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Often, in these hours of dreairl, and asked hiht of the valley reflected its gleaht of her eyes He saw in theht and soul and nature--strong vision of life All tidings the ind blew froe he found deep in those dark-blue depths, and found them mysteries solved Under their wistful shadow he softened, and in the softening felt hirow a sadder, a wiser, and a betterhis heart full, teaching hied to white, and the storo now," he said

"When?" she asked

"At once--to-night"

"I'ed at me Go--for you'll come back the sooner"

Late in the afternoon, as the ruddy sun split its last flaed notch of the western wall, Bess walked with Venters along the eastern terrace, up the long, weathered slope, under the great stone bridge They entered the narrow gorge to cli before built there by Venters Farther than this she had never been Twilight had already fallen in the gorge It brightened to waning shadow in the wider ascent He showed her Balancing Rock, of which he had often told her, and explained its sinister leaning over the outlet Shuddering, she looked down the long, pale incline with its closed-in, toppling walls

"What an awful trail! Did you carry me up here?"

"I did, surely," replied he

"It frightens me, somehow Yet I never was afraid of trails I'd ride anywhere a horse could go, and cli fearful here I feel as--as if the place atching me"

"Look at this rock It's balanced here--balanced perfectly You know I told you the cliff-dwellers cut the rock, and why But they're gone and the rock waits Can't you see--feel hoaits here? Iheave would start it Then it would fall and bang, and s, and jar the walls, and close forever the outlet to Deception Pass!"

"Ah! When you coht to roll the rock and close forever the outlet to the Pass!" She said it lightly, but in the undercurrent of her voice was a heavier note, a ring deeper than any ever given mere play of words