Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-08-01
CHAPTER xIl.-continued.

CHAPTER xIl.-Continued.
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,
haot 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 1t
was his problem to make her see it.
There was only one way. And SO. in
forgetting himself. forgetting his
wants. his comforts, his studies and
his masculine will-hereiA was the
blossoming Of Alexis soul.
Melanie instinctively felt the sub
Gle change, and knew in her heart
that Aleck had won the day, though
Iyhe still treated their engagement as
nm open question. Aleck would read
TO her in his simple, unaffected man
lner, sometimes with Madame Reynier
land Mr.. Chamberlain also for audi
'ence, sometimes to Lei alone. And
Iaince 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 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
mt quoits, struggling sternly against
each other; or Chamberlain would ex-
hmine 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
ia the edge of storm for night and
a 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-
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,
End 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
mot in her heart to keep him from
her: but Aleck achieved the super
Mundane feat Of making his influence
kelt 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-
Section of his own thought for her.
! They had been sailing little more
khan week, changing the low.
placid Connecticut fields for the
fougher northern shores, going some
times farther out to sea, but delight
ing most in the sweet, pine-fringed
BOAST Of Maine. There were no more
barge cities to visit, only small vii
lages where fishermen gathered after
their weeks haul or where slow, print.
tive bodybuilding was still carried on.
Most of the inhabitants Of the coast
Dountry appeared to be farmers as
well as fishermen. even where the soil
was least promising. Tho aspect of
khe shores was that of a limited but
knirly prosperous agricultural COM
Nunity. Under the shadow of the hills
we're staid little homes, or fresh-paint-
I'd smart cottages. Sometimes bold
Eock-bank formed the shore for miles
and miles, and the hills would vanish
esr a space. Here and there were
headlands formed by mighty boulders.
hgainst which the waves endlesssy
dashed and as endlessly foamed back
into the sea
Such q haaA1and doomed up "a thair