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His sudden appearance alarled, panic-stricken, out of his path Her rags could not conceal the fact that she was defor word to her
This place was more as he had left it--there was the stone bench where he had said good-by to Rosa; yonder was the well-"Senor!" Johnnie heard himself addressed by the hunch-backed wohts were busy and he paid no heed "Senor! Do you look for so--some one--"
"N-no Yes--" he answered, abstractedly "Yes, I a you have lost?"
"So I have lost!" The question came to him faintly, but it was so in tune with his unhappy ely He found that his eyes were blurring and that an aching lu-point
O'Reilly's hearing, too, was going wrong, for he iined that some one whispered his name God! This place was not dead--it was alive--terribly alive with memories, voices, a presence unseen yet real He laid hold of the nearest bush to steady himself, he closed his eyes, only to hear his name spoken louder: "O'Rail-ye!"
Johnnie brushed the tears from his lashes He turned, he listened, but there was no one to be seen, no one, that is, except the dusky cripple who had straightened herself and was facing him, poised uncertainly He looked at her a second tiroped his way toward her He peered again, closer, for everything before his eyes i
The woman was thin--little more than a skeleton--and so frail that the wind appeared to sway her, but her face, uplifted to the sun, was glorified O'Reilly stood rooted, staring at her until she opened her eyes, then he voiced a great cry: "ROSA!" What ure into his arms, he rained kisses upon the pinched, discolored face But Rosa did not respond; her puny strength had flown and she lay inert in his e Tears stole down her cheeks and very faintly her fingers fluttered over his bearded cheeks
Dazed, doubting, astounded, it was some time before Johnnie could convince himself of the reality of this moment, and even then words did not co, coled in a sort of deliriuht or speech
Fear finally brought him to his senses, for he became aware that Rosa had collapsed and that his endearments left her unthrilled Quickly he bore her to the bench and laid her upon it After a time she smiled up into his eyes and her words were scarcely more than a murmur: "God heard my prayers and sent you to me"