The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-02-26
GODDESS

The girl was sobbing against him.
She lifted a tear.wet face.
Frank" she cried with choked
voice. Frank. dear. You said once
you love me! AS you love. me.
please don't go! Billy. stop hint"
You don't know what you're say
Ing" said Frank gently. BILLY will
explain why I'm going"
i do! l do know what I'm saying.
love you Frank! / love you so
much that I'd-Frank. I'd die il any
thing happened. Take me with you!
Wen go together"
His heart ached. E:e biinked his
eyes to clear away the mistiness.
He was panied that her distress had
brought her to confess a love he
believed she did not-could not
feel.
He pressed her gently from him.
He backed into the water. She
strove to follow. Step by step she
waded deeper. still facing him. over
his shoulder he sent glance to
Langton-a glance both helpless
and full Of appeal.
Langton hobbled into the water
beside them. Gently but with firm
ness he took her by the arm.
Trance-like she stared at Frank who
backed away toward midstream.
The water swirled above his waist.
Janice's face was dazed: pain
showed In her eyes. but with Lang.
toms hand upon her arm she made
no move to follow Frank. The water
eddied under his crude life-belt. He
was floating.
Swiftly the current caught him.
He saw the bank and the figures of
the man and girl recede. AS the
darkening shadow of the cavern's
mouth fell upon him. he saw Janice
turn her head suddenly and bury
her face against the shoulder of her
companion. a. If she could not sup
port the sight Of his disappearance.
Langton. lifted his hand AMI
dropped It. It was like a salute.
DLACKNESS. Impenetrable black.
% ness.
The water, gurgling about him,
seemed to Frank like a living in
visible substance. He was conscious
Of q variety Of sensations. At one
| moment he felt that he was sus.
pended immovable In q void. at an
other It seemed that he was being
impelled forward in a yacuum-a
swift, silent projectile-and must
sooner or later crash into extinc-
ton.
He strove to unclench hts aching
teeth, to allow the nervous rigidity
OF his muscles to relax. He won.
dered II he could bear for several
hours this vivid expectation Of an.
Initiating impact.
Then suddenly he was curiously
aware Of glow about him: It was
at the level Of his shoulders, below
him. surrounding him: but 1t was
not above his head. It came from
the water: Il was minutes before
his reason informed him that these
were phosphorescent glimmerings
In the water.
BY counting he tried to estimate
the time he had been within the cav
ern. Already II seemed hours. but
he realized that It was probably
much less than that.
He splashed his way to the right
or left until his outstretched hand
would touch the side wall. He
hoped to estimate the speed OF his
drifting BY fingertip contact with
the stone.
i But 1t was Shiny and chill. foul
with slippery growth that brought
to mind the wormy life that lived
within the Jungle swamp boys.
Thereafter he tried to keep In mid.
stream.
| The gurgling grew louder. the
phosphorescence frightened. Dim
~ be could see the tufts and
plumes Of glowing light as the cur
rent splashed and whirled against
the dank walls,
i Suddenly he struck something
that gave. Long. fngerlike tendrils
raked his face. He cursed his re
pugnance and strove to claw away
the obstruction.
| He was held tightly. The current
seethed end swirled about him
II Juggling &C him. Automatically hi
J looked upward. A faint gray sill
parallel with the current was above
! him. so close that It seemed he could
reach iI.
Instantly he realized his situa
j ton. Here was break IN the cav
J ern roof-the beginning of . cenot,
land the obstruction that held hin
! was q netting OF vines growing Owe
/ the lip Of the opening down to thu
water.
He .hrashed himself loose. IN,
! tendrIls were gone from about BIZ
! face: the gray slit above dlsar
peared.
He was beginning to feel chilled
|, A.. A. -. a.