Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-03-13
cHApTER xII.-continued.


But such a condition was, after ALL
.Aieck 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 II
was his problem to make her see 1t.
There was only one way And so, in
forgetting himself. forgetting his
wants. his comforts, his studies aud
his masculine will--herein was the
blossoming of Alexis 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, a phrase. a thought,
would ring out of the record, and each
would be glad that the other had
heard that thought; sometime they
would talk 1t all over. They learned
to laugh at their own whimsical preju-
dices, and then insisted on them all
the harder; they learned, each from
inc 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 heay-
ems. During their first week they were
in the edge OF storm for night and
day; but they put into harbor where
they were comfortable and safe, and
merry as larks through it ALL
So, day by day, Aleck hedged Me
ianie about with his love. Was she
thoughtful? He let her take, sd 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
Whatever 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 keeniy when she was alone
She dwelt upon him in her thoughts
more intensely than she herself kneT;
and that inteuseness was only the re-
flection 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-fring, I'd
coast of Maine There were no mere
large cities to visit, only small vii
lagos where fishermen gathered after
their weeks haul or where slow, print.
tive bodybuilding was still carried en-.
Most of the inhabitants of the coasl
country appeared to be farmers as
wen do ushermel, even Wnere the S)il
snas least promising. The aspect Of
ybe shores was that of limited but
ynirly prosperous agricultural co n.
munity. Under the shadow of the hills
Here staid little homes. or fresh-paiat-
ed smart cottages Sometimes a bcld
rock-hank formed the shore for miles
end miles, and the hills would vanish
for space Here and there were
beadlands formed by mighty boulde-s.
against which the waves endlessly
dashed and as endlessly foamed bark
iAto the sea
such headland doomed Up on theis