The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-03-08

yet wild Joy bumped and banged in
his heart. If, after all, his chance were
coming!
She drew very near. Her hand lay be-
seechingly on his arm. HE says it il
your fault" she whispered. THAT he
is njured-innocent; and"
"And you believe him?"
mo! All, mol"
Then 1 don't mind. Thank God, I
can prove my case"
"And the children? Oh, the poor
children!"
"Oh, bother tho children!" is what he
would like to have said, but didn't.
The Chi were always getting in
his way. Besides, they were just liks
the head manager.
Eva began to cry-miserab tears.
Sand things were going so WELL" she
sobbed.
$50 well?" He started from her and
held her at arms length. "Why, your
life here is hell" he gaSped, giving
her little shake.
'Oh, no! it is better since you came;
sometimes l have been quite happy.
and"
"And ?"-he bent down to look under
the paper sunshade; he wasn't think
ing much about the errors in book
keeping-"And?"
sit was Van Berg's last chance" she
sighed, land thought he had taken it."
The under manager Strengthened his
back. Eyes, thought he had taken it,"
he repeated, stupidity.
And they wandered on again
through the sweet, prim coffee groves.
Eva was very quiet-fearing that the
strong current of the mans passion
would carry her where she would not.
And the man was only conscious that
he wanted to take her in his arms
and mustn't. The sultry air had mad
ness in it, and they both remember that
walk
A muttered execration from Kepler
"a child's cry-a grinning baboe.
Eva caught her little son to her
heart, kissing him passionately. AS IA
rule she was not ELUSIVE with her chill
dren.
1t was starlight and the calm of rest
brooded in the shadows.
Only some tall palms and torn bana-
mas stood out clearly against the sky.
When the nightwind rustled through
them they stirred softly, to sleep
again, like children dreaming of fairies.
There had been high words in the of
fee. The manager hectoring and kick
ing things about - till the younger
man, arising, spoke his mind.
Some one from somewhere was on
his way to 'leok into matters" And
some one else would "have to 60"
Now, Van Berg wanted to stay. AS
Eva said, the plantation was his "last
chance" and he had hoped to shift the
trouble on to young Kepler's Shout
ders. 1t was most inconvenient now
to have the truth flashed over his fig
ures with ill-concealed scorn.
Kepler was six feet high, and as his
anger waxed he seemed to turn into
giant. His dumpy, tipping superior
felt that the interfering 'some one
would believe Kepler. So he pretend
ed to think of Eva and the children,
and wept-a pitiful bully-conquered
And the under manager, rejoicing
fiercely, left him to his tears and
joined Eva in the back gallery.
Don't go on crying like that" he
said, roughly.
She did not look up nor speak, nor
even sob audihlv She wac inst n routa
lump of humanity, with the leaven
of happiness left out.
Kepler took the limp little hand and
held it tenderly
Don't, dear!" he prayed. You'll
break my heart"
Still she was silent.
Outside, the tangled stars hung in
the blue stiffness.
Eva" he whispered, "can't you
trust yourself to me?"
She looked up at him. And her eyes
were twin with the stars. She had
never so nearly loved him as now,
when she realized what hurting him
would cost her, and chill vision of
the long future without him caught
ucI DIedlu lOT IL HlOUleuU. one UnTe"
out little fluttering hands.
Then, though knowing that she
would repent when she had rung
down the curtain, the good in her
conquered for his sake i almost
against her will.
Don't, don't talk like that" she
said. "You know better than anyone
what my life here is. Yet / can't
leave my acknowledgements 1 love
him."
And young Kepler dropped her
hands and turned away. For he knew
that she had spoken the truth. And
after that nothing mattered-much.
So, when the "some one" came, the
under manager left. Van Berg said
it was lucky that he did not go with
policeman! And Eva watched the
mailboat till it had faded into d