The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-06-20
euApTER xlI-contInued.


mt such q condition was, areer ALL
6D,s apparent than real. In his neart
leek knew that he did love Melanie
s,aoueh,o however much that might
He loved her enough to want
81 only and not mainly. what she
cald give to him: but he wanted the
spuiness Of caring for her. cherish
II her rewarding her faith with his
I'M She had not seen that, and 1t
rs his problem to make her see IT,
ahsfs was only one way. And 30, IN
loustting himself, forgetting his
ANTS, his comforts, his studies and
Ii masculine will-herein was the
Ssssoming OF Alexis soul.
Nelanie instinctively felt the sub
III change, and knew In her heart
;tst Aleck had won the day. though
IA still treated their engagement as
h omen question. Aleck would read
b her in his simple, unaffected man
ass sometimes with Madame Reynier
sbd Nj. Chamberlain also for audi
eaes, sometimes to her alone. And
i alace they lived keenly and loved, all
books spoke to them of their life OF
4 sheE love. A line, a phrase, thought
would ring out OF the record, and each
would be glad that the other hao
beard that thought: sometime they
would talk It all over. They learned
lslsugh at their own whimsical preJu
does, and then insisted on them al
no harder, they learned, each from
he other. some bit of robust optimism
some happiness Of vision. SOM
iasther reach Of thought.
After they had read, they would pla,
u quoits, struggling sternly agains
aeh ether; or Chamberlain would el
salne Melanie in nautical lore; or t.
ssthar, IN the evening, they woul
sFase the considerations in the heaN
als During their first week they wer
y The edge Of q storm for a night an
aaY but they put into harbor wher
'aey we're comfortable and safe, an
nefTy as larks through it all.
y day BY day, Aleck hedged M
AHle about with his love. Was Oh
loughtfuli He let her take, as sf
you'd his thoughts, the best he coul
eve from his mature experience. VIZ
ns gayi He liked that even bette
ed delighted to cap her gaiety vii
as ewn queer, whimsical drollerie
whatever her mood. he would not ]
se get lar from him In spirit. 1t vi
A n her heart to keep him fro
asi but Aleck achieved the supe
aAdans feat Of making his inf1uen
81 most keenly when she was alor
Peg aEels upon him in her though
9se Intensely than she herself kne'
saa nat intenseness was only the !
eslpn Of bis ewn thought for her.
eay had been sailing q little mo
'.ea : week, changing the 10
Rssld Connecticut fields for
MssneF northern shores, going son
eass Earther out to sea. but delig
81 most IN the sweet, pine-fring
y q Maine There we're no me
g cities to visit, only small ,
Were fishermen gathered af
Fsek's haul or where slow, pril
w. 0oathuilding was still carried
~ q the inhabitants Of the CO
sg appeared to be farmers
= = lsAermen, even where the I
vast promising. The aspect
&eTes waa that OF a limited
prosperous agricultural Ct
Under the shadow of the h
asald little homes, or fresh-pa
ass cottages. Sometimes a b
ak formed the shore for M
les and the hills would van
spsee Here and there W
s.aads formed by mighty bould
a which the waves endles
s !, sEla IS endlessly loaned b
nsadland doomed up on Il