her lovely face.
but. waitl What am sayfng7 Why
should / do this for them7 They may
try to hang you. Eric"
He took a long, deep breath. II
can't stay In the house any longer,
Mary. I've got to get out where can
breathe" He started toward the door.
catching up his hat as he passed by
Where are you gotng?" she cried.
Il don't know-oh, anywhere. Lis
tenl Can you hear the breakers7 A
mile and half to Stone Wall. There's
big sea running. Mary. / haven't
been on Stone Wall In six years. I'm
Il
the thing I've dreaded all these years.
He's out there somewhere. He hasn't
moved. It's horrible to think OF. But,
I'm going to smash this contemplate
fear. once and for all I'll be back by
dinner time. Out there I can think Il
over, as Adam says. Don't worry. dear.
7 am going with you. Erie" sas
said quietly.
MOI" he cried. but she was rush
ing off for her hat and macintosh.
Hall an hour later they crossed the
bleak. wind-blown stretch OF meadow
land and came out upon the rocks.
They had not spoken in all this time.
The stiff gale that blew In from the
Atlantic drove the words back into
their threats. A fine drizzle smote
them In the face. They had not no.
ticed that 1t was mlsting when they
left the cottage.
This way" he managed to say when
they came to the forlorn coast road
which wound through the rocks. Wen
cross the bridge. II you care to look.
you may see where he fell The clump
Of vines. too"
She kept pace with him. uttering no
word.
They stopped In the middle of the
bridge. leaning side by side on the
stout new rail- to look down into the
II
rocks and then to the mass Of vines
behind which Chetwynd's body had
been secreted on that memorable day.
Then they passed on, skirting Buds
Rock, and bent their bodies against
the gale that shrieked across the rocky
waste It was chill. raw wind that
beat In their faces and cut through
the clothes they wore, an insistent
wind that seemed bent on keeping
them back from the brow Of the cliffs.
At last they stood at the edge OF the
great stone Wall. with the ocean srarl-
ing madly at the crags. 200 feet below.
Never had they seen the sea so wild,
so furious. SO ugly. 1t came In. black
and devilish. with none OF the roll
licking blues and green's that they
were so used to seeingi nothing but
great black things with hoary crests
and foaming maws, crashing against
the huge rocks that stood guard In
front OF the palisade. swirling In be-
tween and bounding back again as IL
surprised to find resistance so strong.
A drab sky seemed to flatten itself
like the low top of circus tent over
the whole world. sloughing off into
thick. Uncomfortable bank OF fog which
brought the bleak horizon close to
hand, and out OF which slipped shad-
owy pillows that took vivid shape as
they raced into the arena. ON they
velocity, only to shatter themselves
against the mammoth barrier that had
defied them for ages and ages. They
struck with splintering force, roaring
like thousand cannons, swishing with
the mighty hiss OF hundred catar-
acts, and then ground their way back
for another and mIghtier assault.
The puny spectators at the top OF
the cliff braced themselves against
the wind and stared out over the ma
jestic foe OF all mankind. Mary pointed
to vast cleft in the wall far to the
left; the fury there was greater than
anywhere else. the struggle more sub
lime. '.. ~
ITS like a Paul Daugherty paint
ing, Eric. How terrible 1t Is today!"
she cried In his ear.
He was looking far out across the
bounding waves, his eyes set on
certain spot in the shifting scape.
"The sea was like mill-pond that
night. Mary. How different now. It
seems as though It Is working up all
this rage for my especial benefit. It's
a grewsome thought, but do you know
have feeling that-that our cousin
Is doing all this. He's trying to burst
the sides Of that staunch old chest,
Just as the GENT Of old tried to split
the Jar that the fisherman found and
opened. Seel Follow my finger, Mary.
miles or more. where it's 500 fathoms
deep,--that's where Chetwynd lies. No
sea Is strong enough to move that
coffin Of his. It's buried too deep. All
the grave robbers In the world could
not snatch Chetwynd from the grave
he's in. Mol He's there forever and
ever. Isn't II horrfolel"