The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-12-15
Reunited by
Quicksands
BY WILLIAM FALL.


rheumatic old Grandma DENLY
II must. grandma" was the reply,
firm. yet panied, and the old woman
glanced keenly at the young face,
>.wearing care and sorrow, aud
sighed. and then was silent. gazing
sadly, dreamIly into the iickering
crate
Dear child" crooned the old wom-
an, as Elizabeth threw "A cape across
her shoulders and fitted from the
room. Dear poor child knowi |
know r.
Just year this very night, not chill
aud sere. although September-like now.
but a star-spangled evening Of sweet
sounds. stroll along the whispering
sands, and troth plIghted under the
great. stately elm that had shaded the
old brook for over century. Then
undt the great elm where each had
promised, no matter what might hap
pen. to return there upon each ami
versary as to a shrine devoted to a
love undying, eternal.
at was all my fault" monned Eliz-
sbeth. as slowly, sadly she started
down the edge Of the sand beach, a
watery moon casting dim, weird Shad-
ows across her path. "Oh, why was |
Jealous why was so impulsiye and
cruelT"
She recalled the May day festival
at the village where she had been so
proud OF her lover Randall Gray. and
then so irrationally Jealous Of him.
In fiji Of pique. melted by false
friend scheming girl companion
she had tried to punish her lover, en-
ilrcly innocent Of any real purpose to
pain him. and she had lost him.
"And can never forget :" she
walled to the signing night Winds and
pursued her lonely path on pilgrim
age of sorrow and penitcnce
She faltered as she came In sight Of
the old elm
81 thought It would comfort me 10
come" She mouned, "but It is break
Ing my hearth
At last she reached the old trysting
| place She sank like a wearied child
to the mosS-covered tFuHk and cried
her heart out.
HurlSl
Her pulses stirred at cry Of alarm.
Il was n call for help.
Elizabeth started to her feet and
| tremblingly listened A new fear came
into her face as she traced the call
across the sloping eXpanse Of stunted
oak to where the brook ran and the
whispering sands were the most
treachcrous
She wns a true daughter of :he wood
| land. and she sped like sprite along
the upper ledges overlooking the
| brook
"IIclpi"
II was closer now, that cry.
A human form was visible In the
swirling mass Of quicksands. appeal
ing wildly for help, with arms out
stretched sinking deeper and deeper
each succeeding moment.
How she managed to drag one Of the
great rough logs, the size of railroad
tie in thickness. fully twenty feet. she
never knew She managed to tilt the
end of the heavy timber across the
ledge OF rock and let It drop. Eliza
berh crept out on the log.
Grasp the los firmly with one hand
give me the other"
Then her voice died away aud her
soul seemed to 20 with H. for the man
she had saved was-Rnndel Grey.
II was like a hldeous dream with
golden awakening. as both reached the
soft ground and sank upon a messy
plat exhausted, their eyes met. and
then their hands
You have saved my lifew he
breathed II owe 1t to you-Eliza-
bethr
How sweetly, how fervently he pro-
nounced her name. the ring of year
ago in III
81 an glad" she said simply, and
shrank back away very contritely and
with sense of unworthiness.
If you had not been near" he be.
gan, and then asked: How came you
to be?"
Her eyes dropped and she rose to
her feet, lie caught sight OF her poor,
bleeding hands, and grasped them and
kissed them.
ut was just year ago-the old
elm-do you remember?"
She bent her head and he guessed
the truth.
Its call was strong tiboh mel had
not forgotten" he said In a low. eager
tone. Elizabeth, say II was all mis-
take, your cold, bitter letter to me-"
ut was more-it was cruel wicked
and ] have been punished. Oh. Ran.
dal my heart is breaklngl"
He caught her swaylng form in his
arms. He clasped her close. leading
the way past peril into peace, past
the weird whispering sands to the
soft shadow OF the great elm. its
swaying boughs seeming to welcome
so much youth and loveliness and
Joy.