Part 23 (1/2)
The grim sentinels by the pathho had been so reluctant to let Cecil pass the day before, were stillOne of them planted himself in the trail directly in front of Cecil, and did not offer to let hi the way
Cecil touched the warrior's arm and bade him stand aside For an instant it seemed that he would refuse, but his superstitious respect for the white _toly back
But as Cecil went on he felt, and felt rightly, that they would not let hiht, in his love dra to a close
A few ure awaiting him under the trees She came slowly forward to e and full of woe She gave him her hands; they felt like ice He bent over her and kissed her with quivering lips
”Poor child,” he said, putting his ar it close in his embrace, ”how can I ever tell you what I have to tell you to-night!”
She did not respond to his caress At length, looking up in a lifeless, stricken way, she spoke in a mechanical voice, a voice that did not sound like her own,--
”I know it already My father came and told me that to-morrow I must--” She shuddered; her voice broke; then she threw her ar to him passionately ”But they can never tear me away from you; never, never!”
How could he tell her that he came to put her away from hihter in his arht with her, only to realize their utter hopelessness; then he re was treachery to the resolves he had just made
He shook from head to foot with stormy emotion
She lifted her head froet horses or a canoe, and fly to-night to the desert or the sea,--anywhere, anywhere, only to be away from here! Let us take the trail you came on, and find our way to your people”
”Alas,” replied Cecil, ”how could we escape? Every tribe, far and near, is tributary to your father The runners would rouse them as soon as ere missed The swiftest riders would be on our trail; ambuscades would lurk for us in every thicket; we could never escape; and even if we should, a whole continent swar ild tribes lies between us and uish, with dim eyes, and her arer love Wallulah? So tells me that you would not wish to fly withyou have not toldher closely to him, he told her how he felt it was the will of God that they must part God had sent him on a sacred mission, and he dared not turn aside Either her love or the redeiven up; and for their sake love must be sacrificed
”To-day God took away the words from my lips and the spirit from my heart My soul was lead I felt like one accursed Then it came to me that it was because I turned aside froe I must walk my own pathway alone wheresoever it leads me God commands, and I must obey”
The old rapt look came back, the old set, deteranization could grow as strong as granite in its power to endure
Wallulah shrank away from him, and strove to free herself froo,” she said, in a low, stifled tone ”Oh, if I could only die!”
But he held her close, alainst his breast She felt his heart beat deeply and painfully against her own, and in soony, that he was in the extre
”God help ive you up?”
She realized by wo with pain, with an agony darker and bitterer than her own; and the exceeding greatness of his suffering gave her strength A sudden revulsion of feeling affected her She looked up at him with infinite tenderness
”I wish I could take all the pain away from you and bear it myself”
”It is God's will; we must submit to it”
”His will!” Her voice was full of rebellion ”Why does he give us such bitter suffering? Doesn't he care? I thought once that God was good, but it is all dark now”
”Hush, you must not think so After all, it will be only a little while till we meet in heaven, and there no one can take you from me”
”Heaven is so far off The present is all that I can see, and it is as black as death Death! it would be sweet to die noith your arms around o to him, now that I have known you? How can I bear his presence, his touch?”