Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-08
THURSTOll,
Author Of 1.-THE Masquerader," Etc.

arm about her shoulder and drew her gently
toward the stairs.
Gomez he said, soothingly. Come! The
| house is quite quiet and you are badly in
want of a little daylight and fresh air.
Comet Let me take you out.
Clodagh sobbed on; but she suffered her
self to be led down the stairs and across
the hall toward the open door. There, how
ever. she paused, newly arrested by her
grief
"Oh, Mr. Milbanke'' she cried. II can't
believe it, / can't believe that we'll never
see him again. Poor father! Oh, poor
fatherr'
! But Milbanke was equal to the situation.
You must be brave" he said, kindly.
| you must remember that he would like
| you to be brave"
The words were an inspiration; with mar
Vicious efficacy they checked the torrent of
| Clodagh's tears For a moment she stood
| looking at him in a dazed. uncertain way;
| then she lifted her head in pathetic at
tempt at decisive action.
You are right" she said. unevenly. HE
would like to know that l was brave.
The declaration seemed to cost her an i'm
mense effort, for instantly it was made she
turned away from Milbanke, freeing herself
from his OBTAINING arm. And as though
fearing to trust herself to any further on
rush of emotion, she stepped through the
open door and walked quickly forward to
where the graveled drive merged into the
long and narrow glen in which the Orris-
town woods met the sea.
she walked, with head rigidly erect and
with resolutely set lips, while Milbanke fol-
lowed in the rear. Now that the immediate
need for his protection had been removed
his mind involuntarily reverted to his ear
lier and more tumultuous thoughts. With
a strange. half-timid excitement he ac-
knowedged the personal element in his
surroundings and eXulted with certain
| tremuous joy in the keen air that blew in
| land from the sea-in the pleasant earthly
smell of the moss that clothed the rough
stones If the boundary wall skirting the
path-in the promise of spring suggested
by the hardy green of the wild violet plants
clustering a the roots of the beech-trees
And with his eyes fixed upon Clodagh's
slim. black figure. he walked forward in
vaguely intoxicating dream.
For the full course of the path she went
on steadily; but reaching the glen she
paused; and there, as If by prearrange-
ment of destiny, Mlbanke overlook her.
With quiet. transformations movement
he stepped to her side, and stood looking
upon the scene that spread before them
The scene was not imposing. but 1t
beautiful with the brooding. solemn beauty
that emanates from ireland. Upon one
hand, the sea stretched away green, invin-
chile. and cold, as it so often looks in early
spring; upon the other. the woods lay
mass Of leafess, interlacing boughs that
formed a clean, brown silhouette against
the gray sky; while directly in front, the
first undulation of the rugged Orristown
cliffs stood up an impregnable rampant
against the outer world.
For long, silent moment Clodagh sur
yeyed the scene; then, with one of the i'm
pulsive unstudied gestures that We're so
chara cteristic of her, she looked round; and
for the first time since they had left the
house her eyes rested on Milbankes face.
You are very kind to me-" she said, sud-
denly why are you kind?''
The words. spoken with complete ingen-
uousness, came at singularly appropriate
moment. To Milbanke. nervously conscious
of his own emotions. they seemed inspired.
With quick, unsteady gesture, he wheeled
round and putting out his hand, caught
hers.
Tit is easy to be kind to some people,"
| he said almost inarticulately.