Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-24
CHAPTER
Denfh. Life and LOUe

vrFE, Life again. and light, the sun and
the fresh winds of heaven, the perfect
.,ure of a June sky. the perfume Of the
r.ss,onate red blooms along the lips of the
cbssm. the full-throated song Of hidden
birds within the wood to the eastward
life. beauty, love-such the sunrise hour
when Allan and the girl once more stood
side by side in the outer world. delivered
from the perils Of the black abyss.
Hardly moro real than a disordered
n,ghtmare now, the terrible fall into those
asnths. the captivity among the white bar
harians the battles and the CHASTITY scenes
Of war, the labors. the perilous escape.
All seemed to fall and fade away from
these two lovers-all save their JOY In lie
and in each other, their longing Tor the
inavitable greater passion, pain and JOY
the,r clear-eyed outlook into tho vast and
iinItless possibilities of the future. their
future and the worlds.
And as they stood there, hand In hand,
beside the body of the fallen patriarch
he whose soul had passed in peace. even
A. the moment of his life's ful1llment, his
tnowIedge of the sun-awe overcame them
hoth. with a new tenderness. mingled with
Yeverent alteration, Stern drew the girl once
more to him.
Her face turned up to his and her arms
tishtened about his neck He kissed her
brow beneath the parted masses or her
on her eyes; and then his mouth sought
hers and burned its passion into her very
soul.
suddenly she pushed him back. painting.
ghe had gone white; she trembled In his
clasp.
"Oh, your kiss--oh, Allan, what Is this
feele-it seems to choke me !" she gasped
outching her full bosom where her heart
leaped like a prisoned creature. Your kiss
1t IL so different now No, no-not again
y mot yet
He released her, for he. too. was shaking
m the grip of new. fierce passions.
"Torgive mel" he whispered. II
forgot myself, moment. MOI yet-ho,
not yet. You're right, Beatrice. A thousand
things are pressing to be done. And love
must waltz
He clenched his fists and strode to the
edge of the chasm, where for while ne
stood alone and silent, gazing far down and
away. mastering himself, striving to get
himself in leash once more.
Then suddenly he turned and smiled
Come Beta" said he "All this must
be forgotten. Let's 90 to work. The whole
worlds waiting for us. to be rebuilt It's
eager for our toll 70
j.. She nodded. In her eyes the fire had
= died, and now only the light of comrade-
ship and trust and hope gowed once again.
"Allen."
''Yes?
"Our first duty" She gestured to-
ward the body of the patriarch, nobly still
beneath the rough folds of the mantle they
had drawn over it.
He understood.
yes" murmured he "An his grave
shall be for all future ages place of pill
glmage and solemn thought. Where frsl
one of lost folk issued again into the world
and where he died. this shall be mo1u-
ment of the new time now coming to It's
birth.
His grave shall lie here on this height,
where the first sun shall each day for ages
fall upon it, supreme in its deep symbolism.
Forever 1t shall be a memorial not of death.
but life, of liberty, Of hope!"
They kept a moments silence, then
stern added
80 now to work I" and from the Pauillac
biplane which had brought them from the
depths he fetched a hatchet With this he
hr. He sharpened 1t to a fiat blade three or
four inches across. In the deep red sand
along the edge Of the abyss he set to work
scooping the patriarchs grave.
In silence Beatrice took the hatchet and
also labored throwing the sand away. To-
gether. In an hour they had dug trench
sufficiently deep and wide.
This must do for now" said Stern, look
Ing up at last. Some time he shall have
fitting burial. but for the present we can
do no more. Let us commit his body to the
earth, the Great Mother which created and
which waits always to give everlasting
sleep, peace, rest
Together, silently they bore him to the
grave, still wrapped in the cloak which now
had become his shroud. Once more they
gazed upon the noble face of him they had
grown to love In the long weeks or the
abyss, when only he had understood them
Or seemed near.
what is this Allan?" asked the girl.
touching fine chain of gold about the pa
triarchs neck till now unnoticed.
Allen, drew at the chain and small
golden cylinder was revealed. curiously
carved. Its lightness told him II was hol-
low.
Some treasure of his I imagine"
judged he.
Some record, perhaps? oughtn't We to
look?"
He though moment In deep silence then
detached the chain.
YES" said he. TT can't help him now
II may help us. He himself would have
wanted us to have it."
And into the pocket of his rough brown
cassock, woven of the weed-nber OF the
dark sea. he slid the chain and golden
cylinder
A fnal kiss they gave the patriarch.
each; then, carefully wrapping his face so
that no smallest particle of sand should
come In contact with II, stood up. At each
other they gazed. understandngly.
Flowers? Some kind Of service?" asked
the girl.
Yes Aifws can do for him will be too
little"
Together they brought armfuls Of the
nrilliapt crimson and purple blooms along
the edge of the sands, where forest and
barren irregularly met; and with these. mr.
and spruce boughs the longer to keep his
grave freshly green.
All about him they hesped the blossoms
The patriarch lay at rest among beauties
~ never had bcheld. colors and fragrances
ln.t @ him had been but dim traditions OF
4 IN psssaz" "a stsra TN net that