Evening star., 1924-02-29
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
Copyright by u. Appleton L Coz IA

, tall, splendid in his manhood and
vigor. in the full tide of his success:
She WAS almost in touch of his hand
: when she raised her eyes to his.
These two bad met at last. after
what far wanderings apart. They
I had met as If each came from the
! Valley OF the Shadows. out OF the
! vastness of the unknown. over all
those long and devious trails. into
what how seemed to him a.world Still
more vast more traught with ueS-
peratc peril. he had come back to her.
And she-what had been her perilS?
What Were her thoughts?
AS his eye fell upon her. even as his
! Keen ear had known her coming. the
hand of Merwether Lewis half un-
consciously went I" his breast. He
; felt under ii the packet Of faded let
ters which he had so long kept with
him-which in some way he felt TO be
his talisman.
Yes. it was for this that he had had
! them. His love and hers--this had
been his shield through all. What he
saw in her grave face, her mournful
eyes uplfted to his own--this was
the solution Of the riddle Of his life.
the reason for his moods Of mel
ancholy. the answer to a thousand un-
; spoken prayers. He felt his heart
, thrill strong and full. felt his blood
spring III strong current through his
! veins. until they strained. until he felt
his nerves tinglc as he stood. silent,
end.avoring to still the tumult within
, him. now that he knew the great and
satisfying truth of truths.
To her he was-what? \ tall and
handsome gentleman, immaculately
! clad governor Of the newest of our
tCrritories-the largest and richest
realm ever laid under the rule OF any
viceroy. y bystander might have pom
dered on such things, but Meriwetber
Lewis had no thought of them, nor
had the woman who looked up at
him. No. TO her eyes there stood only
the man vino made her ploCu leap, hef
soul cry out:
Yea. Yea. Now | know
To her also, from the divine COM
passion. was given answer Tor her
Questioning She knew that life for
her, even though it ended now, had
been no blind puzzle. after all, but
was n glorious and perfect thing. She
had called (" him across the dcep,
and he had heard and come From
the Very grave itsff nc MA arisen
and come again to her
Even here under the shadow OF the
gallowS even il. as both knew in
their supreme rcnunciat jon, they must
rart and never meet aSaih-tor thefh
both there could be peaceful calm
with all lifr's questions answered.
beautifully and surely answered.
nev"r again to rise for conuuerins.
"Sir-captain-that is 70 say. Coy.
Lewis" she corrected herself. Il was
not expecting YOU
Her tone seemed icy. though her
soul was in her eyes. She was all
upcn the defense, as Lewis instantly
understood He took her hand lin
both of his own, and looked into her
, face.
She gazed up at him, ana swiftly.
ncrCifully. the tears came. Gently.
as if she had been a child, h" dried
them for J. Gus once. when boy.
he had promised to de-. They We're
alone now. The cold silence OF th"
prison was about them; hut their own
long silence seemed 1t goidyn, glowing
thing. Thus only--in th"ir silence
could they speak. They did not know
that they stood hand III hand.
MY husband is not here" said She
at length. gently di<"nSIging Der
hand from him. No on" knows mc
now every one avoids me. You must
not be seen with mc--a pariah, an
outcast. | am my fathers only
friend. Already they condemn him;
, yet he is as innocent as any man
ever was"
bclicf.'' said Meriw ether Lewis. ''But
! your husband is not here" 1t is he
whom | must see 1T once.
! Why must you sec him.
You must know. II is my duty TO
go to him and to tel HIM that ] am
the man who-whc made you weep.
| He must have his salts isfaction. Moth
ing that he can do Will punish me as
/ my own conscience has already pun
| ished ne. 1t is no uar--i shall not