The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-07-14
Copyright. by ]. B. Lippincott CO..

on MS second trip into Africa. He
had only come home the month before
from the first expedition, which had
been in tie dark continent trying to
fix some sort of boundary line some
where, ard it seemed strange to his
friends that he should run away again
so soon. They attributed his going to
the love of the thing. In way they
were right; in a way, wrong. They
entirely mistook the thing"
The truth of the matter is that
Clay's part in private expedition he
had made during his month at home
had been something of failure, and
he wanted to get away from every
thing that might remind him of it, so
he went to- Africa again.
Clay had known Helen always, and
though they were often together, no
one suspected for moment that he
was in love with her; indeed, at first
he was not sure Of it himself. Before
he went away at all his feelings for
her had bee n those of friend; but
travel and ether women and the I'm.
''SA'S
Helen seem to him, by comparison,
different from the rest, and in his
heart he felt place widening for her.
He had not seen her in three years
and he was not sure that it was not
an ideal he was comparing with other
women. He wanted to take her from
that distant light and to make his feel.
ings for her palmer to himself, to see
if he really loved her as he often
thought he did, or if, in reality, he
loved at all. He felt that she would
decide it. Once or twice in the gay
places where he had been he thought
he had found the right woman, but he
was mistaken. Now he was thankful
that he had not gone too far, and it
was with a glorious feeling of abso.
lutte liberty, mind, heart, and body,
that he started down to the Bells cot.
tage by the sea.
Del Mar stood on a rise of ground
facing the ocean towards the south.
east. Hedges Of roses bordered the
place, roses climbed up trellises to
every window, and the veranda-a
large corner room of the house left
open towards the sea-was shaded by
leaves and made fragrant by their
presence.
1t was June, and Helen, with laugh.
ing eyes and both her hands, gave him
the welcome of the month.
We're so glad to see you home
again, Jack" she said enthusiastically;
Its just centuries since we've seen
you. How black you are!"
cts great to be here" he said
warmly, dropping his bag and his hat
and stick together to take her out
stretched hands.
With such a welcome it was easy to
get into the life at Del Mar. 1t was
all so splendidly real and true There
was no glitter about anything-ex.
cept when the sun set in the red west
and made the golden waters glisten,
or the moon edged the great breakers
with shining silver as they curled in
and broke in foam on the smooth,
white sands. Perhaps it was the glory
he saw in such things that made the
days and weeks there what they were
to him, at least it was that, with
Helen, that gave the note for the har.
mony of it all
1t was a harmony and peace that
grew upon him. The knowledge of his
love for Helen came to him unsought.
There was nothing else but that. There
was no question, no doubt, and he
was so wholly absorbed with the Joy
his love brought him that he quite
neglected to ask himself if his being
there were a JOY to her also. They
were constantly together. Her enthu
siasn at having him, her pleasure in
listening to his stories of adventure
the true friendship she showed in lit.
his seeming selfishness. But soon
these things did not satisfy him. His
love had reached the summit of it's
single strength and needed the re-
spouse of another affection. He real.
lied that all his love, strong and sure
as he knew it to be, was only half
"a part-of beautiful whole.
And that other half?
1t was the end of June. He had
been at Del Mar a month. Helen and
he had been tramping miles along the
cliffs toward Pescadero and had not
returned until dark. They had fin.
ished dinner and had come out on the
veranda for their coffee. The night
was clear and warm. The perfume of
roses and the fragrance of lavender
mingled deliciously with the odor of
the sea. It was beautiful and still.
The low, quiet moan of the waves
came monotonously from the sands
below. Clay was idly looking out to.
wards the sea. The last bit Of the
days color, was dying away at the
waters edge.
aren't you going to smoke, Jack?"
Helen asked.
IF may" he said absently, getting
up for match.
why do you always say If i
may?'" she asked. you know you
may, don't you? I like to- see you