Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-24
GEORGE AGNEW CHAMBERLAIN


chest, but he would not take them on.
He sat at the window and watched the
little stern-wheeler splash up to the
bank. Luckily for her, she had been
three days late in starting up the river,
else that trip would have been her last.
Gerry tried to exert himself to the
trouble of packing and getting on
board, but he felt lstless. Why should
he hurry back? Alix had waited, was
waiting, but not for him. He had not
waited for her. He must 20 back and
tell her, of course but what then?
A cavalcade came down the street.
AT its head was carried litter and on
the litter lay Alan. He had refused to
ride In a hammock again. Behind him
rode Lieber and Kemp. Gerry drew
back from the window and watched
them make their way down to the
little stern-wheeler. she had brought
little freight there was none for her
to take away. BY three o'clock she
gave long shrek of warning, and
half an hour later she warped out into
the river and chugged away down
stream. At the last moment Gerry had
sent down to Alan a note addressed to
Alix.
Lieber turned from watching the
boat out of sight. 1t was bearing Alan
away with Kemp installed as nurse
as far as the coast. Lieber stumped
heavily up the street. leading his horse.
From his window Gerry called to him.
Lieber took the reins from his arm
and handed them to a boy. He climbed
to Gerry's room and sat down on the
bed. Gerry had never seen him look
so tired.
$50" said Lieber, you escaped"
Gerry nodded gravely. Lieber looked
at him with dull eyes. I'VE passed
FaZenda Flores. The house still stands.
It's on little island" Gerry nodded
again. Lieber shrugged a shoulder i'm
patiently. "Why aren't you up there?"
Gerry braced himself and told him.
In a dispassionate tone he told him
the history of those terrible moments
of destruction and death. Il am not
there" he finished, because there is
nothing left. Three years-all my life
here-have been wiped out. Marga-
rita-she knew from the beginning.
From the beginning she hated the
ditch. l have been curse. I have
brought ruin" Gerry stared before
him. His face was white and drawn.
Lieber shook his head judicially.
"No, it would have been the same, ex-
cept that without you there would
have been nothing to sweep away.
Margarita would still be alive. There
would have been no boy" He paused.
Somehow" he went on, II don't be-
ieve Margarita would have chosen to
have things different. She got her jour
d'extase and died before it was over.
II don't think we need be sorry for
her. Why didn't you go away on the
boatW
81 don't know" said Gerry. 81 tried
to, but 1 couldn't. l just buried her
and the boy last night. l couldn't run
away like that, as though it were all
over. OF course know it is all over,
but when one falls an endless depth in
sleep and suddenly wakes in a cold
sweat it takes time for the mind to
catch its balance. It's that way with
me. I've fallen from a height. I've
walked to a cold sweat. | must take
time to get the balance OF life and get
it right. You can't hurry over these
transitions, because somehow It
wouldn't be decent"
Lieber nodded. "You don't feel like
riding back with me-" he asked hesi.
tatingly.
Gerry shook his head. mo" he said.
81 can't do that. I'm just going to sit
here and wait for while and then I'm
going home. There's something I've
got to straighten out. After that, I
don't know. But there's something l