The paper napkins were soft as silk—they burn all paper napkins and handkerchiefs when soiled. They only eat one small meal a day. The bread is slightly like our cakes in taste. It is airiated sweet bread, filled with ground nuts and dried fruit. “Ruth, my pet, we eat all kinds of delicious fresh fruit and nuts. We drink milk and use lots of eggs. Sweetheart, you have been gone a long time. I must take you home.” We began to float upward in space. O! it is heaven to soar so high. “We use mind power to float. The more intelligent the spirit, the better they can soar,” said Cresto. It was a strange new happiness to float in space with a man you respect and worship. “It was long and long ago our love began; It is something all unmeasured by Time’s span; In an era and a spot, by the modern world forgot; We were lovers, ere God named us Maid and Man. Like the memory of music made by streams, All the beauty of that other life seems, But I always thought it so, and at last I know, I know. We were lovers in the land of Silver Dreams. O, the land of Silver Dreams all about us shines and gleams, Where we loved before God fashioned night and day. We were souls in eerie, minds made of light; Our love wings could speed from height to height. All was glory, love and light, light with out a night.” Cresto sang these soul-stirring words to me while he was holding me in his strong arms and carrying me home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: chapter headpiece] CHAPTER XI. Will those Visions come again O, I long to soar back to Mars, To live in a better land than ours; To be loved by him always the same. “O, Cathy, what a lovely, impulsive bride you are!” The girls were deeply in love with each other. Ruth was reading to Cathy on the front porch, both being seated in a low-swinging hammock. These dear, sweet companions had been laughing and talking over their new dresses, and reading all day. Cathy wore a dainty blue lawn; Ruth was dressed all in pure white—she felt happiest when dressed in white. Suddenly the clouds turned black. An awful storm was brewing. The lightning came down in fiery forked tongues, and lighted up the awful darkness. The tall, graceful pines swayed and moaned. They bowed their haughty heads nearly to the earth. At times the whole country seemed on fire with brilliant phosphorescent lights. The storm blasts were furious in their battle with the pines of the forest. It would seem that the storm fiends were angry at the stability, solidity, and placidity of mother earth.