, 1910-01-13

boped for 1t, but no revelation that
had come to him in the years of thei
association equaled in its binding
brilliancy, in its intense illumination,
the revelation in that woman's voice,
In that woman's eyes, in that woman's
touch.
MAN" she said again, 81 love you.
Do you understand! Do you know
what 1t means?"
Then he found his voice. He o
her hand and pressed 1t against his
heart.
81 know" he whispered. "T under
stand here"
He rose to his feet, stopped. caught
her by the shoulders and lifted her to
his level. A piece of rock Ill bal
anced on the edge OF the cliff fell
crashing. The place was dangerous.
Without a word he slipped his arm
beneath her, lifted her up as he might
have lone a child and carried her out
upon the sand away from the beetline
crags of the rocky wall. She nestled
in his arms with a sense of joy and
satisfaction and helplessness cared for
so exquisite that 1t was almost pain.
He sat her down presently on the
sand and knelt before her. The sun
light sprang through the gray haze
on the horizons edge and lighted he
face as he peered into 1t. Suddenly he
threw himself PROSTATE before her
and his lips upon her feet.
Not there" she whispered, laying
her hand upon his bent head, blu
here, here in my arms. upon my heart,
for Man, Man, l love you!"
Then kneeling by her side he took
her once more within his arms.
But you have not said!" she began
at last, that you loved me"
There is no word" he said. softly,
lin that speech that you nave taught
me which is equal to what | feel. You
don't know how | have looked upon
you and longed for you ever since you
made me know and feel that | was a
man with a mans soul. Night after
night | nave watched you as you went
to your nook in the rocks. But that
you have taught me honor n consid-
Grafton. what 1t is to be a gentleman.
had followed you and caught you in
the dark within my arms"
She laid her hand upon his breast
and looked at him feelingly, entreat-
ingly, with touching consciousness of
his strength and her weakness.
What / have taught you" she
asked, you will not forget?"
Never! Never"
He released her waist and tool her
hand II kissed it. There was as
much passion in the pressure of his
lips upon her hand as there was in
the beat of his heart against her own,
she felt.
You" he continued, will say what
is to be done"
Not l." she answered, p%iteously,
but you. / have nc strength when
you are by. Since that IN when
you kissed me. you are the master and
the man, but you will respect me in
my helplessness?"
LAS If you were God in heaven"
cried the man. raising his hand as one
who makes a vow. You are to me
everything that is pure, that is holy,
that is lovely"
No! MOI" she whispered, a look of
terror coming into her face.
les he saiu' IurouSu you 1
know God. through you | know woman.
You are sacred to me. Never again,
unless you give me leave, will / press
my lips to yours; never again, unless
o say | may, will | take you in my
arms; never again win | even touch
your. hand. Indeed, inueed, / cannot
do these things. And yet | will love
O in ways of which you cannot
dream so long as l can draw the
breath of life"
He rose to his feet as he spoke and
turned away from her and stood with
clasped hands and bowed shoulders.
In one ONE the whole course of
their lives a changed. 1t had taken
an earthquake shock to do it, but SO
terrific had been the submerged fires
OF mutual passions that a whisper op-
portunely uttered would nave effected
the same revolution. She sat and
watched him wondering what would
be the end OF 1t. She knew at last
what love was, not the pale phil
osophical emotion she had experienced
In the cabin of that yacht. God, how
she mated nat recollection. How she
wished that 1t had never been. II I'M
touched by man she could have been
cast upon that island to be given to
this man who looked upon her as a
goddess. She had told him some of
her history, but not the part which
was vital. 1t had been easy not to
~enlighten him wholly as to that. He
knew nothing about conditions. He
had never seen a ship or a boat within
his recollection, and the story she had
settled upon and told him was one
that received instant acceptance from
him, Indeed there was nothing tina
she had told him. or could nave told
him, that he would not implicitly have
accepted and believed. The king could
do no wrong. She vas incarnate truth.
And she would have to tell him all
! now SlA n-aill LaLa-a-.. -