Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-06
Castle that day. One Of them was Bes-
sic Collistcrs

HuulO. Sce you Ut sllDpPr.
Fcnelln was waving TO the Govcrno
slow speed. as she and Stowell sho
past them before they had left the town
The morning was beautiful. the SIX.
blue, the sea glistcning under n frcsl
breeze. They were running. bounding
ltaping along the roads, and tnlkin,
loudly above the hum of the car. Stowel
had caught the cOntngion of Fenella'
high spirits and awakened from his Ion,
trance.
We'll. what did you think OF it,"
The ceremony? Lovely! !"
But you were crying all the time !!
1T must have been through looking
nt you, then. There was everybody do
ing you honor, and you looked like {
man going to execution"
lie laughed; she laughed: theI
laughed together, but they had theil
serious moments for all that. One o
them came when she spoke of the oath
saying how quaint and amusing 1t was
Stowell.
"Frlghtenins?"
"Well. yes, I thought so. Made one
feel ms II old Job had had something tc
say for himself. Who was to judge
others. having done wrong myself?'
Realty You. wicked fellow! ]
wasn't aware you had so many sins to
answer for. But I know"
And then. in fash after fash, each
sparkling like diamond, came pictures
OF his predecessors. The solemn Judge,
the jesting Judge, the Judge who sus :
pected all men of lying. the Judge who
believed everybody told the truth the
sour. dour, swearing and hanging
Judge. who served justice as if she had
been been juggernaut, and the gay
Judge who bought and sold her as he
did his mistrcsses.
"What a procession! And the ques.
tion was. which kind were you going
to belong to-eh?"
Again he laughed; they both laughed !:
and the car flew on. Another serious
moment came. lie mentioned the Book
It's leaves with their faded ink he had
been seized with sudden fear of writ
ing his name. whereupon Fenella, with
Il mischievous look of gravity, cried
again:
II know. You thought you were
signing your death warrant"
Yet another serious moment came
when she asked him IL he had not been
proud of the send-off his countrymen
had given him ut the Castle gate. He
replied that he would have been SO but
for the wretchcd thought that IL any
thing happened to him their love would
as suddenly turn to hate. and they
would howl as loudly as they had
cheered.
but what nonsense.' ~ cried Fenella.
'Love-what I call love-is not like
that. 1t never dies and never changes"
Never! If1 loved anybody and
world for him."
Even if he were in the wrong?"
Goodness. yes! Where would be
the merit Of fighting for him if he were
in the right?'
"Darlipg"' cried Stowell. and. the
road being clear, and nobody in sight.
he had to slow down the car to kiss
her.
After that he threw off the, solemnity
of the ceremony and gave himself up to
the intoxication of love. With Fenclla
by his side. looking up at him with
her 'beaming eyes, and laughing with
her gay raillery, what else could he
think about? a few miles out of Cas-.
tletown he said:
LET us take the old road back-it's S
longer"
'Ycs, it's longer"
Every fresh mile was a fresh delight.
How the spring was coming on! Look
at the, gorse., already in its glory !.
And the lambs just born and still
trembling on their doddcring limbs |!
And the tragic old hens with their fluffy
yellow brOods. And then the cottages.
half buried in the big fuchsias. And
the farmers whitewnshing their farm.
houses to wipe out the stains of win.
ter!
.What jolly old world it is, isn't
it," he cried.
isn't it," she answered. and with
out looking to see If the way was clear,
he had to slow down the car and kiss
her again.
4 few miles south of Douglas they
turned into a road that ran like n shelf
along the edge of the cliffs. with the sea
surging on the gray rocks below. and
nothing but its round rim against the
sky. The breeze was stronger out there,
but every gust was JOY. Stowcli
took off his hat and throw it to the
bottom of the car. Fcnella unpinned
hers and held it on her knee. His black
hair crumbled over his forehead, and
her bronze brown hair. looscncd from
its knot few about her head like a
flag.
More than ever now they had the
sense of flying. The sun danced on
the breakers: the foam floated in trem
bling fakes into the blue sky; the sea
fowl screamed about them. With the
taste of the. brine on their lips, and
the sting of it in their blood, they
shouted at every sight and sound.
Look at that white horse down
there. Sec how he rears his head and
plunges. forward. All. he has had
enough! No: he's coming on again
thyme. And the rabbits scuttling into
their holes And the goats on the
peaks of the cliffs -
Is, though ~
"Didn't you say that before, Vic.
did ]? Well, I'm going to sav
it, every blessed day of my life to
mo. no. Take care. We're on
the edge of the cliff. Wen be over -
'No matter-another kiss -
The wind was from the south. and
the sea. breaking along the broken line
Of the coast, was making sound like
that Of the ringing of bells. It was
the phenomenon Of nature which gave
rise to the tradition that q town lies
buried under the sea at that point, so
that Manx fishermen, coming back from
their fishing ground at sunrise, will
sometimes say, "rhe wedding bells arc
ringing"'
Stowell heard them now. over the
roar Of the waves In their mad welter,
and he cried:
Listen tn tho bells -
! What bells?'
ssOfls bells!" he cried. F
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