the soft of the waves against the boat seemed to be a suited to the of the scene and the lovely form before him clad in soft that set it off the fair face and gentle voice appeared to fill everything with had more than once in the past few weeks considered how he would bring the subject up and what he would say if he ever addressed her he did not however go about it in the way he had planned it seemed to him to come up under the spell of the summer night they had drifted into talking of old times and they both softened as their memory went back to their youth and their friendship that had begun among the southern woods and had lasted so many years she had spoken of the influence his opinions had had with her do you know he said presently i think you have exerted more influence on my life any one else i ever knew after i grew up she smiled and her face was softer than usual i should be very glad to think that for i think there are few men who set out in life with such as you had and afterwards realize them thought of his father and of how steadily that old man had held to his through everything i have not realized them he said firmly i fear i have lost most of them i set out in life with high which i got from my father but somehow i seem to have changed them she shook her head with a pleasant light in her eyes i do not think you have do you remember what you said to me once about your ideal he turned and faced her there was an expression of such softness and such sweetness in her face that a kind of happiness fell on him yes and i have always been in love with that ideal he said gravely she said gently yes i knew it the old ideal did you asked in some surprise i scarcely knew it myself though i believe i have been for some time she said i knew that too bent over her and took both her hands in his i love and want love in more than i can ever tell you a change came over her face and she drew in her breath suddenly glanced at him for a second and then looked away her eyes resting at last on the distance where a ship lay her sails hanging idly in the dim haze it might have been a dream ship at s words a picture came to her out of the past a young man was seated on the ground with a fresh bush behind him spring was all about them he was young and slender and with deep burning eyes and close drawn mouth with the future before him whatever with the hope and the courage to conquer he had conquered as he then said he would to the young girl seated beside him when i love he was saying she must fill fall the measure of my dreams she must me she must have beauty and sweetness she must choose the truth as that bird chooses the flowers and to such an one i will give worship without end years after she had come across the phrase again in a poem and at the words the same picture had come to her and a sudden hunger for love for such love � the love she had missed in life � had seized her but it was then too late she had taken in its place respect and companionship a great establishment and social for a moment her mother sitting calm and calculating in the little room at her future and teaching with commercial the advantages of such a union flashed before her and then once more for a moment came the heart hunger for what she had missed why should she not take the gift thus held out to she liked him and he liked her she trusted him it was the best chance of hat she would ever have besides she could help him he had powers and she could give him the opportunity to develop them love would come who could perhaps the other happiness might yet be hers why should she throw it away t would not life bring the old dream yet could it bring it here was this man whom she had known all her life who filled almost the measure of her old dream at her feet again but was this was this the worship without end t as her heart asked the question and she lifted her eyes to his face the answer came with it no he was too cool too calm this was but friendship and respect that same safe foundation she had tried this might do for some but not for him she had seen him and she knew what he could feel she had caught a glimpse of him that evening when was so attentive to the little girl she had seen him that night in the theatre when the fire occurred he was in love but it was with and happiness might yet be his the next moment s better nature itself the picture of the young girl sitting with her serious face and her eyes came back to her moved by her sympathy and friendship had given her a glimpse of her true heart which she knew she would have died before she would have shown another she had confided in her absolutely she heard the tones of her voice why mrs i dream of him he seems to me so real so true for such a man i i could worship him then came the sudden lifting of the veil the straight confiding appealing glance the opening of the soul and the rush to 