Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-05-21
CHAPTER II.

Constable had an un-American capac-
ity for waiting. He might have gone
ashore in Saint Pierre that night, but
instead he sat alone on deck, in the wind
less harbor. Queerly restless, he regard
ed the illumined terraces of the city. Back
of all his levity and elaboration, it was
not to be concealed from his own mind
that before him lay the goal of the cruise.
She was there, far TO the right among
the lights on the mountain side-the lit
tie girl who had told him he was a no.
body. Constable smiled, and grew seri-
Gus from the start of an old thought 1t
was not impossible for her to have met
some emperor who had demanded her
heart for his throne room
The harbor was werdly hot The
heavy, moist sweetness of horticultural
garden, to which he had likened the nights
of Saint Pierre, had been supplanted by
dry devitalized draughts of air. His
throat and nostrils were irritated, and to-
bacco became unpaatable There was no
moon, and the stars were so faint in the
north that the mass of Pelee was scarce
ly shaped against the sky. The higher
lights of the city had reddish, uncer-
tain glow, as if thin film of fog hung
between them and the eye; but to the
south the night grew clearer. He fol-
lowed the circling shore with his eyes to
the Morne d'Orange, which marked the
southern boundary of the city. Beyond
the morne stood the great plantation
house where she lived. The night was
pure purple in that direction, and the
torrid stars unsullied.
Breen essayed to read the following
forenoon away, leaving Constable to make
his first descent upon the city alone The
Madame had already been sighted from
the plantation house, and certain MEM
bers of the establishment were out to
welcome the guest. Indeed Constable
had scarcely stepped ashore from his
launch at the Sugar Landing when he
heard his name called and saw the flutter
of a handkerchief above the burdened
heads of the natives in the market place
1t was Miss Stansbury, in a carriage. She
greeted him merrily:
Uncle Joey went out to the ship from
the lower landing. l told him | would
capture you if you touched here. We are
very glad you've come, Mr.. Constable"
beside her in the carriage This is
great luck" he said nervously. Il feared
You might be away somewhere-in Eu-
rope or the States. Would you mind me
looking at this little book in your lap?"
IT'S a little volume of essays" she
told him. land I'm not sure that l great
ly admire their spirit nor the views of
the writer. He makes a statement. for
instance, that women are incapable of the
finer senses of friendship: that women
cannot adhere through severe tests"
Miss Stansbury was to encounter, a
few days later, stirring cause to remem-
Der these words and Constables reply,
which is neither here nor there, ethical
niCeties not being his speciality.
The man is an arrant fool. and prob
ably couldn't get a woman to live with
him." he said with finality.
The ponies were ascending the rise in
Rue Victor Hugo, at the southern end
of the city. The porteuses, coming down
from the hill-trailS, the lithest, hardest
women of the occident, bore a pitiable
look of fatigue in their faces. The pres
sure of the heat, and the dispiriting con-
dition of the atmosphere, were revealed
in the distended eyelidS and colorleSs
twisted lips of the burden bearers. AS
Miss Stansbury looked out toward the
harbor for Uncle Joeys boat, Constable
regarded her profile. The delicacy of
color and contour brought to him an i'm
perious realization of her fairness. 1t
appeared that in his absence the rarest
touches of perfection had been set
You haven't changed much" she said
laughingly. You were always willing
to \agree that l was right, and ali men,
yourself most of all. deeply in the wrong
Don't you remember how | used to preach
to you about mans need of doing some
thing emphatic?''
"Indeel I, remember. Your lessons
made deep Oppression"
At least, yol bore very gracefully with
an oppressive companion she declared
..Just as if yoI didn't know best how to
dispose of you time and talents ~
ION the con-ary. YOU were more near
ly right than y, knew. | was in need