Part 36 (2/2)

”Thank God!” cried the ape- beside the stream ”I was in time, after all”

”In time? What do you mean?” she questioned

”In time to save you from death upon the altar, dear,” he replied ”Do you not remember?” ”Save me from death?” she asked, in a puzzled tone

”Are we not both dead, rass by now, her back resting against the stee tree At her question he stepped back where he could the better see her face

”Dead!” he repeated, and then he laughed ”You are not, Jane; and if you will return to the city of Opar and ask them ell there they will tell you that I was not dead a few short hours ago No, dear, we are both very much alive”

”But both Hazel and Monsieur Thuran told me that you had fallen into the oceanto convince him that he must indeed be dead ”They said that there was no question but that it must have been you, and less that you could have survived or been picked up”

”How can I convince you that I ah

”It was I whohtful Monsieur Thuran pushed overboard, but I did not drown--I will tell you all about it after a while--and here I am very much the sairl rose slowly to her feet and came toward him

”I cannot even yet believe it,” she murmured ”It cannot be that such happiness can be true after all the hideous things that I have passed through these awful months since the LADY ALICE went down”

She ca, upon his ar, and that I shall awaken in atoward my heart--kiss me, dear, just once before I lose my dream forever”

Tarzan of the Apes needed no second invitation He took the girl he loved in his strong arms, and kissed her not once, but a hundred ti for breath; yet when he stopped she put her arms about his neck and drew his lips down to hers once more

”Am I alive and a reality, or am I but a dream?” he asked

”If you are not alive, my man,” she answered, ”I pray that I may die thus before I awaken to the terrible realities of azing into each others' eyes as though each still questioned the reality of the wonderful happiness that had come to them The past, with all its hideous disappoint to them; but the present--ah, it was theirs; none could take it froirl who first broke the sweet silence

”Where are we going, dear?” she asked ”What are we going to do?”

”Where would you like best to go?” he asked ”What would you like best to do?”

”To go where you go, my man; to do whatever seems best to you,” she answered

”But Clayton?” he asked For a otten that there existed upon the earth other than they two ”We have forgotten your husband”

”I aer proe The day before those awful creatures captured me I spoke to Mr Clayton of my love for you, and he understood then that I could not keep the wicked promise that I had made It was after we had beenlion” She paused suddenly and looked up at hiht in her eyes

”Tarzan of the Apes,” she cried, ”it was you who did that thing? It could have been no other”