San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-26

/ wastes of ice about them, for the
moment secure from the cruel forces
that had bounded them so long. The
wind swept By unheard. The fine
snow dIifted before II, as il it meant
to cover them and never yield them
up again. The DINNER stars faded
and vanished into the recesses os
the sky.
The colds scourage was impotent
now. The hour was like some dream
OF childhood; calm. Wondrous, inef
fably sweet. The ghost of happiness
seemed no longer just a shadow. For
the moment Bess' fancy believed il
real.
Sleep drifted over Ned.t Still with
her lips on his, Bess listened till his
slow, quiet breathing told her that
he was no longer conscious. She
waited an instant more. her arms
trembling as she pressed him close
as she could.
Il love you. Ned" she whispered.
Whatever l dots all Cor love %
YOU
Then, very softly so as not to
waken him. she slipped out of his
embrace and got TO her feet. She
started away straight north-at righ'
angles to the direction that they bad
gone before.
Ned's instincts had been trained
like the rest of him, and they
watched over him while he slept.
They aroused him from sleep as
- i.uh, y.
his way over the rough ice that lay
in front, yet as il in realization of
his physical need of rest, not an in
slant sooner. He spranr up TO find
the dawn, gray over the ice-bound
sea.
But the miracle of the morning.
even the possibility that Doomsdorf
had made time while he silent and
was now almost upon hin. did not
hold his. thought an instant. His
mind could not reach beyond the
tragic fact that he was alone. Bess
was gone, vanished like a spirit that
had meyer been in the gray dawn.
Her last words swept through his |
memory. They gave him the key;
his deductions followed swift and !
sure BIZ the process of remorseless |
logic. in n single moment he knew |
the dreadful truth. Bess had not !
gone OF in the expectation of Ned |
overtaking her, thus saving few
moments of his precious sime. She |
had not gone east at all. She knew |
the stars as well as he diu she would |
have never. except by So secret |
purpose. turned north instead of |
east. He saw the truth all too plain. |
She had chosen the direction that |
would give Doomsdorf the longest |
chase and take him farthest from
Ned's trail. He couldn't follow them
both. The morning light would show
him that his two fugitives had sep
tied: and she had reasoned soundy
N thinking that their enemy would |
pursue her, rather than Ned. His lust |
-or her was TOO commanding for him
10 take any other course. While he
her. Ned would have every
nance TO hurry on eastward to the
'afety of Tar Island
Never for moment did he even
consider going on and leaving her to
Ter fate. He could not aid her, and
'et in one moment more he had
forth on her trail. faster than
lie had ever mushed before. He had
10 inward battle, no sense of sacri-
ice. There was not even tempta-
ion to take the way of safety. I'M
hese last months he had been lifted
ar beyond the reach of any such
ceble voice as that.
He sred as fast as he could along
he dim trail she had made. The
lawn. icy-brethed. soon outdistanced
i'm, permitting him to see Bess' flee
ne form before he had scarcely be-
,un to cvertake her. She was Just a
lark shadow at first against the
tretching fields of white but he never
ost sight of her after that. With the \
frightening dawn he saw her ever
more distinctly.
Aud in the middle distance. west of
18th of them. he saw the huge. dark
orm of Doomsdorf bearing down upon
Ter.
She had guessed right as to Dooms-