The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-24
THE SKYLINE
OF SPRUCE
BY EDISON MARSHALL
Copyright 1899. Little. brown Company

love for him had manifested itself too
late TO give happiness 20 either OF
them even Eow his life seemed 90
be stealing from her. into the valley
OF tho shadow.
She had watched beside him the
whole night; and now she behold a
sinister change In hia condition lie
was still unconscious but he no long
er drew his breath at iong Intervals
softly and gently. lie was breathing
IN short. troubled gasps. and an
ouinous red glow was IN HIS cheelgs
She touched hts brow. only 90 finA
II burning with fever.
The fRet was not hard 90 under
stand. The downpour OF cold rain In
which he had lain. wounded. for 80
many hours had drawn the life heat
out OF him. and some organic malady
had combined with his bodily injuries
60 strike cut his nfc Her prediea-
ment was ono OF absolute helpless
ness She was hundreds or miles
weary weeks OF narch.--frotn medical
attention. and sho could neither leave
him nor carry him The wilderness
forces. resenting the intrusion into
their secret depths. had seemingly
taken full vengeance at last. They
had seemingly closed all gates 20 life
and safety. They had set tho trap
with care. and tho cruel jaws had
sprung.
She sat dry-cycd. tncoherent pray
era at her trembling lipa Mostly abe
did not touch the man. only sat az
his bedside In the crude chair Ben
has fashioned for her while the min
utes rolled into hours and tho honra
sped the night away--in tirolc.s vigii.
watching with lightieas eyes Once
she bent and touched her lips 20 his
They were not cold now. They
were warm with fever. But In the
strange twilight world Of uncon-
seriousness he could neither know Of
nor respond 10 her kis. She pattsd
down his covering and sometimes
held his hard hands warm between
hers. as II she could thus keep death
from soixinR them and leading him
away. But her courage did not break
again.
Tho wan nrht showed her his
drawn face: and Just for an instan,
her arms pressed about ~ Il won't
give M. Hen" she promised III
keep on nghting--to the last minute.
And maybe can pun you thru"
Beatrice meant exactly what she
rnid. 10 the last minute That dtd
not mean 10 che gray hour when. by
all dictate OF common sense. further
r1Rht ~ useless she meant that she
would battle tirelessly AZ ionx IS ono
pale spark xiowed In his spirit. A.
long a. his breath could cloud
glass. Tho best thing for her now.
however. was rest. She was exhaust
"a by the strain 81 The night: and she
must save herself for tho crisis that
was sure 20 come. Hen wa sleeping
easily now; the instant when HIS rfs
hung In the balance stffl imp<ndsd
she built up the firs. put on the
wnfsr 10 heat. covered the man with
sddsd biankstA then NY down on
Ben's CO.. Soon she drtftsd into un-
cary siumbsr. waking ~ intervals to
ssrvv hsr patient
Tbs hours dragrsd ~. ths night
sepsd down TO tho forestf and the
dawn followed the night Ben's lifs
ssfn fiickered. Ike q flame In thu
wind. In the twilight land between
fifs and dsafh.
Yet little could she % for him thsss
fir~s fsw day~ except. IN her simple
faith. to pray. Never an hour passed
but that prayers were At her lips.
chiidliks. direct. ensreatinG prayers
from her wuman's heart OF all her
offices thsss were FIRST: she had no
doubt but that they counted most
Fhs sat by his bedside. kept him COW
cred with tbs wnrmest robes. hswed
wood for the IRE: but an Jet he had
never fully emerged from his uncon-
sciousness. Would he alp away In
the night without ever wakeninKff
But IN the morning Of thu fourth
day he opened hts eyes wildly. NUT
tered. and fell Immediately TO sIeep.
He woke again AZ evening: and his
moving lips conveyed n message In
response she brought him n steau,ins
grouse broth. administering q
spoonful at a time until he fan to
sleep axain-
In the days that followed he was
conscious TO the degree that he could
drink broth. got never recognizing
Beatrice nor seeming 10 know where
ne was. His fever stiIl fingered. rag
ing: yet in these days she began to
notice n slow Improvement in his con-
dition. The healing agents OF his
body were hard at work: and doubt
was removed that he had received
mortal internal injuries. she had