The Southern herald., 1910-11-25
CHAPTER XVII.


On the third day she opened her
eyes to the sun with the thought:
Where Is he? From the windows OF
her room she could see the two pale
points and the narrow way Of water
that led into the western ocean. Had
be sailed out yonder west into the
east, into that oblivion which was
his only safety, for ever out of her
sight? Or was he still at hand, ignor-
ing warning, defying fate?
She drew out the sapphire and held
1t in her hand. The cloud of events
had cast no film over it's luster, but
she looked at it now without pleasure.
For all its beauty 1t wasn't worth
what they were doing for it. Well,
to-day they were both of them to see
the last of it. To-day she was going
to take it to Mr.. Purdie, to deliver it
into his hands, to tell him how 1t had
fallen into hers in the goldsmiths shop
all of the story that was possible for
her to tell
She had made it out all clear in her
mind that this was the right thing to
do. 1t hadn't occurred to her she
had made it out only on the hypothe-
sis of Kerr's certainly going. 1t had
not occurred to her that she might
have to make her great moral move
In the dark; or, what was worse, in
the face of'his most gallant resistance.
In this discouraging light she saw her
intention dwindle to the vanishing
point, but the great move was just as
good as it had been before-just as sol
id, Just as advisable. Being so very sol
id, wouldn't it wait until she had time tc
show him that she really meant what
she said, supposing she ever had a
chance to see him again? The pos
sibility that at this moment he might
actually have gone had almost es
capped her. She recalled it with a dis
agreeable shock, but, after all, tha
was the best she could hope, never t
see him again! She ought to be crate
, full to be sure Of that, and yet If sht
J we're, oh, never could she deprive hin
of so much beauty and light by he
, keeping of the sapphire as he woult
then have taken away from her!
: She would come down then, indeed
l level with plainest, palest hardes
things-people and facts. Her ro
mance-she had seen it; she had ha
It in her hands, and it had somehov
? eluded her. 1t had vanished, evapC
: rated.
: She leaned and looked through tn
Y thin veil of her curtains at the spleI
!, did day. 1t was one of February
; freaks. It was hot. The white ghos
l. of noon lay over shore and sea. B,
y meath her the city seemed to slee
s gray and glistening. The tops of hill
" that rose above the up-creepin
j. houses were misted green. Across th
IT bay, along the northern shore, thel
1t was a pale green coast Of hills divi
a, ing blue and blue. Ships in the ba
n hung out white canvas drying, and IL
1t sky showed whittier clouds, slow-mo
1T ing, like sails upon languid sea.
d She looked down upon all, as lol
le and lonely as a deserted lady In
rs tower, lifted above these happy, peac
80 full things by her strange responsible
al ty. Her thoughts could not stay wi
d. them; her eyes travelled seaward. 81
a parted the curtains and, leaning a |
OF tie out, looked westward at the whi
III sea gate.
A whistle, as of some child CALI
~ his mate, came sweetly in the silent
es 1t was near, and the questing, expt
10 tant note caught her ear. Again
he came, sharper, imperative, directly |
Mt meath her. She looked down; 6
=" was speechless. There was a sudd
'dG wild current of blood in her vel
'or There he stood, the whistler, neitl
for child nor bird, but the man hims
aat kerr, looking Up at her from the !