, 1911-04-06

world that's true" she said presently.
And yet, that's not exactly the
worlds fault. When people haven
| ANYTHING else to walk by, they have
TO walk by sight" she hesitated a
little there, feeling for the words she
wanted. ut was SO easy she went
on at last, 'to clear you of the thing
they thought you did yesterday.
Couldn't you give them a chance to
believe the truth about the other
thing too? There must be something
you could reveal about hat old charge
that would wash out the stain OF it
something that would make Tom see
the falS:ty of 1t as clearly as do"
No" he said; that was never pos.
sible. It's less possible than ever
now"
That involuntary admission told her
much. II the thing she suggested
we're less possible now than 1t had been
before, then, somehow or other. the
indication must have rested in Perry
Hunters hands. But the finaIity of
bis voice and the dumb agony she saw
in his face, as he paced back and
forth beside her, prevented her from
following up the admission. or urging
him any further.
He pulled himself up sharply and
looked at his watch. TT will be day.
light in two hours now" he said.
When 1t m we'll signal to the
yacht and they'll send for you and
take you away-you and this precious
and you've made. In the meantime,
you must go to sleep. You hardly
dept at all while I was reading"
I hardly dare go to sleep-not
really deep asleep. If | did I'm afraid
you'd turn out to be all a dream, and
I'D find myself back in my stateroom
pn the yacht" She was speaking half
mockery, but there was an under
bone of seriousness in her voice.
Think how unlikely 1t is that all this
can have happened" she went on.
You said this morning you were go
ing to leave us. and l watched you
kO-How a 1t be anything but q
Dream that you were hanging aloft
here in the sky. above the fog. ready
% come %plunging down when / cried
but for help?"
Il told you once" he said not very
Fteadily. that one of us might be
treaming. but that one was not you"
You will promise, then" she asked.
that If l go to sleep. I'll wake up
Fou won't have Disappeared"
Il promise" he said seriously.
He seated himself once more at her
feet, switched off the fading light
rom the bull's-eye and drew the
Fleeves of her coat across his shout
Eers. Good night" he said.
She answered drowsily.
Warmed a little, and oppressed by
complete exhaustion, he fell asleep
himself. He knew. at least. hat he
must have lone so, when, rousins
With a start and springing to his feet,
e saw a ray of sunshine splashed
kolden upon the opposite wall of the
tut. 1t must have been light for
tOurs.
Very silently, very cautiously he un-
barred the door and pulled 1t open. Be
ore opening the outer door, he drew
is revolver and spun its cylinder un-
ferneath his thumb-nail. If the re-
fulsed party from the Walrus were
famped nea by. 1t would be well to
cautious before reconnoitering.
lie pulled the outer door a little way
pen and glance slantwise up the
peach. The brilliant light dazzled him
md made 1t hard to see; but appar-
fntly there was no n there. Step
ling outside. he turned his gaze in
and, along the foot of the cliff. His
mind was entirely preoccupied with
be danger of a sudden rush of enc
pies from rear at hand.
That is how 1t happened that, for
fuite a minute after he opened the
Foor and stepped outside, he did not
fast a single glance seaward. He
I'D not look in that direction, until
e saw that Jeanne. awakened by the
aylight in the hut, was standing in
he doorway. Her W eyes, puzzled,