Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-11-30
1--WE Leave You Now. You Will Not
Need This Candle to Light You to
Bed"

E.
fall in; great sparks would fly upward,
fall and hiss in the water.
Why should he lie there, seeing all
this in his mind, he wondered. He had
read that men approaching death
sometimes speak foolish words, and
here he lay. with his mind on trivial
things. Soon he would writhe in a
furnace. How all about him glarel!
He wondered how long it would. be be-
fore a tongue of flame should lick him
with its agony
And then something touched his
hand, something cold and swift. \
knife cut the ropes that bound him
and in his great and sudden joy 'Drace
almost lost his reason. But he did not
cry out no word was spoken. Just
one look, and then he screened her
from the flames as they fled through
the door, out through the light, into
the shadow of the trees. And then he
spoke: "God bless you, Nadine"
He had held her hand, leading her Ms
they ran, but now in the shadow safe
from danger, she withdrew ito from
him, and when he reached again to
takeIt, she shook her head.
mo, it must not be. / told you to
60 quick, but you did not go quick
enough. Then Toner he see your boat.
and with the others, he wait for yUu.
/ run around and I watch him, with
the knife to stab him If he hurt my
brave friend. Then In dim light / see
them carry the boat, and / think they
have killed you and I steal along to
stab, but then I know you are in the
boat. All l do then was to watch till
they 80, and then I go In. 1t was not
hard to do. No"
"You are an angel"
She laughed, shaking her head.
angels do not go into the fire. They
do not belong there f. . Now, l tell
you. / show you the crooked way,
through the woods and out to the
river. The moon has come, and we al
SCI. If you know the way, you are
safe; but If you do not, you mire down
and die in the ooze, and not in the
flame. You would please follow me
now"
He followed her, hoping that she
might be slow, to p%rolong the joy Of
his being with her, but she was agile,
walking swiftly. Sometimes she would
turn slightly about to arr him Of a
dangerous place, and once she smiled,
the moon full In her face. "Teil me-"
he inquired then: "What has passed
tonight, / hope, does not change what
was set for Thursday"
The land was beginning to rise, and
she was walking faster.
Thursday you may come"
She halted in an open space and
pointed toward the river.
1.-THE bird, I hear him sing now. The
magnolia trees are W there. And
now 1t was again goodnight"
She gave him no chance to detaln
her, for In an instant she was running ;
and he stood looking till IN the deep
shade her form vas lost.
Old Stepho had not come home when
the Creole girl reached the house In
the swamp. She sat down to think and
to listen to his footstep. He did not
come; and undressing. she lay down,
unused q long time and slept . A
knocking OF the door and Stepho's
voice called her:
'.The SUN he was high, but the loetle
gel she sleep"
Soon she came out, and he drew her
70 him and pressed his sandpaper
cheek against the coil Of her hair.
They sat where the house threw It's
cool shade. Slowly be rocked in his
big chair, looking up at the cane that
| hid his home,
"This air. he good. He comes
through salt marsh from the Gulf,
with not the malaria. You bloom al
ways like the Hover"
aBut, Father. when do we leave