Part 23 (2/2)
She shuddered there in Cecil's arht of Snoqualmie
”Thank God for death!” said Cecil, brokenly
”It is so long to wait,” she ”
His kisses fell on cheek and brow She dren his head and put her cheek against his and clung to hie scene, the looh the black net-work of leaves and branches, a dull red glow marked the crater of Mount Hood, and its interht of edy of love and woe The gloos seemed to throw a supernatural shadow over their farewell
”The burning ht,” said Wallulah, at last
”Would that it ht cover us up with its ashes and stones, as the Indians say it once did two lovers back in the old time”
”Alas, death never corace and sweetness are all fled frorave and be at rest, then it is that we er we delay our parting the harder it will be”
”Not yet, not yet!” cried Wallulah ”Think how long I must be alone,--always alone until I die”
”God help us!” said Cecil, setting his teeth ”I will dash my mission to the winds and fly with you What if God does forsake us, and our souls are lost! I would rather be in the outer darkness with you than in heaven without you”
His resolution had given way at last But in such cases, is it not always the woest?
”No,” she said, ”you told me that your God would forsake you if you did It must not be”
She withdrew herself froht that her pale tear-stained face had upon it a sorrowful resignation, a th, born of very hopelessness
”God keep you, Wallulah!” murmured Cecil, brokenly ”If I could only feel that he would shelter and shi+eld you!”
”That may be as it will,” replied the sweet, patient lips ”I do not know I shut my eyes to the future I only want to take ry with you Up there,” she said, pointing, ”I will meet you sory then Now farewell”
He advanced with outstretched arms She motioned him back
”It will make it harder,” she said
For a moment she looked into his eyes, her own dark, dilated, full of love and sadness; for a moment all that ithin hiaze; then she turned and went aithout a word
He could not bear to see her go, and yet he knew it must end thus; he dared not follow her or call her back But so intense was his desire for her to return, so vehemently did his life cry out after her, that for an instant it seemed to him he _had_ called out, ”Come back! come back!” The cry rose to his lips; but he set his teeth and held it back They _must_ part; was it not God's will? The old pain at his heart returned, a faintness was on hiround
Could it be that her spirit felt that unuttered cry, and that it brought her back? Be this as itfrom his deadly swoon he dimly felt her presence beside hiers on his brow Then--or did he iine it?--her lips, cold as those of the dead, touched his own But when consciousness entirely returned, he was alone in the forest
Blind, dizzy, staggering eakness, he found his way to the camp
Suddenly, as he drew near it he felt the earth sway and ht hold of a tree to escape being thrown to the ground There ca cinders and scoria lit up the eastern horizon like a fountain of fire Then down froreat canyon of the Coluhty thundering sound, as if half afor ato crag, fro from the startled camp,--the fierce, wild cry offorth tre with the last echoes of that mysterious crash
CHAPTER IX