Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-03-14
CHATTER xll.-contInued.

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But such a condition was, after all,
more apparent than real. In his heart
Aleck knew that he did love Melanie
enough" however much that might
be. He loved her enough to want.
not only and not mainly, what she
could give to him; but he wanted the
happiness of caring for her. cherish
ing her, rewarding her faith with his
own. She had not seen that, and it
was his problem to make her see 1t.
There was only one way. And SO. In
0prgetting himself. forgetting his
ants, his comforts, his studies and
hS masculine will-herein was the
blossoming of Aleck's soul.
Melanie instinctively felt the sub
tie change, and knew in her heart
that Aleck had won the day, though
she still treated their engagement as
an open question. Aleck would read
to her in his simple. unaffected man.
ner, sometimes with Madame Reynier
and Mr.. Chamberlain also for audi
ence, sometimes to her alone. And
since they lived keenly and loved. all
books spoke to them Of their life or
their love. A line, phrase. thought.
would ring out of the record. and each
would be glad that the other had
heard that thought: sometime they
would talk it all over. They learned
to laugh at their own whimsical preju-
dices. and then insisted on them all
the harder; they learned, each from
the other. some bit of robust optimism,
some happiness of vision, some
further reach of thought.
After they had read, they would play
at quoits. struggling sternly against
each other; or Chamberlain would ex-
anime Melanie in nautical lore; or to-
gether, in the evening. they would
trace the consultations in the heav-
ems. During their first week they were
in the edge of a storm for a night and
a day; but they PITT into harbor where
they. were comfortable and safe. and
merry as larks through it all.
, So. day by day, Aleck hedged Me-
lanie about with his love. Was she
thoughtful? He let her take, as she
would, his thoughts, the best he could
give from his mature experience. Was
she gay? He liked that even better,
and delighted to cap her gaiety with
his own queer. whimsical drolleries.
Whntever her mood, he would not let
her get far from him in spirit 1t was
not in her heart to keep him from
her; but Aleck achieved the super
mundane feat of making his influence
felt most keenly when she was alone.
She dwelt upon him in her thoughts
more intensely than she. herself knew: !:
and that intenseness was only the re-
Election Of his own thought for her.
They had been sailing little more
than a week. changing the low.
placid Connecticut fields for the
rougher northern shores. going some
times farther out to sea, but delight
ing most in the sweet, pine-fringed
coast of Maine. There were no more
large cities to visit. only small viii
lagos where fishermen gathered after
their weeks haul or where slow, primi-
tive bodybuilding was still carried on.
Most of the inhabitants of the coast
country appeared to be farmers as
we'll as fishermen. even where the soil
Awas least promising. The aspect of
4 Tie shores was that of limited but
fairly prosperous agricultural COM
fnunity. Under the shadow of the hills
were staid little homes, or fresh-paint-
ed smart cottages Sometimes bold
rock-bank formed the shore for miles
and miles. and the hills would vanish
for a space. Here and there were
headlands formed by mighty boulders,
against which the waves endlessly
dashed and as endlessly foamed back
into the sea.
Such bnndland loomed up on their