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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1889)
122 THE WEST SHORE. I will Uke her down to the city, and while I'm there Ml N3 if I cad arrange about your mission.' Silai' heart kI InuL At last his lone-deferred hope was tanUlizingly near fulfillment lie could have ibouted for joy. The biehop turned his horse back after ho had gone a few steps. " It may be, brother," he said in a low tone, lean ing over the saddle horn to bring his face near Silas, " it may bo beat that you boar down with a heavy hand. Not, of coure, in an unreasonable manner, bat sufficient to, in a measure, Bubdue her and lead her to reflect that a husband's care might be prefera ble to a father's discipline." Having sown this seed, at which the devil must have rejoiced, he departed. Silas stood for some time leaning on the gate. Uif mind retreated slowly from its fierce exultation over the- thought of going on that longed for mission, of girding on the armor of his Master and taking the trao word to the 0 entiles, and then the reward that would lo his when he should hear the " enter in." All tho earthly huntings ho might meet, the violent death that might await him, these were nothing. Into tho midit of his lofty dream tho remembrance of Clariuy'i heresy camo like an awful accusation. What would all the glory of a mission avail him if the soul of his first born bo lost? Anger, tho anger of a narrow, jealous nature, began to burn against her. Ho walked slowly to tho house. Behind the door hung a whip, a long, cruel blacksnake; his hand cloned on it with a nervous grip. Clarify was trying to face an awful alternative when .ho heard her father's step. She did not look up as ho came, sho was very tired, yet her resolution jrw unshaken. Martha sat in her place as jailer. A latent sense of shame stirred in Silas "(jo out, Marthy," he said roughly. The woman Lor tiraid fc bho raised her eyes, sad but unyielding. Their answer stung him beyond control. Ho s ruck her fiercely across tho shoulders. She put her h n over her faw as tho blows fell heavilv uZ T maddenM him more and more " Ml cut veto tiece if vn n ,. . 1.. looking J0.n 00 hM Dg hU f(Jl fph i np tan op him.olf with looctUnc lill ' Serena C4me, and for once srx)ke Url. t 4 , think you'd feel like a murderer," she said, and Silaa slunk away. Tenderly she lifted the bruised form. "Oh mother," moaned the girl pitifully, as life came slow! ly back, "if I could only die." Later she sat up, stiff and sore. " I'm all right now," she told Serena' " I don't want nothin', only to be left alone." Softened by the regret he felt for his cruelty, her father bade them leave her be; he thought she was safe until morning. Clarissy did not undress. She lay quiet until the full moon had risen and its rich light was flooding the small room, then she rose and took from her chest a thin, yellow sheet of paper and a short pencil After long meditation she began to write, slowly and with some difficulty, for she was self-taught since her mother's death. She wrote Dear Tom : Go way from here jest es quick es you can. I can't Htand it no longer, I must die or marry some one I don't like. Go0(e' Your loving Clarissy. ' She folded it and wrote the address, "For Mr. Tom Baker." Then, after listening a long time, she crept painfully out of the house. The night wind chilled her weary frame. She trembled at every noise as she passed down through the old orchard, where the gnarled trees writhed to and fro like to. easy ghosts. This was the path where she had walked with Tom. Poor boy, how sorry he would feel, never to see her again. She felt numb and dull. Her one desire was to reach the river-how it sparkled in the moonlight-she must get down there, even if she had to crawl. Suddenly somebody sprang over the line fence, A moment of sickening fear, then Tom's voice whis pered "Clarissy," and his arms were about her. She felt no surprise, no hope. "Oh, Tom," she said feebly, leanincr BCainst him. " nnnr ion A& In. u 0 - , II WJ) vim uiv v- gether. Come, it's not far to the river." "Die!" he exe.kimwl m o.i: vw iujr uCUUUg, WO WUUI rdVir CI-ari88y' have they been crueI to ye? Qo He lifted her carried her along. In his father's yard he stopped (l tlar;88y." be said, very tenderly and very earnestly, they ve miehtv nwh VMaA can t go back there tin m t i mght, an Chalcy, she slipped out an told me what aa up, so I rode over to Jo, Bruntsell's, an' brought am an Henry Halperson over. Jo. is a justice of the peace, an' he'll marry us this minute, then no one can t hurt ye, Will ye, Clarissy?" m put her arms about his neck, "Tom, will ye be good to me?"
