Plentywood herald., 1934-01-18

r'HtlcHtSS III HIS VOICE. anu RhZ'
touched her profoundly. She cared 70
MN more than ever. what is II
Erlc?"
i think | already know the answer
out want to be sure. Do yot
love meT'
She looked into his steadfast eyes 9
long time before she ventured a reply
I'm so fond of you. Eric. More
fond of you every minute. But dont
think It's the real thing-yet. You
want me TO be honest, don't your"
And the real reason you married
me was so | can protect your Be.
cause you had to make a choice be
tween Roy and me?"
l think that had great deal to do
with It," Her gaze fell.
But perhaps you will learn to love
me. soon-as love your
She pressed his hand against her
breast "Very soon. think. II you'll
just let me learn II In my own way.
my own time. Just be tender with
me, Erie
I'm not one to drive hard bar
gain, Man," he told her In his slow,
grave way. "You will be safer as nay
wife, but that safety--is free" He
kissed her hand, and with equal gen
tleness her lips.
Her eyes looked like starlIt crystal
pools surrounded by dark rushes. You
will wait for me-to learn to love
your
There is your room" He beckoned
over her shoulder. you'll find a new
bolt on the door. Go In 1t when yox
like
Doubling himself and his creed
disappearing his idealism that kept
him from his hearts fHlfllment. Eric
fingered alone by the fiickering lamp.
His exultation OF the previous hour
had burned to ashes. He made no
move toward bed: his hands felt like
stone weights ON the halibut lines.
Mans goodnight kiss haunted him
STILL 1t was so light, SO f1eeting, yet
Its warm ghost returned again and
again to his lips. At last he rose
from his stool. yearning toward Mans
doorway :. half-crossed the room.
His heart was racing.
But the way was not open. What
he had fancied was lasting peace was
only an hours armistfce, a breathing
spell In the thick of the fight. To the
victor belong the spoils-but the enemy
was not destroyed. merely hard
pressed. His and Mans love was not
d thing apart. but inexorab1y bound
up with island history. still to be
written.
Fate moved again-in a manner and
guIse beyond Erlc's widest dreams.
There was sudden violent shock.
like an earthquake. leaping through
the turf walls and under his feet. But
It was not some subterranean force
rising In blind fury: this giants blow
was dealt from above. He had time
only to raise his eyes when the dome
Of the roof collapsed In ruin, and q
two-hundred pound boulder crashed
through and Numbered to the floor.
1t was like cold meteor hurled
from the sky. The wind OF Its fall
was an Icy blast on Eric's face, and
he abysmal horror Of the thing rustled
1p the hair of his head. 1t struck the
irIft-wood block where he had just
been sitting. crushing 1t into the earth.
Death had missed him by two PAGES,
put he had not come through mn
,cathed. The shock to his nerves and
leart was OF stunning force: besides,
block OF turf had struck his head,
making him reel half-blind against the
vail. He could not grasp what had
The room was streaked
With fire. But Nan. springing up with
scream In the doorway, OWNED the
ruth at once.
An implacable enemy had carried
he stone onto the roof Of the barabara,
vith his unnatural strength tugginx
to the very dome. Through q crack
etween the blocks OF turf, or = loop
ole bored out beforehand, he had
ocated Eric's position. then he had
fted the savage missile high In his
fmian arms and hurled 1t down.
But this was only the beginning.
vents swept on with the fatal momen-
um of snowslide. The surprise at
ack had already staggered the vic
m: before he could begin to recover.
second blow fell. 1t was like =
ayonet rush after artillery barrage.
Peering down through the yawnIng
ole, the attacker saw he had missed
Is mark. Howling, he plunged
trough; and the further collapse of
he roof under his feet shot him int
1e room with q violence only second
, his thunderbolt. Nan saw him like |
q evil dream among the falling clods |
nd dust.
Eric made one hopeless effort to de- |
md himself. He iunged out from
lie wall, but he seemed blind, and his
ovements lacked their familiar 1.-the
sss and panther-like power. The
yht ended before 1t began. Sando-
ar's arm stretched slow and long. an
Id, raking blow with open palm and
,oked fingers. Eric was hurled back
yainst the wall, only to wilt to the
,or.