Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

and strength OF this passion which had
come to him with such scant presage.
realizing for the first time that his need
for her was an Unsuitable hunger OF tho
soul. And she was lost to him: half
world lay between them-or soon would.
All his days he had awaited. a little Curl
ously. little skeptical. the coming of the
thing men call love. and when 1t had
guessed It until it's cause had slipped
faway from him. -" Beyond recall?
Abruptly he regained consciousness of
his plight. and with an effort shook his
senses back into his head. It was not
precisely time when he could AFFORD to
let his wits go wool-gatherinY. And he
realized that he had been, In q way. moro
than half asleep as he walked: even now
he was drowsy. his eyes were heavy. his
feet leaden-and numb with cold besides.
He had no least notion Of what distance
he might have Travelled or whether he
had walked In straight line or circle.
but when he thought to glance over his
shoulder-there was at the moment. per-
haps, more wind with less snow than
there had been for some time-he found
the lighthouse watching him as 1t had
from the first; as IL he had not won a
step away from 1t for all his struggle and
his pains. The white. staring eye winked
sardonically through a mist OF flakes.
was blotted out and turned up a baleful
red. 1t seemed to mock him. but Amber
nodded at 1t with no unfriendly feeling.
1t still might serve his purpose very well.
if his strength held, since he had merely
to keep his back to the light and the
ocean beach upon his right to win 10 the
Shampton sandbar. whether soon or late.
Inflexible OF purpose in the face OF All
his WEAKNESS and encouragement. he
was on the point of resuming his march
when he was struck by the circumstance
that the whitened shoulder OF dune.
quite near at hand, should seem as IL
frosted with light-coldly luminous.
Staring, speculative. he hung In the
wind-inquisitive as a cat, but loath To
waste time in footless inquiry. The
snowfall. setting in with augmented vio-
lence, decided him. Where light was
there should be man. and where man,
shelter.
basin in the dunes. filled with eddying
wells of snow. and set, at some distance,
with two brilliant squares OF light-wlh-
dows in an invisible dwelling. In the
space between them. doubtless. there
would be a door. But a second time he
paused. remembering that the island was
said to be uninhabted. Only YESTERDAY
he had asked and been so informed.
Odd!
So passing strange he held it. indeed.
that he was conscious Of a >singular re-
luctance to question the phenomenon
That superstitious dread Of the unknown
which lies dormant In us all in Amber
stirred and awoke and held him back
like strong hand. Or. IL there be such
a thing as a premonition OF misfortune.
he may be said to have experienced II in
that hour; certainly q presentiment OF
evil crawled In his brain, and he hest
tated at a time when he desired naught
in the world SO much as that which the
windows promised-light. heat and human
companionship. He had positively to
force himself on to seek the door. and
even when he had stumbled against It's
step he twice lifted his hand and let IL
fall without knocking.
There was not a sound within that ls
could hear above the clamor or the gob-
lin night.
In the end, however. he knocked stout
ly enough.
(To be continued tomorrow