Oxford Democrat., 1914-02-03

again and again and again, Unsuitable
Of her young beauty, and infiamed by
a resistance that was no resistance at
all, but the painting, shaking and al
most terrified surrender Of woman to
the man she loved.
T hold you to It," he whispered. II
hold you to every word you said. ]
love you, and you love me, and nothing
on earth shall ever separate u.s." Then,
obeying her stifed entreaty, he re-
leased her, and the pair gazed at each
other in the deepening dusk, awed,
struck to silence, and somehow at one
with the trees, the sky, and all nature
of which they, too. were one, and at
whose altar they vowed themselves to
each other and received the bension
Of the stars.
Matt would have clasped her again
In bis arms, but she gently resisted.
He was to go, she said. Had he not
taken enough already? Was she not
DO spent that to take more would kill
her? Besides, she wished to be alone
to nestle to her heart the sweetest
moment Of her life, without even that
great big him to disturb her. He was
such a disturber! He would kiss her
again and she would lose all the others
those precious first ones that would
always be the dearest. No, he was to
CO. Please, he was to go. Please, 1t
was favor.
He perceived that she was in earn
est, and something told him, moreover,
that she was with difficulty holding
back her tears-those tears which 1t
wosld be sacrilege for him to share.
80, manfully, and with quickening
perception, he made no further demur,
but turned and left her, looking back
once to wave his hand, and to take
one last look.
But she loved him. That was all bis
dizzy head could hold She loved him.
Christine Marshall loved him. She was
willing to strip herself Of everything to
follow him the wide world over. Moth
lQR COulQ mhLIcT uOW, hoShAAo ~Sese
hurt him. Chris loved him!
He had completely forgotten the
frock coat person, he Of the silk hat
and the beard and subdued masterful-
ness, who had clung to his front wheel
with agitated pertinacity hardly three
hours before. Matt was reminded OF
his existence by finding him on Mrs.
Sattane's front porch, wearily blocking
the road to supper. BY all rights the
stranger should have been excessively
annoyed, but on the contrary he was
suavity itself, rising at Mats ap-
proach and greeting him with formi-
dable politeness.
Might he take the liberty Of repeat
ing his request to see Mr.. Broughton In
private? Might he, without undue in
sistence, remind Mr.. Broughton Of the
very serious issues at stake and the
need-the very great need-of expedi-
ton? After three hours Of waiting was
| he not entitled to an immediate inter
view-an immediate interview In pri'
vate? No, it need not be long. In some
aspects it was a very simple afiatr-a
proposal on the part Of certain prin-
cipals, an acceptance-er-it was TO De
hoped, on Mr.. Broughton's.
Apologlzing for having no better
place to offer, Matt led the stranger
upstairs to his bedroom, where, after
lighting the single gas Jet, he o1ered
him q chair and himself took a seat on
the bed.
"Now, what's your nameT" asked
Matt, lighting his pipe and throwing
out his long legs.
The stranger somewhat stammering'
" replied that he might be called MT
Kay, though whether he meant Kay
or merely the letter K was left OBJ
scure.
"Well, Mr.. Kay" continued Matt
"let's get one thing understood right
off. am not Kanaka king, and
haven't any islands, or money, or SUD-
jects, or fleets, or pearling beds or any
thing. II you have the least miscon
ception of that kind about me the soon
er you get rid Of it the better"
"You refer doubtless to those news
paper accounts?" inquired the stranger
Matt nodded.
Eyes, all that rot" he said.
"Tm familiar with them," observed
the stranger. drawing up close to the
bed. perhaps I'm also more familiar
with the actual facts than you vii
credit. Circumstances have forced m'
to acouaint myself with them-to sep
arate the wheat from the chaff, IRON
vast deal of chaff." he. added un
bendingly. "Well, well, now to busi
ness" With that he produced from
bis pocket a small, fat object wrapped
In tissue paper. Divesting 1t OF III
covering, he passed little ivory minia
ture to Matt. "Do you happen to rec
ognize that personT he asked.
| Matt took it with surprise, for 1t wa
rmmed with diamonds and backet
with gold like an unwieldy brooch
with a surprise that changed to con
sternation as he beheld the unmistaka
BILE face Of John Mort. 1t was a fac
younger by twenty years than tn
John Mort he had known, smoothe
| and more rounded and with the hal
altogether black; q fattering picture
much too pink and prettified ant
youthfully handsome for even the orig
| inal at the age it represented him
| But 1t was John Mort just the same
He could have picked 1t out Of room
ful of miniatures. a whole gallery
John Mort, staring up at him from
circlet of diamonds. with an imperiou
air that somehow had been caugh
while all the rest was falsitied by tn
obsequious artist.
Chills ran down Matt's back. 1t wa
| as though he were detected in crime
He was thankful for the poor Hgn
| that must have screened his expressio
of dismay, for all Morris warning
were now upon him in a foreman
his own promises. his own pledge
word. Here was what John Mort ha
feared-"the wolves" he had Gale
them-in a voice he had lowered eve
there, apprehensive still on that los
reef, In those lost and lonely sea-
The heavy lidded eyes took on ne'
and ominOus significance as Matt re
their glance on him. What evil wer