After the Storm

"Are you ill?" asked his companion, looking at him anxiously.

"No, oh no," he replied, trying to rally himself.

"But you are ill, Mr. Emerson. How pale your face is!"

"It will pass off in a moment." He spoke with an effort to appear

self-possessed. "Let us go on deck," he added, rising. "There are a

great many people in the cabin, and the atmosphere is oppressive."

A dead weight fell upon the maiden's heart as she arose and went on

deck by the side of Mr. Emerson. She had noticed his sudden pause

and glance across the cabin at the instant she was holding her

breath for his next words, but did not observe the object, a sight

of which had wrought on him so remarkable a change. They walked

nearly the entire length of the boat, after getting on deck, before

Mr. Emerson spoke. He then remarked on the boldness of the scenery

and pointed out interesting localities, but in so absent and

preoccupied a way that his companion listened without replying. In a

little while he managed to get into the neighborhood of three or

four of their party, with whom he left her, and, moving away, took a

position on the upper deck just over the gangway from which the

landings were made. Here he remained until the boat came to at a

pier on which his feet had stepped lightly many, many times. Ivy

Cliff was only a little way distant, hidden from view by a belt of

forest trees. The ponderous machinery stood still, the plunging

wheels stopped their muffled roar, and in the brooding silence that

followed three or four persons stepped on the plank which had been

thrown out and passed to the shore. A single form alone fixed the

eyes of Hartley Emerson. He would have known it on the instant among

a thousand. It was that of Irene. Her step was slow, like one

abstracted in mind or like one in feeble health. After gaining the

landing, she stood still and turned toward the boat, when their eyes

met again--met, and held each other, by a spell which neither had

power to break. The fastenings were thrown off, the engineer rung

his bell; there was a clatter of machinery, a rush of waters and the

boat glanced onward. Then Irene started like one suddenly aroused

from sleep and walked rapidly away.

And thus they met for the first time after a separation of ten

years.