ir- .
BEYOND
9 -wv . - .o-a."
i -r --.v
lETCiwl. $ o" " 1S ' ,hU i,,ue ,f
jownr op rnKCEDiNO a-ronr.
'VZZSfif world ""er '""" .'
HM .:,e,J!i..5niijJiiMf. Home orrof en
" "I-'Jj i i$ Key J-"- IhtmtrlvtM M Is
wrt FtiJl sA2 York olflee. Thtlr warn
nM.''J. IM iSclf-itrl'J come to g
rl"" -.."!,?- l , irXleV the lico o' Hr-t-"2?'!ii
human ract art vtetorloui,
Wl. tVt ,'rntef llrtr oaltlM. a-tit -i
ri7?. p'Sdli to' a ( on IA. eon,
fiu J'sen B-r.
CHAPTER I
Beginnings
THOUSAND years of darkness
nntt decay I A thousand years ot
blight, brutality nnu mavism;
of Nature "overwhelming all
mans- worie. oi cruniunuH
cities ana or lorBoucn civili
sation, of stupefaction, ot
5Sh! A thousand years ot night I
.So human beings, all alone In that vast
!lornes a woman and a man.
'The past. Irrevocable; the present.
'iMhihi with problems, perils and alarms ;
,,. future What?
S Athoy.y'-?.";' .... hnrt
0. T - .. . aa am II aitlrlllU HKA rT
iMRllBfir smeareu awujr u,, pen xx .
S!t.!m n..n from the cosm o canvas.
MUif Stern and Beatrlco Kendrlck thrilled
ta at VIUM ft Jianamii ..o ...w,,.. ...
tilt, oblivious ago lay not between them
& ind ihelr lonir kiss, there In sight , of
..m im limn iiiiaz. nua.
SV.V.i. .- hnme.to.be alone there In that
rerouted world was na natural as the
fcr.4J.H9it on the blossomy apple-bough
:.-bove their heads, the white and purple
-rakes or oaorous macs uiuiik iuo "
Jmn itnntt wall, the Kold and purple dawn
('bow briaklng over tho distant reaches of
.m...- ..- 1.aba tivn Kfttrnlhrl. Ihtia HolA
inun nwn iD ...w ...... .
rurnims pair i .......... v...-.
f ttioil m the now day burned to living
'eims up the Inverted bowl of sky, this
-toum and this man pledged each other.
P'tttlr love and loyalty and trust.
t; Tims they stood together, his loft nnn
tont her warm, lithe body, clad as she
"$u only In her tlgerskln. Their eyes met
ted held true, there in tne goiuen giory
Iflhodawn. Unafraid, she read the mes
ttjo In the depths of his, the Invitation,
i command s and they both foreknew the
fctutei
Beatrice spoke first, flushing a little as
i drew toward him.
'Allan." she sold with Infinite tender-
tets, even an' a. mother might speak to a
vtll-laved son, "Allan, come now and let
me dress your wound. That's the first
tMnt to do. Come, let mo seo your arm."
; I smiled a little, and with his broad,
trbwTi jjiand stroked back the spun silk
of .her 'hair. Us mass transfixed by the
; gold pins he had found for her among"
ii mi ruins oi now iotk.
"ao, nol" he objected, "ifa nothing
it's' not worth bothering about. I'll be all
riiM In a day or two. My flesh heals
ilmost at once, without any care. You
t Son't realise how healthy I am."
i enow, aear, dui it musi nun you
tfrribly!" ,
, "Hurt? Uow could I feel any pain with
pat kiss on my mouth?" '
"Come!" she again repeated with In
tUttnce, and pointed toward the beach
.tjstre their banca lay on the sand.
': "Come,' I'll dress your wound first. And
lt.ir I find out lust how badlv vou're
ilajured '
f.iJie tried to stop her mouth with kisses,
mi iaq evaaea mm.
. ao. nol'
she , cried. "Nat now not
jaw!"
AU&n hsd ttt MA. Am1! nniw niu.nMw
L8 knelt on the fine white sand, his
.,? ro Pnea and nunc. back, his
cjrnu saoumer and sinewed arnt bare
w Prowa
"Wilt, la It r.l.H V. .....J irtr
, ms do you slye me to survlvo It?" as with
i S: noJ"la nB cola limpid vfater of the
Htoa she started to lave the caked blood
; ? frm his gashed triceps.
.7" me wound she looked grave,
iL4! n? Moment. She had no band.
K!?,bu5 "wl,h th woodland skill she had
OJVllODCrf n (h n..t ... m ti. , -.
WCa Wlln nftttlrA. mhtk hmi.il ... .1.... .J
IWma Wth cooling leaves and fastened
, -csra securtlr In ninr o,ik i..t..nn..
f lrihr thongs from the banco.
b3 Erty "!. la'K ws d0I- Stern sllp-
'hrtif KfVV. tr,ed clnsP thB ver
SSL"" AM .b ?. " t re-
tiJT r. L1' . URnv ner nana " both of
wM crushed It to his lips.
UtL i'1'. her ?rrect faco bween
fc uTSM,-V1f2r lons moment studied
M.HunM?i',.i,i,5?r t"lv'nB halr- luxuriant
St " .,c,h brown Kletms In the sun.
25 &Bn' fU.'i, ff2 , '"O?-
tST;,i,,h b"nnt tides of life-blood
narnu ,.v r-H tiw, ino ioyea ana
i. lu"0 1Ute 'vln flames.
uia mei nera again.
tf1 bOVedT breathed hi.
Iter j-i.i.i.i-.i . . . .. .
t'reltd V. :. , "" Dar to the shoulder,
E"2 bis neck; she bid her face 1., bis
l"SS1hVtfflfr-y".!!?L??4.... .
-t2.h rob,n' untratd. gushed Into a
rflbrMd shert2r,.d,,,rucl.th r,v,!f lnto
mm willof.. v . ""l't over wnicn
tStid aid t!?i nM .'1. oWen y
KESri.Tz P,ra.Itf' with nAw and then a
- wt ' "" or spray.
WtoH wer. iif ,", w,na'n8; sheets of
ivJLrl on her mouth. w.lf .h.
SSj biS " tttmM 'p,r,t womao.
r i.!y??. h - iwr meanlna-. "You
wi io do- !vLnow' A,lan- There's so
. fla f 4T0t to be practical, you
f81' - love -a
Ti.S" 4t"-..Bt there', so much
"y Tn7,. vfc r womanly homo-
TkS5. fft'W WoW not bo ealdMid.
Ur. .JK,'? Ana " house t put l
EH d ibot ,!?" Ws " very wits.
.T' MtV Ifaal .. .. "- ""
- S2?i" ! -vrytWaa- gtt
!TuBamlJ ,w ?
t MuiSi ZT r. ' W 7 '
tks aJT ! WVsm mt MijA naemr ,, ,
' .. r
1
a
."
31-i-iuaw jy, teiiac.-Cf lS
MMHteMM
the dim remnants of what must once have
been a broad driveway from the river road
along the beach leading up to tho bunga
low. Through the encroaching forest and the
tnngle of the degenornte apple trees they
could see the concrete walls, with hero or
there n bit of white stilt gleaming through
the enlaccmcnts of nnojent vlnrt tlmt had
enveloped tho whole structure woodbine.
Ivy, wistarias and the maddest Jungle of
climbing roses, red and yellow, that ever
mado a nest for love.
"Walt, I'll go (lrt nnd clear the way for
you." ho said cheerily. Ills big bulk
crashed down the undergrowth. Jlls hands
hold back tho thorns and briers and tho
whipping hnrdhncks. Together they slowly
mado way toward tho house.
The orchard had lost nil j..-mllanrn nf
regularity, for In the thousand years slncoJ
me nanu oi man nan pruned or cared foe
It Mother Nature had planted nnd re
planted the trees beyond counting. Small
and gnarled nnd crooked the trees were,
as tho splne-trce souls In Dante's dolorosa
Bclva. '
Here or there a pine had rooted and
grown tall, killing' the lessor tribe of green
things underneath.
Warm lay- tho sun there. A pleasant
carpet of lat year's leaves and' plno spills
covered tho earth,
"It's nil ready nnd wnltlng for us. all
embowered nnd carpeted for love," said
Allan musingly. "I wonder what old Van
Amburg would think of his estate If he
could see It now? And what would ho
say to our having It? You know. Vnn
was pretty ugly to mo nt ono time about
my political opinion but that's all past
nnd forgotten now. Only this Is certainly
an ouu turn or rate.
He helped tho girl over a fallen log.
rotted with moss and lichens. "It's one
awful mess, suro as you're born. Hut as
quick as my nrm gets back Into shape
we'll have order out of chaos before you
know It. Somo flno day you and I will
drlvo our slxty.horsepowcr car up nn as
phalt road here, nnd "
"A car? Why, twhat do you mean?
There's not Such a thing left In tho wholo
world as a carl"
Tho engineer tapped his forehead with
his finger.
"Oh, yes, there Is. ,I've got several
models right here. You Just wait till
you seo the workshop I'm going' to Install
on tho bank of tho river with currcnt'
power, nnd with an electric light plant
for the whole place, and with "
Beatrice laughed.
"You dear, big, dreaming boyt" she In
terrupted. Then with a ktes she took his
hand. x
"Come." said she. "We'ro home now.
And there's work to do."
CHAPTER II
Settling Down
TOQETHEIl, In the comradeship of love
and trust and mutual understanding,
they reached tho somewhat open spjee be
fore the bungalow, where onco the road had
ended In a stone-paved drive. Allan's
wounded arm, had ho but sensed It, was
beginning- to pain more than a little. Hut
ho was oblivious. His love, the fire of
spring that burned In his blood, the lure
of this great adventuring, banished all con
sciousness of til.
Parting a thicket, they reached tho steps.
And for a while they stood there, hand
In hand, silent and thrilled with vast,
strange thoughts, .dreaming of what mint
be. In their eyes lay. mirrored the future
of the human race. The light that glowed
In them evoked the glories of tho dawn of
life ngaln, after ten centuries of black
oblivion.
"Our home now!" he told her very
gently, and again he kissed her, but this
time on the forehead. "Ours when we shall
have reclaimed It and made It ours. See
the yellow roses, dear? They symbolize
our 'golden future. The red, red roses?
Our passion and our pain I"
The girl made no answer, but tears
gathered In her eyes tears from the deep
est -wells of the soul. She brought hhi hand
to her lips.
"Ours!" she whispered tremblingly.
They stood there together for a little
space, silent and glad. From an oalc that
shaded the porch n squtrrel chlppered. at
them. A sparrow larger now than the
Sparrows they remembered In the time
that -was peered out at them, wondering
but unafraid from the nest under the eaves ;
at them, the first humans It had ever seen.
"We've got a tenant already, haven't
we?" smiled Allan, "'Well, I guess we
shan't have to disturb her, unless perhaps
for a while, when I cut away this poison
Ivy hero." He pointed at the glossy triple
leaf. "No poisonous thlnr, whether plant,
snake, spider or Insect. Is going to stay
In this Eden I" he concluded, with a laugh.
Together, with a strange sense of vlolat
Ing the spirit ot the past, they went up
the concreto steps, untrodden now by human
feet for ten centuries.
The massive blocks were still Intact for
the most part, for old Van Amburg had
bullded with endless car "4 with no re.
motest regard for coat Here a vlne.'there
a sapling had -managed to Insinuate a tap
root In some crack made by the frost,
but the damage, was trifling. Except for
the falling of a part of a cornice, the build.
Ing -was complete. Hut It was hidden In
Vines and mold. Moss, lichens and weeds
grew on the steps, flourishing In the detritus
that had accumulated.
Allan du the toe of his sandal Into the
loose drift of dead. leaves, and plne-spltls
that littered the broad plaits-
"I ell need more than a vacuum cleaner
to put this in shape I" said he. "Weil,
the sooner we get at It, the better. We'd
do well to take a look at the Inside."
The front door, one-time built of oaken
nlanks studded with hand.worked nails and
banded with huge wrouahk-lron hinges, now
hum: there a mere shell of Itself, worm
eaten, crumbling. dislntegratd.
With no tools but his naked hands Stent
tore and battere4 it awy. A thick, pung
nt hase of dust arose, yellow In the morn
ing suniisni " " - mj
time in a thousand years, fell warm and
hrlsht aerosa the oobwebbed front hall
way through thi aperture
Itooro by room Allan and Beatrice, ej.
Dlored. The bungalow was virtually
itriDDed bar ? time.
"Only moth and rust." sighed the girl
The .am story everywhere we gg. But
uM Sw lo- Wll o fcve It look
W6JI, ".;" ili.v ma a broom. lnr
.. tinmeiuiD. w -. - -
and I'll wep
out the worst of It at
Talking now la terms of practical detaij,
i7h reman tot (ft hour diwlaeed by
bOUJK. ...0inaut furnishiilfii. oals
nl.SlB4W MM WW MWl -
gia
mrmim LEDaEH-pHrCABiipHiA, Saturday, December o.
THE
vci
lumlnatrd the wreck of nil that had once
been the lavish home of a billionaire.
Huge, paintings, furniture, bibelots, treas
ures of nil kinds now lay commingled In
mournful decay. In what Imd evidently
been tho musto room, overlooking the
grounds to southward, the grand piano now
was only a mass of rusted frame, twisted
nnd broken fragments nt wire nnd n con
siderable heap of wood detritus, with a
couple of corroded pedals burled In the pile.
"And this was the famous hundred
thousand -dollar harp ot Sara, hts daugh
ter, that (he pnperit used to talk so much
shout, you remember?" asked the girl, stir
ring with her foot n few mournful bits ot
rubbish that lay nenr the piano.
"Slo transit gloria mundll" growled
Slcrn. shaking hts head. "You nnd she
were the game age, almost. And now "
Silent and full ot strange thoughts they
went on Into what had been tho kitchen.
Tho stove, though heavily bedded In rust,
retained Its form, for tho solid steel had
resisted even tho fearful lapse of vanished
time.
"Jfter I scour that with sand and water,"
said Stern, "and polish up theso aluminum
utensils and reset that broken pane with a
piece of glass from upstnlts where It Isn't
needed, you won't know this place. Yes,
and I'll have running water In here, too
and electricity from the power plant,
nnd "
"Oh, Allan," Interrupted the girl, de
lightedly, "this must havo been the dining
room," She beckoned from a doorway "No
end of dishes lclt for usl Isn't It Jolly?
This Is luxury compared to the way wo
had to start In the tower!"
In the dining room n good number of the1
mora solid cut glass nnd china pieces had
resisted tho shock ot having fallen, centu
ries ago. to tho floor, when the shelves nnd
cupboards of teak and mahognny had rotted
nnd gone to pieces. Corroded sllverwnro
lay scattered all about; and there was gold
plate, too. Intact save for the patina of
extreme age platters, dishes, beakers, nut
ot the table and chairs nothing remained
Bavo dust
I.lko curious children, they poked and
pried.
"Dishes enough 1" exclaimed she. "Oold,
till you can't rest But how about some
thing to put oil the dishes? We haven't
had n bite since yesterdny noon, and I'm
about starved. Now that the lighting's
all over, I begin to remember my heitlthy
appetite."
Stern smiled.
"You'll have some breakfast girlie,"
promised he, "There'll be the wherewithal
to garnish our elghteen-carat, never tear.
Just let's have a .look upstairs, and then
I'll go after something for the larder."
They left the downstairs rooms, silent
savo for a fly buzzing In a spider's web,
nnd together ascended the dusty stairs.
The railing was entirely gone; but the con
crete steps remained.
Stern helped the girl. In spite ot the
twinge of pain It cnused his wounded nrm.
Ills heart beat faster so, too, did hers as
they gained the upper story. The touch of
her was. to him, like a lighted match flung
Into a powder magazine : but he bit his Up,
and though his face paled, then flushed, he
held his volco steady as he said;
"So then, bats up here? Well, how the
deuce do they get In and out? Ah. That
broken window, where the elm branch has
knocked out the glass I seel That's got
to be fixed at onco !"
- II. 1.....I. .1 ..-Alt. nM.f ,1t.f fmm thk r,..
malntng panes, nnd together they peered
out over the orchard, out across the river,
now a broad sheet of molten gold. His
arm went about her; he drew her head
against his heart, fast beating J and silence
Come, Allan," said the girl at length,
calmer than he, "Let's see what we've
got hero to do with. Oh, I tell you to be
gin with," and she smiled up frankly at
him, "I'm a tremendously practical sort of
woman. You may be an engineer, nnd
know how to build wireless telegraphs and
bridges land and thlpgs; but when -It
comes to home-building "
"I admit It Well, lead on." ho answered ;
and together they explored the upper rooms,
Tho sense of Intimacy now lay strong upon
them, of unity nnd Indissoluble love nnd
comradeship. This was quite another ven
ture than tho exploration of the tower,
for now they were choosing a home, their
home, and In them the mating Instinct had
begututo thrill, to burn.
Each room, despite Us ruin and decy;
took on a special charm, a dignity, the
foreshadowing ot what must be. et in
trinsically the place was mournful, even
after Stern had let the sunshine In.
For all was dark desolation. The rose
wood and mahogany furniture, pictures,
rues brass beds, all alike lay reduced to
duit'and ashes. A gold clock, tho porcelain
mtlngs of the bathroom, and some flne clay
and meerschaum pipes In what had evl.
dently been Van Amburg's den these con
stituted all that had escaped tho tooth of
""in a front room that probably had been
Sara's a mud-awallow had built Its nest
fn far corner. It flew out, frightened,
when Stem ?hVu.t his hand Into the aper.
wre to see It the nest was tenanted, flut
tered about with soared cries, then van
it.,i un the broad fireplace.
"Efrss-wannr announced Stern. "Well,
.....B!5!rV.iM havs to be shut tip and left
IID UIWIIItM 1.VW1 ... uuu. ..v... ..- .-
we've got more i than enough, anyhow. l
work for youT dear." he added, with a smile.
Wv mlBht ue only the lower floor. If you
like Tdon't want you killing yourself with
holfsework? you undersu -
She leushe4 cheerily. .....
"You make me a broom and get all the
dishes and thing together." she answered,
irf then leave the rest to me. In a week
rrom now you won't know this place. Once
wlear out a little foothold her. we can
go bai to the tower and fetch up a few
loadV of tools and supplies"
Come on. coma cnl" he Interrupted,
-.kirns her by the hand and leading her
sfwiy "All Planning will do after
breakfast, but I'm starving! How about a
flve-pound has on the coals. h? Come on,
let's tso Ashing."
CHAPTER III
Tho MiakellungG,
WITH charasterUtie resoursefolness, Stern
goon manufactured adequate taekle
Uh rj weU'triraBied alder pole a line of
Wther thongs and a hook tf etput plan
Sire properly bent to make a barb and
ruboed io a fine point on a stone. He
iausbt a doxsn young frogs anions; the
Ldras in the naarsny stretch at the north
and of the landing beaeh. aod confined
Thn a the oirfy available receptacle, the
atater ot hi aubwaU
jlil this hurt his arm severely, but he
paid a &d-
tix Vetrlfi w OewastMsr
iMflMr gbsjr -MMh4 bt o; itl
GREAT OBLIVION
Bontrico struck with thu
gilded smoothly out on the breast of the
great current.
"I'll paddle," she volunteered. "You
mustn't, with your arm In tho condition It
Is. Which way?"
"Up-s-over there Into that covo beyond
the point," he answered, baiting up his
hook with a frog that kicked ns naturally
as though a full thousand years hadn't
passed since any of lltt progenitors had
been handled thus. "This certainly Is far
from being the kind of tackle that Bob
Davis or any of that gansc used to swear by,
but It's the best we can do for now. When
I get to making lines and hooks and things
In earnest, there'll be some sport In this
vicinity. Imagine water untouched by the
angler for ten hundred years or morel"
He swung his clumsy line us he spoke,
and cast. Par across the shining water
the circles splead.. silver In the morning
light) then the trailing line cut a long- se
ries ot Vs as the girl paddled slowly to
ward the cove. Behind the banca a rippling
wake flashed metallic; the cold, clear water
caressed tho primitive hull, murmuring with
soft cadences. In, tho old, familiar muslu of
the time when there were men on earth.
The witchery of It stirred Beatrice; she
smiled, looked up with joy anu wonder at
the beauty of that perfect morning, and fn
her clear voice began to sing, very low, very
softly to herself, a song whereof-save In
her brain no memory now remained In the
whole world
'Stark wle der Fels.
Tlef wle dss Meer, ,
Muss delne I.lebe, muss detne I.lebe selh "
"Ah!" cried the man, Interrupting hej
The aider pole was Jerking, quivering In
his hands; the leather line was taut
"A strike, so help me I A big one 1"
He sprang to his feet and, unmindful ot
the swaying of the banca, began to play the
fish.
Beatrice, her eyes a-sparkle, turned to
watch; the paddle Uy forgotten In her
hands.
"Hera ha comes! O damn I" shouted
Stern. "It I only had a reel now-V'
"Pull him right In. can't you?" tho girl
suggested.
He. groaned, between clenched teeth fpr
the strain .on hs arm was torture.
"Yes,, and have, him break. the Jlnel" he
cried. "There he goes, under the boat, now I
Paddle! Op ahead paddle I"
She seized the oar, and while Stern
fought the (monster she set the banca In
motion again. Now the flali was leaping
wildly from side to side, slg-sagglng, shaking-
at the hook as a bulldog shakes an old
b09t The leather cord hummed through
the water, ripping and vlbratlne, taut as, a.
riddle string- A long, silvery Una of bub
bles followed the vibrant cord.
Flash, 1
High In air, lithe and graceful and vtry
swift, a spurt of green and whlte-a lops;,
slim curve qf glistening power a splash;
and again th cord drew hard.'
"Muikellunges." Stern cried. "Oh, we've
got to land him got to I Fifteen pounds It
he's an, ounce!" ,
Beatrice, flushed and eager, watched the
fight with fascination.
"If I can bring- him close, you Strike hit
harfl" the man directed, "Give It to pim!
If e' our break? st I"
Even in the excitement of the battle
Stern realized how very beautiful this wo.
toinj was. Her color was adrcbierr.rMe
leaves ftd cream. Her eyes were sh?t full
ot Ikht and lite as4 tba Jay of (IvMiv; u
tMMStd hajr, wavy and rich and hrewn.
fcatt Wd the graceful curve of her ejc a
p to M Kratcb, to fetp him.
44 uw djnimitaa m4 .Mm to
S ttt & tf Ja4 14 1 m H
paddlo onco, twice, with magnificent
at the woman's feet as his trlbuto and his
trophy.
Ho had. In the days of lone aso, fished In
The Adirondack wildernesses, lie had fished
for tarpon In tho aulf; he had cast tho fly
along tho brooks ot Maine and lured tho
small.mouthcd hasJ with floating bait on
many n lako nnd stream. Ho had even
flshed In a Hocky Mountain torrent, nnd
out on the far Columbia, when failure to'
succeed meant hunger,
But this experience was unique. Never
had ho fished all ulone in tho world with a
loved woman who depended oil his skill for
her food, her life, her everything.
Forgotten uow the wounded nrm, the
crude and absurd Implements; forgotten
everything but Just that sole, Indomitable
thought: "I've got to wnl"
Camo now a lull In' the struggles of the
monster. Stern hauled in. Another rush,
met by a paylng-out, a gradual tautening
of the line, a strong and stendy pull,
"lla'a tiring," exultod Stem. ''Be ready
when I bring him close!"
Again tho fish broke cover; ngaln It
lived, but now Us strength was lessening
fast.
Allan hauled In.
Now, far down In the clear depths, they
could both see the darting, flickering shift
of white and green.
"Up ho comes now I dive It ta him
hard I"
' As Stern brought him to tho surface,
Beatrice struck with the paddle -once,
twice, with magnificent strength and Judg.
ment
Over the gunwale or the banca, In a
sparkle ot flying upray, silvery In tho morn
ing the muskellunge gleamed.
Excited and happy as a child, Beatrice
clapped her nanus, titsrn seized the paddle
ns she left It fall. A moment later the
huge fish, stunned and dying, lay In the
bottom of the boat. Its gilla rising, falling
In oonvunlve gasps, its body quivering,
scales shining In Jhe sunlight a thing of
wondrous beauty, a promise of the feast for
two strong, healthy humans.
Stern dried his brow on the back nf his
hand and drew a deep breath, tor the
morning was already .warm and h labor
had been hard.
"Now." said he, and smiled, "now- a nice
little pile of dead wood on the beach, a
curl of birch bark and a handful of pine
punk and grass a touch of the flint nnd
steel! Then this." and he pointed at the
muskellunge, "broiled on a pointed stick,
with a handful ot checkerberrle for des
sert, and I think you and I will be about
ready to begin work In earnet I"
He knelt and kissed her a kfew that she
returned and thsn, slowly, happily ahd
filled with the Joy of comradeship, tbey
drove their bane once "fore to the white
and gleaming- beach.
CHAPTER IV
.The Goiden Age
STllN'S plans of hard wsrk for the lm
mediate present had to be a deferred a
little, for In spite of his perfect health,
the spear thrust In his ariuV-laeklnff the
proper trsatmsnt and Irritated by his labor
In catehlflu the hlK flsb developed swelling
and soreness. A little fever even set in the
teeend day- And though he was eager ta
go out fishing again, Btatrico appointed
herself M sure and guardian and with
held permUstoa,
They Uvad tm stuns fays on the excellent
au of'tlw wuekeUuiM. on ejain froa
the gh. arnous ctauui of itajtetem
Hy-wt ww Intti ytWt ptoVh saaat.
ibw, grew abundantly te" Um tfetdMtr
ioio
strength and judgment.
nnd Bomewhat resembled breadfruit; op
wild asparagus sprouts, nnd on the few
Squirrels thnt Stern ivas nblo to "pot" with
his revolver from tho shelter of the leafy
little camping placo they had arranged near
the river.
, Though Beatrice worked many hours all
alono In tho bungnlow, sweeping It With a
broom mado of twigs lnshcd to a pole, and
trying to bring the placo Into order, It was
still no fit habitation.
Sho would not even let the mnn try to
help her, but Insisted on his keeping quiet
In their camp. This lay under tho shelter
of a thlck-follagcd oak at the southern end
of the beach. Tho perfect weather and the
presence ot n threo-quarter moon nt night
invited them to sleep out under the sky.
"There'll be plenty of time for the bun
galow," she mid. "when It rains. As
long ns we have fair June weather llko this
no roof shall cover mo!"
Singularly enough, there were no mos
quitoes. In the thousand yeara that had
elapsed, they plight either have shifted
their habitat from eastern America, or else
some obscura evolutionary process might
have-wiped them out entirely. At nny rate,
none existed, for which the two adven
turers gave thanks.
' Wild benBts they feared not Though now
and then they heard tho yell of a wild cat
fnr back In the woods, or the trumping of
an occasional bulk through the forest and
though once a cinnamon bear poked his
muzzle out Into the clearing, sniffed and
departed with a grunt ot disapproval, they
could not bring themselves to nny realiza
tion ot animals ns a real peril. Their
camp-nro nurueu nign all night, heaped with
driftwood and windfalls; and beyond this
protection, Stern had his automatic and
a belt nearly full of cartridges. They dis
cussed the question of a possible attack
by some remnants ot the Horde; but com
mon sense uajiured them that these creatures
would such as survived give them a
wide berth.
"And In any event," Stern summed it
up, "it anything happens, wo have the
bungalow to retreat Into. Though In Its
present state, without nny doors or shut
ters. I think wo'rs safer out among- the
trees, where In a pinch, we could g aloft"
Thus his convalescenoo progressed In the
open air, under the clouds and sun and
stars and lustrous moon of that deserted
world.
Beatrice showed both skill and Ingenuity
In her treatment With a clam shell she
scraped and saved tho rich fat from under
the skins of the squirrels, and this she "tried
out" In a golden dish over ths (Ire. The oil
thus got she used to anoint his heallna
wound. She used a dressing ot clay and
leaves; and when the fever flushed him she
made him comfortable on his bed ot spruos
tips, bathed his forehead and cheeks, and
gave him oold water from a spring that
trickled down over the moss soma fifty
feet to westward of the camp.
Many a long- talk they had, too -ha prone
on the spruce, she sitting beside him, tend
ing the Are. holding hts hand or letting his
head He In her lap. the while she stroked
his hair. Ferns, flowers In profusion--lilacs
and clover and climbing roses and
some new, strange seart blossom
bowered thllr nest' And through the pain
and fever, the delay and dtaappointment.
thsy both were glad and cheerful No
word of IropatlenM or haste or repining
Maped them. For they had Ufa; they
had ach other ; they had love. And these
days. later they looked bk uon them,
were anwuf.th Iiap4t, the most yurli
beautiful, the sweeteet of their whole wau-
iinu strsiise iwwlwa
He oa , $msm ") wwntaej sa
Mmm w4wbjsfe-.
" wanp -mmvfrnfM
5
conscious of the other's presence. Ths con
tlnulty of love, care and sympathy was
never broken. Even when, at daybreak,
sho went away nroUnd tho wooded point for
her bath In the river, he could hear her;
splashing and singing and laughing happily
In the cold water,
It wns tho Oolden Age come hack to earth
again the ago ot natural simplicity, truth,
trust, honor, faith and Jpy, unspoiled by
malice or deceit, by lies, conventions, sor
did ambitions, or the lust ot wealth or
power. A ready, nt last In truth!
Their convcrratlon was of many things.
They talked ot their awakening in the
tower and their adventures there; of ths
possible causa ot the worldcatastrophe that
had wiped out tho human race, save for;
tholr own survival ; the Horde and the great
battle; their escape, their present condi
tion, nnd their probable future: the possi
bility of their over finding any other Isolated
human beings, and of reconstituting the
fragments ot the world or ot renewing the
1 human race.
And ns they spoke ot (his, sometimes the
girl wouldgrow strangely silent nnd a
look almost at inspiration the universal
mother-look ot the race would fill her
wondrous oyes. Her liand would tremble
IrulilH; but he wduld .hold It tight, for he,
too understood.
"Afraid, little girl?" ha asked her once.
"No, not nfrald," sho answered; and
their eyes met, "Only so much depends pn
us on you. on' me I What strength we
two must have,, what courage, what en
durance! The future of the human race
lies In our hands!"
Ho made no answer; he, too, grew silent.
And for a long while they sat and watched
tho embers of the fire ; and the day waned.
Slowly the sun set Jn Its glory- over the,
virgin hills; the far eastern spaces ot ths
sky grew bathed In tender lavenders and
purples. Haze .drew Its veils across the
world, and the air grew brown with even
fall. Presently the girl arose, to throw more
wood on the Are- Clad only In her loose
tiger-skin, clasped with gold, she moved
like a primeval goddess. Stern marked the
supple play of her muscles, the unspoiled
grace and strength of that young body, the
swelling warmth of her bosom. And as he
looked he loved; he pressed a hand to his
eyes ; for a while he thought It was as
though ho prayed.
Evening camo on the warm, dark, mys
terious night Off there In 'the shallows
gradually arose the million-voiced chorus of
frog, shrill and monotonous, plaintive, ap
pealing the cry of new life to the over
arching, Implacable mystery of the uni
verse. The first faint silvery powder of
the stars came spangling out along the
horizon. Unsteady bat began to reel across
the sky. The solemn beauty of the scene
awed the woman and the man to sllepce.
But Stern, leaning his back against the
bole of the great oak, encircled Beatrlo
with his arm.
Her beautiful, dear head rested In the
hollow ot hts throat: her -warm, gragrant
-hair caresed his cheek) he felt the whole.
some strength ana sweetness ot tnir-woman
whom he loved; and In his eyes unseen
by her tears welted and gleamed In. the
firelight
Beatrice watched, like a contended child,
the dancing showers ofae-parka that roie,
wavering and whirling In complex sara.
bands pajfks red as passion, golden
the unknown future of their dreams. From
the river they heard .the geatle Up-la
IsnJng of the waves along the shore. Alt
was rest and peace and beauty: this wte
Bden pnee againand there -was no ar
pent U enter In.
Presently ftern spoke.
"Dear. sW he, "do you Xnow. Vm
bit puzzled In some ways, about weU.
4hout night and day, and temperature afel
gravitation, and a number of little thl
like that Puzzled. We're lacing prohU-M
here that w don't realize fmiy as yet"
"Problems? What problems, o-tcpt t
maka our home. and-and live
-
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