, 1910-03-17

And then his grief was SO obvious,
hat in accordance with a natural and
~ommendable tendency they strove to
heer him up. They encouraged him
. ask questions. They told him
lany things in reply that the woman
ould not have told him; that he had
Salf dimly suspected. but had not
known. They cleared up t. him many
hings which had seemed mysterious
md strange to him.
And on their part they marveled at
he things he did know, at the thor
Sughness with which he had been
aught. and at the wonderful acute
Jess of perception which he displayed.
he woman had marveled at it, too,
hut she had become used to 1t in three
tears of intimacy. They saw 1t i'm
~nediately with greater surprise.
In such engrossing conversation the
png hours passed until the striking
ouplets of the bell forward tolled
light and 1t was midnight. No one
ad any desire to sleep in view of
be unusual and stimulating expert
nee which both parties to the inter-
hange of thought in the play of ques-
jon and answer were enjoying. But
was the captain. h%ard-headed and
PRACTICAL. who gave the signal for re-
bring The men were not accustomed
b disregard even the suggestions Of
be autocrat Of the ship.
A spare cabin In the wardroom had
jeen arranged for the islander. and
here provided with the unwonted lux
Try of night wear after a hearty
Goodnight" from the lieutenant com.
handler and a fervent God bless you"
rom the old chaplain, he was left
b his own devices. The strangeness
( his situation. the soft bed, the
nowy linen. the silk pajamas. the con
ming area of the cabin, the sudden
buch with luxuries of civilization
ould in itself have kept him awake
ad he been as heart whole and as
are free as when the woman had
bnded upon the island. But, indeed,
be strangeness of these things
reused no emotions in his mind at
ll. for the moment he was alone his
boughts, which he had been fighting
desperately to keep upon other things,
everted to her. What was she doing
br the first time alone upon hat is
hnd? What was she thinking? He
ealized that no more than he could
he be sleeping.
These were the first moments that
e could give to reflection, the first
uiet hours that he could spend in
pnsidering the situation and in get
ng back his rudely disturbed bal
nee. There had been method in his
aiming, and he had been taught the
alue Of considering a series Of events
bgically in all their lights and bear
hgs. Lying in the comfortable berth
e reviewed at length and deliberate
the history of his life from the day
lat he had been born when he first
ent over her sleeping upon the sand
ntil that great glad hour when, the
brthquake enlightening him, he tore
lie rocks asunder, clasped her in his
rms and pressed the first kiss that
e had ever given any one upon her
ps.
Unfiinchingly he reviewed with
hat calmness he could muster the
Genes of the morning and the day.
e forced himself to consider In all
Is lights and bearings the informa-
ion that had been given to. him. He
brtured himself by the deliberate
low recalling of every detail, and
hen, q%ufvering as II under the stimu-
BIS Of some blow upon a raw wound.
e reviewed his own conduct. Enlight-
hment came to him In that dark and
lent hour. He discovered first of all
bat he loved her; that the check and
punter-check and variation and alter
ton in his emotions had been swept
way in a great development Of q
bore ~transcending feeling. II she
hould ask him that question on the
borrow as to whether he loved her
he had on that never-to-be-forgot-
en night, he would still answer NO,
because he loved her more.
And then he discovered that he
fanted her more than he had ever de
ired her before; that she was more
ecessary to him than ever he had
reamed she would be; that here was
10 question of honor or duty, indeed.
put of love. overwhelming, 'obsessing.
md then he admitted that she was
urity. even holiness itself; that he
BAD behaved to her like a cur; that
e had been neither grateful. nor kind,
Tor tender, nor loving. He began to
onder fearfully if. after having
billed 80 egregiously and terribly,
here was any possible chance that she
ould ever care for him again. Fate
|ad brought her into intimate contact,
e realized, with two men. One had
feated her outrageously in the be-
Inning and had nobly made amends.
e hated Langford, and yet his sense
Justice forced him to admit that he
lad played the man at last, while he.
ne islander, had treated her out
ageously and in the end had played
be fool. Was there a chance that
he would forgive him?
The man was in many respects still