Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-23
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Saturday

made him break into a run. but II was
only a small boulder covered with dark,
slimy seaweed. and for moment Faver-
sham stopped and turned his face to
the sea, fighting for breath. The dread
Gated him. He was white as death when
the other two rejolned him, and his voiu.
shook as he asked: This Mails bay
is 1t much further?"
Nigh on a quarter of mile" the
man answered o..
She would never have gone as far.
Us rs 2 wiid-goose chase; It's waste OF
time Faversham broke out hoarsely.
But when the man stopped offendedly
and suggested retracing their steps he
answered angrily that Of course they
must go on; what was the use of going
-, "Gf the lady had been anywhere near
the village I should have seen her to.
day, the man said Modified. I've been
down on the shore since morning"
The darkness was deepening at every
grew that crushed Faversham's heart.
He would never see her again. They
mad said their good-by; how should he
get Though the rest OF his life? How
The thought Of Mrs. Trahter e was a
fresh stab. She trusted him, and he
had betrayed her trust by, his desire 10,
revenge. his cool deliberation.
Ills an awkward thing to play with souls
God! oh. God r. said Faversham's
heart. His hands were clenched in his
coat pockets. the nails cutting deeply
INTO their palms. The loose, dry sand
seemed to clog his feet. retarding every
step. holding him back from the COM
pletion of his search,
Greyson spoke beside him.
I'LL be too dark to see ANYTHING
soon, sir. far better go back for Ian
party" '-' VI"
Faversham made no answer. He did
should do II Lallle we're dead-if never
again he met the wonderful tendern ess
or her honey-bee brown eyes.
oh, i adore you! Her voice seenad
TO speak to him above the howI,ng
wind and the thud of the sea on the
WI What t. had Tranter told her? How
dead, had she loved him up to the last
moment. or had her love and trust been
undermined and destroyed BY what
could have been told to her?
=. His brain felt as II 1t were on fire.
dta she, were dead, then he, too. would
ago to lose her. but now It would do
more than that. He knew II would de.
stroy him body and soul.
He looked back toward the little viii
iage which they had left behind snugly
IN me hollow OF the cliff. There were
~, ~ II people were, walking slowly along.
Inc others, perhaps, jo ming in this
search that could but end In despair,
Twenty-four hours since she had been
running toward the sea, and the tide
nag washed the sands twice since then.
frQnt1n a pt ...l.
ture her, with her brown hair washed
loose and the little woolly Jersey cling
ing to her slim body, but II seemed SO
impossible She was SO full of. life !; SO
that death came searching.
=, lie fell back a step and waited for
the TWO men who were following him.
IT. How much further?" he asked again.
me me wlnd seemed to have risen. and he
heard. ''''''seh
The fisherman pointed ahead.
There-not more'n fifty yards"
a. great rock loomed up before them
through the darkness.
Mails Bays round tjother side"
- sudden weakness seized Faversham.
ne felt as II he would fall. For an
instant he could not move forward,
Al power seemed to have deserted his
not noticing. '
Presently, with a giant effort, he
pulled himself together and followed,
HIS oody felt as 1t were out In ioe.
pain.
Then, ahead Of his, through tho dark
ness, came suddenly the squirt Of a
Faversham caught his breath 40 hard
that It was almost a cry. He tried to
run. but his feet seemed chained, Grey
son came back to him. Even through
the darkness the pallor Of his face was
apparent.
He tried to speak. but no words would
come, Faversham gripped his arm in
what IS it? What is itY"l Bun
though. he asked he did not walt for
a reply, He staggered forward to
where that little spur OF light had spit
the darkness The fisherman who had
led them was on his knees beside some
dark, still object, which lay some dis
tance from the edge of the sea and close
He struck another match Just ns
Faversham and Greyson reached him,
and the sudden fiickering light revealed
the huddled body of a man, lying on his
to the windy sky.
Greyson bent down. only to start back
with a smothered cry, but Miles Fayer-
sham stood inmovable, like a m.u
turned to stone, for the man was Philip
Tranter and 1t needed no words to tell
he was dead.
'Tis an awkward thing to play with souls.
And matter enough to save ones own.
Yet think OF my friends. and the burning
He played with. for bits of stone"
Faversham always felt that It was
from tho moment when he stood on the
windswept shore. looking down at the
dead face Of his friend. that he began
to grow old.
blame for this tragedy: something
within him seemed to ,wither and die a.
he knelt down on the loose sand and
mechanically laid a hand on his friends
"Phnip-" He was unconscious of
the wild appeal in his voice. but the
other men heard It, and Greyson an
emotion in his voice.
"Mr. Tranter Is dead, sir"
Greyson himself was terribly agi-
tated. His life with Faversham had
hitherto been uneventful and ,undis-
had plunged him deeply into tragedy
which he did not understand.
Faversham staggered to his feet his
face was gray. The folks from the vii
lage who had volunteered to assist IN
the search had Joined them now they
clustered round the silent figure at .hs
was a rare excitement for them.
Favorsham walked blindiy away, fol-
lowed by tho faithful Greyson. And
Mrs, Dundas, sirH" the man ventured
nervously.
All his life he remembered his mas
tter's face and voice as he answered
IT can't can't bear it--Besides--
what's the good? She's gone, too-oh,
my God It's all my fault. What shall