Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-04-04
cHAPTER xII.-contInued.


But such 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 tie
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
mis- masculine will-herein was the
blossoming OF Alexis soul
Melanfe fnstinctively felt the sub
tile change. and knew In her heart
that Aleck had won the day, though
she stu treated their engagement as
an open question. Aleck would read
TO her in his simple, unaffected man
lner, sometimes with Madame Reynier
and Mr.. Chamberlain also for audi
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 It all over They learned
60 laugh at their own whimsical preju.
ldlces, 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 uuoits, struggling sternly against
each other. or Chamberlain would ex-
anime Melanie in nautical lore; or to-
lgether, in the evening, they would
trace the consultations in the heav-
ems. During their first week they were
IN the edge Of storm for a night and
"a day; but they put into harbor where
sshey were comfortable and safe, and
lmerry as larks through it all
SO, day by day. Aleck hedged Me
lIanie about with his love. Was she
lthoughtful9 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
mis- 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
&eit most keenly when she was alone.
She dwelt upon him In her thoughts
lmore 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 week. changing the low
placid Connecticut fields for the
lrougher northern shores. going some
times farther out to sea, but delight
ting most in the sweet, pine-fringed
lcoast OF Maine. There were no more
barge cities to visit. only small vi
aAges where fishermen gathered afSer
their weeks haul or where slow, PRINT
tive bodybuilding was still carried on.
knst of the inhabitants of the coast
Fcountry appeared to be farmers as
well as fishermen, even where the soil
was least promising. The aspect OF
me shores was that OF a limited but
fAtriy prosperous agricultural com
nunity. Under the shadow of the hills
were staid little homes, or fresh-paint-
ed smart cottages. Sometimes a bold
lFcck-hank formed the shore fer miles
and niles, and the hills would vanish
fDr q space. Here and there were
Aeaclanas formed by mighty boulders
AgAtnst which the waves endlessly
mashed and as endlessly foamed bach
n1D the sea.
t eUch headland doomed up On theil