The state herald., 1913-05-30
CHAPTER xII.lcontInusd.

as property In located. DR.. Thayer 10
brother of Agatha's benefactor.
CHAPTER xll.-Contlnued.
But such condition was. after all.
ore apparent than real. In his heart
leck knew that he did love Melanie
enough" however much that might
e. He loved her enough to want.
OF only and not mainly. what she
ould give to him; but he wanted the
happiness Of caring for her. cherish
hg her. rewarding her faith with his
bwn. She had not seen that. and II
vas his problem to make her see It.
There was only one way. And 90. In
Forgetting himself. forgetting his
wants. his comforts. his studies and
bis masculine wiil-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 bc glad that the other had
heard that thought: sometime they
would talk II 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 Melanio 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 . stVrm fos night and
a day; but they pvt into harbor where
they were comfortable and safe. and
merry a. larks through II ali.
So. day BY day. Aleck hedged Me
lanie about with his love. Was she
thoughtful He lot her take. a. she
would. his thoughts. the best he could
give from his mature experience. Was
she gayf Hc liked that even better.
and delighted to cap her gaiety with
his own queer. Whimsical drolleries.
Whsacvcr her mood. no would not lot
her get far from him In spirit. II was
not IN her hcart TO keep him from
her: but Alcck achieved tho super
mundane fcat Of making his influence
felt most kccnly whom she was alone.
she dwelt upon him In her thoughts
moro intensely than she herself knew:
and that intcnscness was only the rc-
Election Of his own thought for her.
They had boon sailing little more
than = weck. changing tho low.
placid Connecticut nclds for tho
rougher northern shorcs. going somc.
times farther out to sen. but delight.
ing most In tho swcct. pInc-fringod
coast Of Maine. There were no more
large cities to visit. only small VII.
lngcs where fishermen gathered after
their weeks haul or whore slow. primi.
tive bodybuilding was rtill carried on.
Most Of tho inhabitants Of tho coast
country appeared TO be farmers ms
we'll ns fishermen. even where tho soil
wns least promising. Tho aspect of
tho shores wns that OF limited but
fairly prosperous agricultural com.
mupity, Under the Rhndow Of the hills
wore staid little homes. or frcsh.pnint-
Cd smart cottages Sometimes bold
rock.bank formed tho shorc for miles
and miles. and tho hills would vanish
for n space. Here and there were
hcadiands formed by mighty boulders.
against which tho waves endlcssiy
Asshcd and M endicssly foamed back
ipto the sen.
Bvoe h>adiAnd loomcd up on thcir