i
nwaad— |
SINNERS \
IN HEAVEN
BY CLIVE ARDEN
(C o n tin u e d )
httle home with Just yon and
a dear little nest all ear own. . ,
O h! It’s cruel, cruet I" Passionately the 1
gripped his shoulders. **I long for H
all— I ache Inside. Honletlmea 1 dream
we have it together; and then—then I
wake up—”
"But we can have tt, here, new.” he
Interrupted eagerly. “Only the forma
would be absent; the spirit would he
there. Surely. In these clrcutaatancee,
we can raske our own lawsF* He took
her «dinging hands in Us. "Barbara,
hare you thonght over the m atter!
Faced tt squarely!"
"My brain has gone round and round
like a whirlpool for months! I don't
know what I think."
“Well, think this," he said gently:
"Marriage laws and forma vary with
every creed, and In every country, to :
suit temperament or—environment i
And everywhere, certain convections
are necessary. For God's sake, don't '
Imagine I’m an advocate of loose moral
ity ! But you and I are cast off from
all rules save those of our own making.
Have you considered th at! These na
tiv es—or Indians. Turks, Christians—
all have some Ideal which they embody
in certain marring« rites and laws."
She hung upon bis words, clasping
tightly the bands holding her own.
"Yes!" she breathed, when he paused.
'Well—we are adrift from every one
Lifted Her Bodily and Carried Her.
which applies to us. We can’t obey
,
them In the letter. We only have them 1 w ,J'n } ?U
°'v'
Then he rose to bla feet, lingering be
in our hearts."
“You mean.” she whispered, “yon side her for a time, a world of almost
think It would be right to form our maternal tenderness in hts steady re
gard. But she made no reply. With
own—marriage rites?"
“I do. Before God Barbara, I do. a little gesture of helplessness, he
To me. our wedding would be as sacred turned, and walked hack to the lagoon.
Croft, In old days, could not have
and lawful here, with the sea for music,
the birds for witness, as In a crowded been called a strongly sexed man. All
church. I want you always to remem the vitality of his nature went Into
other channels. Now, when, for the
ber that.”
The waves echoed faintly upon the first time, passion hud come to h ia , It
found him bereft of all those other out
shore; the wind stirred the palm leaves lets to his abundant energy. It shook
In their enclosure; otherwise the whole him with fierce Intensity. In the past.
world seemed waiting. In a stillness hts whole concentration, every ounce
like death, for her reply..
of brain and strength, had been given
I believe you, Alan," ¿he murmured to his work and Inventions. Now the
at lust. “I had not thought of it at same splendid force, welling np sail
all in this light. It would be the same overflowing, was concentrated upon
to me, In ray heart. But—slytuld wo woman—a channel half closed ngalnst
be right?
Suppose—afterward—we him. Being half closed cuused more
were rescued?"
torture than If It hud been entirely
"Well? Then we should at once obey shut and barred.
Fate—God—whatever the Unseen
(lie letter. Here we cun obey the
spirit. But Isn't that the greuter? In Power was called—had hurled them.
looked up at her, a grim defiance to
his eyes.
"We can't go on like this. It's dam
*1 wonder,” suggested Barbara, when nable! Barbara—come here.”
they strolled together one night, "if we
Hesitating a little, not understanding
ought to leach them Christianity."
the unufmal expression of his face, she
Alan looked down, smiling at these went toward the hand he held out. He
lingering Instincts of the parson's caught her roughly by the arm. pulling
daughter;
but
... ..
, shhok his head.
. her down to her knees at his side, gaz-
U they learn gentleness, kindness jng into y,er eyeg f„r severnl seconds
end cleanliness, dou't you think they without speaking—searching, proring
are acquiring the spirit of it?” he her In some inexplicable manner.
asked. "These will permeate, paving
“How much do you love me?” hs
the way, if you thick it necessary to demanded, at last.
teach them Christian creeds later. But
She looked startled at his peremp
don't upset their old faiths yet—they tory tone. "Why do you ask such quee
are not ready. It’a always a dangerous tlous?" But she collapsed against him.
thing. If it’s hurried, It Is fatul.”
Site thrust her arm through his. “With my very life,” she whispered
"You're awfully wise, Alan mine! You passionately. "I should die If I lost
seem to know Just how to manage the you now.”
He strained her close, pressing hot
natives. Why Is It, I wonder?"
"Because I care for them. You can lips to hers. “How far would you go
usually understand those you love. If with me? How far?" he muttered
you try. See how well 1 manage y o u !” eagerly.
"To eternity I" she murmured, half
She laughed; then felt Ills arm.
''D’you know, you're getting thin faint with the sudden passion sweeping
them both away. The arms holding
her wgre trembling.
“Hard work."
“If we never get rescued? How far
“I have noticed It In your face, too.
You mustn't work so incessantly— then? How fur. Barbara?”
there’s no need."
Only a little stifled gasp answered
“Isn't there! Ah, Barbara! I think him
there Is.”
All the soft night odors of the forest
She looked up quickly; but he had wore stealing down to the beach, blend
turned his face seaw ard; only the grim ing with the pungent smell of hot earth,
set mouth was visible. The woman In mingling with the languorous murmur
her thrilled to him, for she understood. of the tide. Close in his arms, a weak
Clasping his arm tightly, she laid her craving to surrender, to capitulate be
face against It.
fore the forces arrayed against them
"Dear!" she murmured.
both, swept over her. It was easy to
“We have been here nearly a year." let all else go, , . . Twine she
was his only response.
opened her own lips, but no words
“X know.'*
would come; only her eyes told him
They walked on In silence a while, that which caused his senses to reel
passing near Roowa's hut. Just out His grip tightened, so that he hurt h e n
side the entrance the native and his but the pain was an exquisite joy.
wife sat close together, the youngest
The animal In man, longing fiercely
child asleep In the man's anna, both for Its mate, had been let loose In Alan,
too much absorbed In low-toned con stronger for all these months of temp
versation to notice their approach. The tation and repression. The future at
natives’ love may be little above that this moment lay in his hands—and he
of an animal for Its m ate; but It con knew ft, exulted in the knowledge.
tents them.
*
Half unconsciously he rose to his
Barbara's clasp tightened, ns these feet, lifting her. unresisting, with him.
two outcasts from all laws looked upon Her warm young body lay acquiescent,
the group.
at his mercy. He took a step toward
“They are very happy. Alan, I often the h u t; cnst one dazed look round the
watch them."
darkening beach—
9
“So do I—my G—d !”
Friim ltoowa’s dwelling the faint cry
•
She glanced up In surprise at the of u child catne to them, wafted upon
passloaate tone In his voice.
the soft night breeze down the
the world It Is the reverse, often. The man and woman, together In this Isola-
"I sometimes wish I had never bay. . . .
splUl is violated.”
•
tlon. Why. by an that was sacred.
brought them here," he continued. She
The girl heard It, and raised her
"Suppose," she began again, with a should they resist the law underlying
waa silent a m om ent: then drew his h«iad. The man heard It, and caught
shudder, “only one of us were res- | His creation? Must His primal laws
hand sw iftly up to her face. With her his breath. Their eyes met.
be set aside because those made by
lipa against It, she whispered, so low
She slipped from his arms with a cu^ ^ ’
'Don’t conjure up Imaginary hob man. now mere chimeras, ware ab-
that he had to bend down to catch her long quivering sigh. They stood fac
sent? It was absurd, quixotic, unnec-
words:
ing each other, struggling with the tur ri*’’-”
She drew away, looking around the essary.
"Do you
ever
look
at—their bulence of their emotion.
But beneath the velvet glove of
little one»—and think—supposing—if—
“ 'Reverberations’ ! Do you—remem- bay with the same pathetic helpless
ness that had struck him so poignantly ' ture lies the Iron hand; behind her
only!”
, her?" she whispered, at last.
smiling face sits grim severity. These,
"Barbara I I do."
He made no reply, continuing to gaze on Chrlstuius eve.
O h!” she muttered, “It .Is a terrible more than any scruples, caused hint to
He turned and drew tier Into his upon lier face, ami she went on speuk-
arms. “I have thought of It all—over Ing, utmost to herself, standing before problem ! If only there wSke somebody pausp. He who hod ever scorned oh
and over again I 1 think of nothing hint with the darkness closing around outside li all, to help I I am so afraid stacles. now faced them appalled He
our very love may guide us—wrongly." who had never known fear, was now
else."
her.
"No,” he said quickly. "It won't, be afraid. . , ,
“ ‘The vast harmony in which each
The relief of speaking, for once,
about the theme which lay heavy upon not« has unlimited effect upon every cause It is love—not that other word
He who had ever seized what he de
their hearts caused discretion to be other note.’ You taught me that. Do beginning with the same letter. B e
Arown to the winds. “It haunts me!" you remember? Life’s harmony, you sides, It Is the motive of the heart sired, now stood aside and waited.
'Barbara must decide. To that, amid
which counts. In all problems.”
she cried paaslonately, clinging to him. said. We—we are forgetting.”
the turmoil of bis spirit, he clung
"It haunts me day and n ig h t I cun't
He turned away and walked to the
She turned sway, covering her face
There must never be coercion; she was
lagoon, standing there for several with her hands.
bear to see them. I’ve tried—"
no weakling. Not until site saw the
"And L by heaven!"
minutes, his back toward her, hia
What can we do? What can we path clear before her would she move
Loosing her nbruptly, he threw hlin- bands covering his face. When he re do?” The words came brokenly,
an in ch : that he knew well.
eelf down upon the rock outside the turned, he had, she could see, regained thetically, to the other outcast
No sign came from the hut. Within
hut and bowed his head In his hands. his self-control. Coming close, he luid nil laws. He was conscious tonight,
Its darkness. Inert head buried In hei
What was passing through bis mind his hands upon her shoulders.
more than ever before, of their grow outstretched arms, lay the arbiter <X
she could only surmise by the chaos of
"Are we perhaps troubling over what ing. dominant need of each other. Had
«motion which, now the barriers were may never happen? Barbara—«there he striven In his old arrogance she his fate and her own. in a great und
down, surged through her own. All might he no—no ‘reverberation».’ would not, he knew, have resisted his awful loneliness of soul, such as she
had never Imagined possible, she faced
these weeks both had struggled to for There are not, always."
appeal. But the great keynote was
get the problems menacing them. But
She smiled at him. a smile that was tuning his nature as well ns hers. All the greatest question wotuun can bo
the very straws at which they had almost maternal. “That’s true. But—" the chivalry latent In his being rose to called upon to answer. The mountains
casgbt proved to be, so to speak, ser She broke off. a little catch In her bis heart, casting out passion. With were quite close n ow ; but she ap
pents In disguise. For nature, crude breath, her eyes dwelling dreamily infinite delicacy he went to her and proached them without shrinking, only
desirous of finding the right path
and unattended, ruled tills Island By upon the face above her own, as If put his arms about her.
across to her Beloved. She did not
her Inexorable laws these primitive picturing something far off and pass
"We are down among the deep chorda
people were guided, unabashed. In all ing beautifnl. . . . “But It wouldn't together, now," be whispered, '^ u t blind herself. She had contemplated
marriage before, »ware of all It meant
good faith
And among these subtle lie fair.” she muttered to herself.
together—always togeth««r."
to a woman in civilization. Now she
forces working around them, under
A flush mounted to his cheek In
With a choking fry she turned and contemplated it shorn of all hat ns
mining die very ground beneath their | gueeting and Interpreting the look flung herself upon his breast, clinging
tare's own sublimely terrible forces;
feet, the two wei-e flung together In a which, momentarily, his own eye» re to him, the only bulwark of her life.
contemplated the years ahead, with the
solitude, a familiarity, so maddening flected.
“I can't decide yet. Oh 1 I can't— possibility of other lives besides their
so entrancing, that their sense«
"The thought of you troubles me
decide; I can’t decide—" .And she •w n. . . . Reverberations! Truly,
most,”
he
owned.
“T
he
question
of
were Inflamed at every tarn. Escape
burst into a passion of tears.
when one Irrevocable chord Is struck,
was Impossible. Wherever they moved
'falimsis' Is an open one. Tills is a
♦he reverberations roll on and on.
they were confronted with their w n
grand free life for anybody who—
echoing nil around, so that God's whole
rising passion. Regarded ue man and
knows no other. The world might
Harmony muy Io- marred or perfected.
w lfs they
rank now from visiting the think It unfair. But the world doesn’t
The man. with the divine Instinct of
settlement together. Throughout the count: with ns. We are savages now. ; understanding now awakened, realised Can one always tell which It will be?
Both met next day, heavy-eyed from
days each constantly surprised the But you—y o u ! Oh. my darling. . . . , acutely all that the girl wus suffering.
a sl«*epless night, but each tacitly for
other's furtive hungry, troubled re N ature la so hard on women."
H e held ber quivering form close, say*
gard
Conversation bovune often
H er face was hidden on his breast. ' Ing nothing. There was nothing he bore to allude to the fact. They spoke
strained, dsm onstrsthenose between He went <>n diffidently, whispering into could say. Her own soul must now little, making hut a pretense at breuk-
fnst Afterward. Alan fetched bla na
them a danger. Throughout the njglit the dark hair.
tight out this battle between the old
rhe question of 'reverberations' Instincts of a lifetime and those e f a tive bow and arrows
••<* Uy listen!nr to the other's move
"I may not be back until evening,” be
ments and breathing, through the frail shn II he yours entirely Do you under- ; world beyond reach of civilised rule
bamboo partition. No longer could kta nd? If you decide not to face it ’ Presently, when she grew calmer, he ■aid. "You wlU be all right?”
“Quite"
they shout careless badinage, iwid mid nil —"
lifted her bodily sad carried her Into
There was reller In her tone which
night talk s . . . But. since the
“A h ! no, no, no 1" She raised her the hut. He placed ber upon her bed;
building of the palisade, netthxr had h ead quickly. "Alan, I love you for then knelt for a moment, and laid hie he noticed and understood. He hesi
tated ; but sbe did not look up. For
dared pot Into words the fear riving ♦ hat. But 1 won't shirk 1 Don't ever cheek to hers.
the first time since Christmas they had
ever higher In their hearts.
think I mean that.” She turned her
decision lies In your bands." omltt«*d their morning kiss. Anil now
tte uncovered his fro» at* last, and j lumiApus eyes seaward: Tunudhv a , h j "The
whimpered. “Corns and tell me ,
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something restrained 'll Tin fr o m ’taking
the wistful little face in his hsnda.
much as be longed to do so. He turned
and strode off up the hay.
The omission was significant. They
had struck a chord too deep ever to
return to the delightful camaraderie ef
the past. Demonstrativeness held a
hidden menace behind all Its charm. A
new wall, vastly different from the old
one. yet no less baffling, formed agnln
between them. Once more, each In
tuitlvely hid behind reserve yet bung
upon tbe other's slightest action. Once
more, only surface topics were allowed
admittance. Once more, Alan spent
long hours away. . . .
One day, before their second Christ
mu», Meauiaa fell sick. Barbara, who
of late had shunned too much contact
with that happy family, fetched Laalo
and his sister to play In the enclosure
Children’s merry laughter echoed
around their home; and Alan, Instead
of going off as usual, stayed to play
with them.
Barbara watched him. all Iter heart
shining In ber e y e s There was nobody
to put the fear of tabu Into Laalo's
frizzy head. The "great white chief"
told him mnrvelous stories of animals
never seen upon their island. He be
came a wonderful horse galloping
round tbe but, with Lanlo upon his
b ack ; then a roaring lion, that roared
moat terribly. There were »wings In
the hammock, and games of which tbe
little natives had never hoard.
And all tbs time, while Joining In
their play. Barbara watched her man
Often, too, she found him watching
her. . . . How happy these little
ones were in their life of fre«tdom.
knowing no other. . . .
The con
ventions of previous years seemed very
remote new. very unreal. . . . His
point of view waa, surely, mere com
mon sense. . . . As the day wore on,
ah» fell more and more silent, a ter
rible aching hunger in her heart.
. .
Muet their two nature» age here in
barren purposelessness? Never be ful
filled! W hy! Becanse far-off rules of
society, which could net reach them,
would be broken? How trivial such
things seemed here, where the world
waa still In Its beginning. . . .
In tbe evening, tbe tiny girl, tired
after excitement of the day, grew
sleepy and fretful. Alan stopped an
uproarious game, sat down upon a rock,
and lifted her in his arms. She Iny
there «■ootrntsrily, her little black baud
nestled In hts shonlder.
A pain th a t In Its.poignancy, was al
most physical, gripped Barbara's heart.
Great tears wailed up suddenly and ran
down her cheeks
Moved by an Ir
resistible tmpulae she darted forward
and snatched tits child from him. "No,
no, not I can't bear—dial I Let them
go homo. . . .
It Is time they went
home. . .
For a n u e ir it he gazed at her. be
reft of speech. Then he rose, and |
called Laalo.
“I will take them home,'* he said
quietly.
When lie returned, she had sunk
upon the rock he had vanated. With
eye» tragic In their Intentness, she
watched him approach. He came cine-
to her. With one of hta old swift move- '
ments he raised her chin with his
band, eo that she met tbe penetration
e f his gaze.
"Barbara I" be muttered, "thia will
drive ua mad. We are human, not
gods.”
She drew away, biding her face la
ber bands The very touch of bis fin
gers sent an eiectrlc current raring
through her veins. To continue like
this waa botom lng daily more Impos
sible
Presently she rose, not daring to
•peak, and turned from hLm into the
hnt
Blindly, bewildered, Barbara groped
her way. step by stvgi, through a mass
of un< -ztalnty. Tbw day with tbe na
tive ch ild ren . had l»«u g rev sUUup '
P h o n e 220
¡Never before had she realized the pas
sion of longing which poKfM-SHed her.
. . . And by her own self-revelntlon
she Judged the suffering of the man
waiting for ber decision. The claims
of another's need grew Insistent, dom
inating. . , .
More und more did
the life of previous years seem pale
and unreal. . . . The fears for the
«'uture, the burden of its responslblll-
Itg. grow fainter, assumed new as
pects. , . .
There came a night when Alan, after
being away all day returned moody, Ir
ritable. Impatient of all the trivial sub
jects with which she endeavored to
make conversation.
"Hare you been working In the plan
tation?” she asked, after several unsuc
cessful attempts daring «upper.
“ N d .”
(Continued on page 4)
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