Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-03-23
CHAPTER XXI.
The Red Death


So they were left, these two-the
East and the West-alone upon the
mighty pyre of the jumbled peaks.
Only the forbidding spine of the Hog
Back, running like a great thin blade
high between the red surf creeping at
Its base, carried a passage out of the
roaring death. Siletz had planned
that the splendid black should make
1t first
Now she turned back to the two
men she loved-the Preacher, silent
under the shielding ferns with his
Bible and his flute, Sandry prone upon
the earth, his face in the pine nee
dies. She passed him and knelt beside
the other. Her eyes were dim with
the old look of emotion. She barred
the white face and gazed long upon
IL The call of blood had ever held
her to this man mysteriously, though
both were ignorant of the vital tie
between them, the Preacher because
of the dreamy blank in his mind since
the tragedy of that far-off day, Siletz
because Kolawmie, wise beyond his
generation, had seen how blood takes
to its own. even at its cost. He had
make her Indian. though she was
white, waif of the old frontier, and
ne had seen her break her heart and
die
Therefore, after silent hours by the
Great Waters he had accepted the
mandate of Destiny and had taken the
babe of the Broken Sign and given
her to the only white woman he would
trust, Ma Daily, who took her with
few questions when she saw he would
not tell her history. So now SiIetz
looked for the first and last time con-
sciously upon her own. Presently she
leaned over and kissed him softly, re-
placed the ferns and rose
Beside Sandry she stopped, stood a
moment gazing around at the pine
boles that doomed like fearful ghosts
In the smoke, and sat down beside
nlm, tucking her feet with the age-old
motion of the blanket-wearers beneath
ner skirt, SO deeply had she absorbed
the ways of the dusky people whom
she loved
She did not speak.
When at last the man, his face
drawn out of all semblance to ITSELF
raised his eyes to her she was calm
as the hills before the fire. He looked
At her, raising himself on his elbow.
looked long while knowledge was
born in him.
no
mad once thought so unbearable, this
was the wild, the untaught, the crude
this slim forest creature who served
him without question because he had
bought her with a kiss, who asked
nothing, who stayed by him to die be-
cause she loved him! Who still be-
heved in him despite that others dec
laration that she was his promised
wife! And yonder went his world,
MS cultured, polished East, riding
down to life and safety, her love for
gotten in the face of danger Yonder
went what he had thought the best
blood of the landl"
Nay, he had been wrong! It was
here beside him, its feet tucked under
1t In meekness, the savagery hidden in
Its dim black eyes! The last barrier
went down in Walter Sandry, the last
last strand of prejudice broke with a
snap. He rolled near and caught the
hem of her ragged skirt.
Little S'letz!" he said brokenlv
'~oh, Little Sletz! What am that You
'should have done this thing!"
hn
rare smile curled up the corners of the
lips above the sign.
You are my man." she said softly.
"the king of the whole worldl You
are the light on the waters. Sandry.
the mist in the valleys, the path to
the feet of God! Only l have lost nv
footing thereon"
A tender usefulness rang in her
voice. She fell silent, after her fash
ion when great emotions stirred her
Sandry's eyes smarted under blind
ing tears. His chin was quiyering
with the mighty emotions that swelled
his heart to bursting and his scorched
and blackened hands clung, trembling
to Siletz' skirt.
1CS, HbLAC OuC+ COm6 at last TO
your God above the seal Take nv
hand that we may go together, and
pray"
But the girl raised calm face to
the unsDeakable heayens-a face in
which all struggle had been stilled,
where there was neither hope nor fear.
only great content.
No" she said, 81 cannot pray for
! have no soul l have lost it as the
price of love"
The man could not speak and she
answered the look in his face
1--WE will go together. You have had
no God. l have forsworn mine. We
will go to hell-it is the right law
the sure and just wage of sin," she
was falling into the stately Bible Ian
guage. taking on the simple dignity of
the Preachers way and manner. "but
we will go together. I give my soul
10 you"