Darkness and Dawn, Page 2

  CHAPTER II

  REALIZATION

  The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as shegazed on him. Could this be _he?_

  Yes, well she knew it was. She recognized him even through thegrotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red,dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staringincoherence of his whole expression.

  Yet how incredible the metamorphosis! To her flashed a memory of thisman, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert,well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complexproblems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.

  Faltering and uncertain now he stood there. Then, at the sound of thegirl's voice, he staggered toward her with outflung hands. He stopped,and for a moment stared at her.

  For he had had no time as yet to correlate his thoughts, to pullhimself together.

  And while one's heart might throb ten times, Beatrice saw terror inhis blinking, bloodshot eyes.

  But almost at once the engineer mastered himself. Even as Beatricewatched him, breathlessly, from the door, she saw his fear die out,she saw his courage well up fresh and strong.

  It was almost as though something tangible were limning the man's soulupon his face. She thrilled at sight of him.

  And though for a long moment no word was spoken, while the man andwoman stood looking at each other like two children in some dread andunfamiliar attic, an understanding leaped between them.

  Then, womanlike, instinctively as she breathed, the girl ran to him.Forgetful of every convention and of her disarray, she seized hishand. And in a voice that trembled till it broke she cried:

  "What is it? What does all this mean? Tell me!"

  To him she clung.

  "Tell me the truth--and save me! Is it _real?_"

  Stern looked at her wonderingly. He smiled a strange, wan, mirthlesssmile.

  All about him he looked. Then his lips moved, but for the moment nosound came.

  He made another effort, this time successful.

  "There, there," said he huskily, as though the dust and dryness of theinnumerable years had got into his very voice. "There, now, don't beafraid!

  "Something seems to have taken place here while--we've been asleep.What? What is it? I don't know yet. I'll find out. There's nothing tobe alarmed about, at any rate."

  "But--_look!_" She pointed at the hideous desolation.

  "Yes, I see. But no matter. You're alive. I'm alive. That's two of us,anyhow. Maybe there are a lot more. We'll soon see. Whatever it maybe, we'll win."

  He turned and, trailing rags and streamers of rotten cloth that oncehad been a business suit, he waded through the confusion of wreckageon the floor to the window.

  If you have seen a weather-beaten scarecrow flapping in the wind, youhave some notion of his outward guise. No tramp you ever laid eyes oncould have offered so preposterous an appearance.

  Down over his shoulders fell the matted, dusty hair. His tangled beardreached far below his waist. Even his eyebrows, naturally ratherlight, had grown to a heavy thatch above his eyes.

  Save that he was not gray or bent, and that he still seemed to havekept the resilient force of vigorous manhood, you might have thoughthim some incredibly ancient Rip Van Winkle come to life upon thatsingular stage, there in the tower.

  But little time gave he to introspection or the matter of his ownappearance. With one quick gesture he swept away the shrouding tangleof webs, spiders, and dead flies that obscured the window. Out hepeered.

  "Good Heavens!" cried he, and started back a pace.

  She ran to him.

  "What is it?" she breathlessly exclaimed.

  "Why, I don't know--yet. But this is something big! Somethinguniversal! It's--it's--no, no, you'd better not look out--not justyet."

  "I must know everything. Let me see!"

  Now she was at his side, and, like him, staring out into the clearsunshine, out over the vast expanses of the city.

  A moment's utter silence fell. Quite clearly hummed the protest of animprisoned fly in a web at the top of the window. The breathing of theman and woman sounded quick and loud.

  "All _wrecked!_" cried Beatrice. "But--then--"

  "Wrecked? It looks that way," the engineer made answer, with a strongeffort holding his emotions in control. "Why not be frank about this?You'd better make up your mind at once to accept the very worst. I seeno signs of anything else."

  "The worst? You mean--"

  "I mean just what we see out there. You can interpret it as well asI."

  Again the silence while they looked, with emotions that could find novoicing in words. Instinctively the engineer passed an arm about thefrightened girl and drew her close to him.

  "And the last thing I remember," whispered she, "was just--just afteryou'd finished dictating those Taunton Bridge specifications. Isuddenly felt--oh, so sleepy! Only for a minute I thought I'd close myeyes and rest, and then--then--"

  "_This?_"

  She nodded.

  "Same here," said he. "What the deuce _can_ have struck us? Us andeverybody--and everything? Talk about your problems! Lucky I'm saneand sound, and--and--"

  He did not finish, but fell once more to studying the incomprehensibleprospect.

  Their view was towards the east, but over the river and the reaches ofwhat had once upon a time been Long Island City and Brooklyn, asfamiliar a scene in the other days as could be possibly imagined. Butnow how altered an aspect greeted them!

  "It's surely all wiped out, all gone, gone into ruins," said Sternslowly and carefully, weighing each word. "No hallucination about_that_." He swept the sky-line with his eyes, that now peered keenlyout from beneath those bushy brows. Instinctively he brought his handup to his breast. He started with surprise.

  "What's this?" he cried. "Why, I--I've got a full yard of whiskers. Mygood Lord! Whiskers on _me?_ And I used to say--"

  He burst out laughing. At his beard he plucked with merriment thatjangled horribly on the girl's tense nerves. Suddenly he grew serious.For the first time he seemed to take clear notice of his companion'splight.

  "Why, _what_ a time it must have been!" cried he. "Here's somecalculation all cut out for me, all right. But--you can't go that way,Miss Kendrick. It--it won't do, you know. Got to have something to puton. Great Heavens what a situation!"

  He tried to peel off his remnant of a coat, but at the merest touch ittore to shreds and fell away. The girl restrained him.

  "Never mind," said she, with quiet, modest dignity. "My hair protectsme very well for the present. If you and I are all that's left of thepeople in the world, this is no time for trifles."

  A moment he studied her. Then he nodded, and grew very grave.

  "Forgive me," he whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder. Once morehe turned to the window and looked out.

  "So then, it's all gone?" he queried, speaking as to himself. "Only askyscraper standing here or there? And the bridges and theislands--all changed.

  "Not a sign of life anywhere; not a sound; the forests growing thickamong the ruins? A dead world if--if all the world is like this partof it! All dead, save _you_ and _me!_"

  In silence they stood there, striving to realize the full import ofthe catastrophe. And Stern, deep down in his heart, caught someglimmering insight of the future and was glad.