Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23

| his so vehemently that it produced the
| hallucination of her presence? The next
moment he had jumped out of his berth
| and put on a few hasty clothes. in order
| to go to her cabin and see If she was all
right. Yet at the door he hesitated. He
could not face her: he would betray HIM
him. and she would see what he had been
doing. But anxiety for her overmastered
| him, and he went and tapped at her
| door.
She answered at once, and he went In.
| She was still fully dressed. and seated on a
chair blythe bed, her face radiant in hap
piness.
mot in bed YETI" he said.
"No. I was too happy to go to bed"
Then. as she looked at him. she paused.
What is the matter, Thurso? What have
you come to me for?"
He could not meet her eye, but looked
away.
Il couldn't Sleep" he said. IT kept think
ing you were In the room. I came to see
| II you were all right
She gave a long sigh.
You have been taking laudanum again,
| she said. Anyhow, you came to tell me
| that"
| He looked back fiercely at her.
II haven't" he said. What do you
mean? +"
And then his voice failed him: his lips
suffered over a few words more, but no
sound came. She entirely disregarded his
denial; she did not seem even to have heard
| it.
| II was in your cabin" she said. "All my
soul was there Oh Thurso don't despair"
Then something seemed to break within
him. He could not go on telling lies to her;
for the moment perhaps because he was
so tired. he could not call up the energy
to protest. 1t was simpler, too, to tell
her.
Yes it Is hopeless he said; 'it is no
good trying. AS soon as my strength came
back to me little today the craving came
back. 1 brought a bottle of the stuff with
me. Oh, yes I told you 1 hadn't. I lied
All the time I only wanted thing, to
get away to my cabin. l didn't care what
I said. Now I suppose you will want me
find don't want anything but that. It's
no use you're thinking 1 can get better. or
get over 1t. have given myself up. You
had better do SO, too
For one moment Maud felt that he spoke
the truth-he was beyond power of recall.
But the next her whole soul and strength
was up in arms fighting that thought,
passionately reversing 1t. There was moth
ing in the world so true as Infinite Love;
she had known that this afternoon, and
already she was letting error obscure it.
then suddenly she wondered what she had
been fighting. For there nothing there
her blows were rained upon emptiness.
1t was as if she had dreamed she was
fighting. For there was nothing to fight.
And she spoke to Thurso she might
have spoken to a child who was afraid
Of the dark.
you silly boyr' she said What can
you mean by such nonsense? How can 1
give you up? How can l give up my love
for you? That is the one thing nobody
can give up. And you are frightened, you
know. How can you be frightened when
there is nothing in the world to frighten
you? You said this afternoon things that
made me unutterably happy, and now you
come and say they were lies. that you
didn't mean them. I am sorry you didn't
mean Them but they weren't lies. Per-
haps you spoke the truth by accident"
That somber smouldering of despair in
his eyes faded.
DO you mean you can possibly trust me
now?" he said.
Then he added quickly:
But I can't give up the bottle to you"
Maud almost laughed.
We'll If you can't. you can't" she said.
and now I'm going to- see you back to
your cabin, and you are going to bed.
You have had a dreadful evening dear,
over these nightmare errors. l am sor-
ry; oh, Thurso, 1 am so sorry! And If
you feel me in the room again, you mustn't
be frightened, or think there is anything
wrong
He said nothing to this, and they went
down the narrow passage to his cabin In
silence.
and you've had dinner?" she asked.
you won't be hungry before morning? It's
only just I, you know. l could get you
something"
NO nothing. thanks" he said. Then his
eye fell on the dispatch box, and he stood
looking at 1t a moment. Then he took
bunch of keys from his pocket, detached
one and flung it on the ground.
That's the key he said, land 1t is inside
the dispatch box. You may take it if you
like"
That radiance in the girls face that had
left her only for a moment glowed and
shone with a double light. But she made
no movement to pick up the key.
Dear Thurso, where are your manners?'
she said THAT really is not the proper
way to give me a key"
II won't give 1t you in any other" said
he
She longed to pick 1t up herself; she
could hardly restrain herself from doing so;