The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-16

DNe@~NS III lHe OlutT-ldNlnE COmDleIeig threshed out that subject with Mr Fow- Ter of the Valley Kirk.
 Accordingly he put up Walter Grind nng spirited nag at the little Porto. garten inn, and strolled round the head. lands to the house with the cropped hedges, the white paths. the green Dor. ders, the fiowerbeds. and the pervading air of ship-shape neatness. He came upon tall flagstaff with a girl hauling at a string of bunting which seemed al. most part of the outfit
 The young man came up behind the glrl with his soft elastic tread. the cat like walk of big men.
 Halo, Nissan, Vida, I beg your par don-l can't get over tn enew name-let me help you I suppose you are com- municating with Dick and MT. Bryan on the ilghthouse-which means that you are alonew
 It was not often that Vida blushed. Ii was perhaps the first time that such a thing Gin the memory of the editor) Is recorded in this history But at any rate she now blushed for all the other times.
 hed as rose was she"-red indeed Crimson!
 From the first Vic regarded her with anxious eyes. He was not blind He could see the wonderful beauty of the girl, and how some secret happiness had caused her to open out into n flower which bade fair to fulfil the budding promise of her youth.
 But what he said was certainly very curious.
 Poor Janetw
 That was all. To the ordinary mind the exclaimation conveyed but one thing-that he had come back with a mind in strait betwix two, and that the very first sight of Vida in the flesh fha .f Ta. Fowler's letters. They had seemed treasurers to him in far away Spain, as he listened to the shout of the sail ors rising up from the Nervion quays, or the tinkle of the mandolins, which, in summer, are never silent in the shell tered patios of Huelva. All that, how ever, had been as a dream of the night. The daystar had arisen. Poor Janet" indeed
 But it was not for the world to know Vic Morris. No ordinary rules of conduct bound him.
 And as for the signifcation of the Involuntary exclamation-that is still to seek.
 They stood mutely regarding one an- other, Vida and Vic-each with a se- cret in their hearts. But the mans gaze was calm and untroubled. He meant to carry through his programme to the letter. He was convinced of its righteousness. of its necessity. There fore, being the man he was, nothing could move him from his intent.
 The girl. on the other hand, blushed and blush ed-above all things con scious of the import of that chain of coloured flags above her. Vic had fixed the knot in an exceedingly unwork- manlike way-not so much that he did not know how, as because he was look ing at the girl before him.
 ou are all alone?" he asked, sim ply and withou the least sham That is good I want to speak to you.''
 My father is sitting upstairs in his room," she answered.; he is getting better, but cannot move yet-Mr. Romer, I mean! I suppose you have not heard!'
 Vic nodded. Yes. he had heard. Ger tainly, Miss Romer, he hurried on.
 But the other two are at the light house-then I can speak with you. I have much to say. I left Kirktown rather in hurry. You may have mo- ticed. Since then I have had time to flect-bitterly-long. And now I have come to ask you to forgive me!'
 Vida looked at him, paling slowly to the whiteness of unblea oh ed linen, which Is as far as her complexion would carry her in that direction.
 Forgive you?' sl1e murmured, dread ing what was coming. T do not under standl"
 Certainly" said Vic Morris, firmly I acted both wrongly and hastily. have come to say so. have reflected --I tell you, and here I am-determined to do right''
 They were in the exact spot where -well-where Phil and she were ac- customed to ''redd out" their quar- rels and-the rest. Whatever Vic Nor ris had to say to her, Vida could not bear to hear it under that rowan tree at the corner of the house. That was Phil's and hers. It's leaves seemed to whisper of many things-worse than the flags.
 "Will you come indoors-into the par lor?" she said. Then 1 shall be able to thank you-for-for saving my life!'
 Saving your life!' cried Vic, with great astonishment, ives, so I did. But it wasn't that!
 This made the girl wonder yet more what the mighty secret could be which could make such an act as that of Vic Morris's in No. 2 pit, seem but little, ea- silly forgotten thing.
 They entered the little parlor, gay as usual with fresh flowers. Phil sent them
 
 bunch each evening. He plundered Rose Nunsby's garden on purpose. The furni- ture was cid but solid, and Vida had so polished it that under her hands it had attained the soft gloss of old mahogany one of the most beautiful tints in the world. The window was open, and Vida, indicating chair for Vic Morris, sat her self down by the winoow, within sight of the fluttering fags-which in the code of low To ftaa Pbil perched on the heights of his cliff a mile away.
 Vic Morris was a resolved mon, and rather oblivious of impressions other than those which affected his immediate pur- pose. He could not feel moods and theses like Phil-especially feminine ones. He knew if crowd of workmen were plot ting mischief, and had his own way of dealing with such. But a girl-well, her thoughts did not affect his very directly It seemed hardly worth while. So 1t was hidden from him that now Vida was possessed by strong preoccupation. Miss Br-Romer," began Vic, speaking sharply and rather unexpectedly, so sud denly indeed that he made Vida jump q have behaved very badly to you. You had right to expect other things oi mel"
 How so?'' said Vida. T was quits unconscious of anything of the sort" 1 "Of course. I knew you would say so, T | he continued; that is called right and womanly. But have my own standards | and l know that I have behaved i'll to | you"
 | '"ro behave Ill is. I suppose, to save l a persons life at the risk of ones owr - Vida was resolved to take 1t smiling. | ly.
 | Tt is," reiterated Vic firmly, 'it is when man runs away without perform. | ing his responsbilitiesn