The San Francisco call., 1913-10-20
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Copyrighted. 1918. International News Service)
Cauffuued Erouz Safurda0
Continued From Saturday

| Sliysr voice as she laughed at MIN
and softness in her fine spun hair in
to his head like wine. And through
all of 1t there was a barely sensed
tenseness of expectancy.
At last she rose and held out her
hand to him with a bewitching smile.
Come out on the piazza" she said.
! We can have our coffee and your
cigarette out there"
Looking back and laughing like a
child. she led him out to the piazza.
where the coffee and cigarettes were
served. It was a wonderful night, and
the magic of IT came upon them so
that they sat In long, dreamy
silence. Out beyond in the white
moonlight the great white horses of
the Atlantic were racing shoreward
and the swish of their names and the
thunder OF their charge came up to
them from the strand The fresh salt
! air was scented with perfume of
sweet peas that grew in the thick
tangle along the rail The beat and
ciamor OF the tunnel working far In
land were only faint murmur.
Rives' gaze was out at sea. His
| cigarette burned down to his fingers.
until. at last. he tossed II over the
railing and turned to her with a sup
pressed sigh. There was only a small
| low stand between them, and their
chairs faced the sea. Maud was lean
| ing her elbows on the arm of her
chair. watching him. Her lips were
| parted in a wonderful little smile.
The piazza was in shade. but there
was light in her eyes that shone
| through the darkness.
He was conscious of no will to
move, but, as II drawn by the witch
cry of her eyes, his hand crept out
| slowly and closed over the slender
| fingers of her own. She made no
move unless 1t was to sway, ever so
slightly, toward him. Nearer and
nearer she came, unresisting like a
flower bending its head. Her feathery
| hair touched his face. and-their lips
met
Maud Maud. Maud" he whispered
brokenly, and her head rested lightly
on his shoulder.
Then suddenly he almost pushed
her from him and sprang up.
MY Godr' he exclaimed.
Maud sat with her head bowed and
he could not see her face. His head
was whirling and there was singing
in his ears. He could not seem to
grasp that that which had happened
had happened. and when realization
came it brought with 1t stab of
anguish.
"Now-Fve done it." he exclaimed
you ever forgive me?"
The pain in his voice rather than
the question made her look up at
him. Her own voice was low and
steady.
There is nothing to forgive--on
your side"
He stood for a moment in rigid
silence and then suddenly sat beside
| her again and took her hand.
.Maud-Maud." he began. Il can't.
1 don't"
Don't try, Jack" she interrupted
gravely 1T wasn't your fault"
But II vast was" he cried.
| dropping her fingers and clutching
his hair with both hands. His code"
his system of honorable living had
| been shattered from end to end
IF there was any fault" she said
slowly and distinctly. 1T was mine.
Jack
He could only groan miserably.
You see, dear boy" she went on
softly, stroking his hand with her
fingers, i've known that you loved
me for ever so long"
At this he Strengthened with a sort
of gasp and stared at her. She smiled
gently upon him.
Didn't you suppose that / knew?
Why, Jack, you are so open and
frank and honest that 1 am glad
that there have not been other
women around here much. They
would have seen II as easily as
have"
But why-why did you let me-
Her eyes fell. II knew you loved
me and I let you stay. If had been
as clever with myself as / was with
you / would have known why. But
didn't know-really-until today
Her voice was very, very low. NOW
both of us know"
He rose and stood before her. look
ing down. And never dreamed
that YOU guessed I-oh, Maud, I be-
lieved that you never thought OF
any one else but Mac--that you never
loved any one
"I wonder" she said, slowly. "if I
ever loved him. I know / could have,
Jack-I know thatl But was so
young when we were married had
never seen any other men and Mac
was SO rnasterful and sure of himself
Just the sort of man to- take a
girl by storm. When he proposed to
me and / put him of I got note the
next day-like a business letter
giving me "a hours to decide That
took me. But the woman in me never
truly loved hint was only the
girls alteration for a strong man. He
won the girl and he never thought 1t
necessary to win the woman"
CAST ASIDE
DO you mean" he began. won
deringly.
II mean, my dear boy. that the love
Of the woman was cast aside for the
honor of digging a bigger hole than
any one had ever dug before" she
said without bitterness. please don't
think 1 am spiteful or small or unger-
erous. / glory in Macs achievements
and am proud Of his greatness. told
you that one night when we rode up
the Lakewood road. But q man does
not win and hold the love of a woman
by digging remote holes in the
ground"
you don't think Mac doesn't love
your he exclaimed. You know that
everything he does is for you
sit down. Jack" she gently or
dered him. And when he had me-
chanicaliy obeyed: That is a very
beautiful thought. 1t is what young
girls believe of the man they love, but
grown women know better. A mans
love doesn't find expression in steam
shovels. You know and l know that
Mac would have built this tunnel no
matter whether he had ever seen me
or not. When man says that every
thing he has done is due to his wife.
Ii is merely beautiful compliment
The wife. IL she has any sense, knows