For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Ground,  To Stretch Their Cramped Limbs Before Returning To Their Seats

On Their Carryalls.

"Come,  Clarence,  Let Us Follow This Little Stream Up To Its Head. It

Cannot Be Far Away," Said Corona.

Mr. Clarence Silently Drew Her Arm Within His,  And They Walked On Up The

Little Valley Until It Narrowed Into A Gorge,  Clothed With Stunted Trees

In Brilliant Autumn Hues,  Through Which The Gray Rocks Jutted. The

Tinkling Of The Spring Which Supplied The Stream Could Be Heard While It

Was Yet Out Of Sight.

"Did You Bring Your Drinking Cup With You,  Clarence? I Should Like A

Draught From The Spring," Said Corona.

"Oh,  Yes," Said Her Uncle,  Producing The Silver Cup. They Clambered Up

The Side Of The Gorge Until They Reached The Spring--A Great Jet Of

Water Issuing From The Rock. But There Both Stopped Short,  Spellbound,

In Amazement. On A Ledge Of Rock Above The Spring,  And Facing Them,

Stood A Majestic Man,  Clothed In Coat Of Buckskin,  Faced And Bordered

With Fur,  Leggings Of Buckskin And Sandals Of Buffalo Hide. On His Head

He Wore A Fur Cap That Half Concealed His Tawny Hair. The Face Was Fine,

But Sunburnt And Half Covered With A Long,  Tawny Beard. Corona Looked

Up,  And Recognized--Regulas Rothsay!

With A Cry Of Terror,  She Struck Her Hands To Her Eyes,  As If To Dispel

An Optical Illusion,  And Sank Half Fainting,  To Be Caught In The Arms Of

Her Uncle And Laid Against The Side Of The Rocks,  While He Sprinkled Her

Face With Water From The Spring.

She Recovered Her Breath,  Opened Her Eyes,  And Looked Anxiously,

Fearfully,  All Around Her.

There Was No One In Sight Anywhere. The Apparition Had Vanished. Corona

And Her Uncle Were Alone.

"What Is This? Am I Mad? Have I Seen A Spirit? Oh,  Clarence,  What Is

It?" Cried Corona,  In A Tumult Of Emotion In Which Her Life Seemed

Throbbing Away As She Clung To Her Uncle For Support.

"Try To Compose Yourself,  Dear Cora," He Answered,  As He Gently Laid Her

Down On The Mossy Rocks,  And Went And Brought Her Water From The Spring

In His Pocket Cup.

She Raised Herself And Drank It At His Request,  And Then Staring Wildly

At Him,  Repeated Her Questions:

"Oh,  What Was It? Who Was Here Just Now? Or Was It--Or Was It--Was

It--Delusion?"

"For Heaven's Sake,  Cora,  Calm Yourself. It Was Regulas Rothsay Who

Stood Here A Moment Ago."

"Rule Himself,  And No Delusion! But,  Oh! I Knew It! I Knew It All The

Time!" She Exclaimed,  Still Trembling Violently.

"My Darling Cora,  Try--"

"Where Did He Go? Where?" She Cried,  Staggering To Her Feet And Clinging

To Her Uncle. "Where? Oh,  Take Me To Him!"

"Do You See That Log Cabin On The Plateau Above Us,  Cora,  To The Right?"

He Said,  Pointing In The Direction Of Which He Spoke.

Her Eyes Followed His Index,  And She Saw A Cottage Of Rough-Hewn Logs

Standing Against The Rocky Steep At The Back Of The Broad Ledge Above

Them.

"What Do You Mean? Is He Up There? Is He Up There?" She Breathlessly

Demanded.

"Yes; He Is In That Hut. I Saw Him Climb The Rocks And Enter It,  And

Close The Door. But,  For Heaven's Sake! Compose Yourself,  My Dear. You

Are Shaking As With An Ague,  And Your Hands Are Cold As Ice," Said

Clarence.

"In That Hut,  Did You Say? So Near? So Near?"

"Yes,  Dear Cora; But Be Calm."

"Take Me There! Take Me There! Oh,  Give Me Your Arm,  Uncle Clarence,  And

Help Me. My Limbs Fail Now,  When I Need Them More Than Ever Before. Ah!

And My Heart Fails,  Too!" She Moaned,  Growing Suddenly Pale And Fainter

As She Leaned Heavily Against Her Uncle.

"Cora,  Darling! Cora,  Rouse Yourself,  My Girl! This Weakness Is Not Like

You. Take Courage; All Will Be Well," Said Mr. Clarence,  Caressingly,

Laying His Hand On Her Head.

She Sighed Heavily As She Asked:

"How Will He Receive Me? Oh,  How Will He Receive Me? Will He Have Me

Now? But He Must! Oh,  He Must! For I Will Never,  Never,  Never Go Down

This Mountain Side Again Without Him! I Will Perish On Its Rocks Sooner!

Oh,  Come,  Come! Help Me To Reach That Hut,  Clarence."

There Was No Resisting Her Wild And Passionate Appeal. Clarence Put His

Arm Around Her Waist,  To Sustain Her More Effectually,  As He Said:

"Now Lean On Me,  Cora,  And Step Carefully,  For The Path Is Almost

Hidden,  And Very Rugged."

"Oh,  Clarence,  Did He Recognize Me? Did He,  Clarence? Did He?" She

Eagerly Inquired.

"Yes,  Cora,  He Did," Gravely Answered The Young Uncle.

"And Turned And Went Away! And Turned And Went Away! Went Away And Left

Me Without One Word!" She Wailed,  In Doubt And Distress.

"Cora,  My Dear,  Pray Control Yourself," Said Clarence,  Uneasily.

"Did He Speak To You?" She Suddenly Inquired.

"Not One Word."

"Did You Speak To Him?"

"No; For He Was Gone In An Instant,  Before I Recovered From My

Astonishment At His Appearance."

"How Did He Look?--How Did He Look When He Recognized Me? In Anger?"

"No,  Corona; But In Much Sorrow,  Pity,  And Tenderness," Gravely Replied

Clarence.

"Then,  Why Did He Leave Me? Oh,  Why Did He Turn Away From Me?"

"My Dear,  He Had Every Reason To Think That His Sudden Appearance Had

Frightened You,  And That His Presence Grieved And Distressed You."

"Why,  Oh,  Why Should He Have Thought So?" She Demanded,  With Increasing

Agitation.

"My Dear Girl,  You Were Frightened. I Might Say Appalled. You Saw Him

Suddenly,  And With A Half-Smothered Scream Threw Your Hands To Your Eyes

As If To Shut Out The Sight,  And Then Sank To The Ground. Now What Could

The Man Think But That You Feared And Hated The Sight Of Him?"

"Just As He Thought Before! Just As He Thought Before!"

"And He Turned Sorrowfully Away And Walked Up To His Cabin On The Mount,

Entered,  And Shut The Door. I Saw Him Do It."

"Just As He Did Before! Just As He Did Before! Oh,  Rule! What A

Fatality! That Appearances Should Always Be False And Disastrous Between

Us!" She Moaned.

"Not In This Case,  Cora. At Least Not From This Hour. Come,  We Are On

The Ledge Now!" Said Clarence,  As He Helped His Niece,  Who With One More

High Step Stood On The Top Of The Plateau,  Her Back To One Of The Most

Glorious Prairie Scenes In Nature,  Her Face To A Rocky,  Pine-Dotted

Precipice,  Against Which Stood A Double Log Cabin,  With A Door In The

Middle And A Window On Each Side.

"There Is The Hut! Now,  Shall I Take You There,  Or Shall I Wait Here And

Let You Go Alone?" He Inquired,  As They Stood Side By Side Gazing On The

Hut.

She Did Not Answer. Her Eyes Were Riveted On The Door Of The Cabin,

While She Leaned Heavily On The Arm Of Her Uncle.

"I See How It Is: You Are Weakening,  Losing Courage. Let Me Support You

To The Door," Said Clarence,  Putting His Arm Around Her Waist.

But She Drew Herself Up Suddenly.

"Oh,  Let Me Go Alone,  Dear Uncle Clarence. My Meeting With Rule Should

Be Face To Face Only," She Replied,  Still Trembling,  But Resolute.

"Are You Sure You Can Do It?"

"Oh,  Yes,  Yes! My Limbs Shall No Longer Refuse Their Office!"

Clarence Threw Himself Down At The Foot Of A Pine Tree To Sit And Await

Events.

He Took Out His Watch And Looked At The Time.

"It Is One O'clock," He Said To Himself. "At Two Sharp The Trail Will

Move,  Or Ought To Do So. Perhaps Neville Might Give Us Half An Hour's

Grace,  Though. At Any Rate,  I Will Wait Here Three-Quarters Of An Hour,

And If In That Time I Hear Nothing From Rothsay Or Cora,  I Shall Go Down

The Mountain To Explain The Situation To Neville."

So Saying,  Mr. Clarence Took Out His Pipe,  Filled And Lighted It,  And

Smoked.

Corona,  Like A Somnambulist Or A Blind Woman,  Went Slowly Toward The Log

Cabin,  Holding Out Her Hands Before Her. She Soon Reached It,  Leaned For

A Moment Against The Log Wall To Recover Her Breath And Her Courage,  And

Then Knocked.

The Door Was Instantly Opened,  And Regulas Rothsay Stood On The

Threshold,  Still Clothed In His Hunter's Suit Of Buckskin,  But Without

The Fur Cap--The Same Rule,  Unchanged Except In Habiliments And In The

Length Of His Untrimmed,  Tawny Hair And Beard.

In The Instant Of Meeting She Raised Her Eyes To His,  And Read In Them

The Undying Love Of His Heart.

With A Cry Of Rapture,  Of Infinite Relief