Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-12-03

OIL lueas. IN IacL, Lnls was wnaL sne
was thinking, tabulating rapidly a set
of items.
widening eyes-aroused interest,
abnormal. Fingers tapping the table
startled nerves. No suspicion, but as
constituent at SO unique a coinci-
dence."
Aloud she was going IN: Suppose
my hero to be a modern man of aver.
age good principles, could he bring
himself to steal back deliberately an
amount equal to, or compromising for,
the amount stolen from him, and not
consider himself a criminal? Could he
go out among men with his head up,
not deeming himself a thief? And
would the modern man of average
honor do such a thing?"
Miss Ordway was leaning forward,
seemingly absorbed in her problem,
her eyes on Sandry's face, where con-
ficting expressions were struggling
for the mastery.
In a moment" she was saying to
herself, eager as a hound; in a mo-
ment he will commit himself" for the
bright, blue glance of the young owner
wavered a bit, he opened his lips, shut
his hand upon the oilcloth and his jaw
hardened with tautened muscles.
mo! He wouldn't be a thief-that
would be the right law"
Every nerve in Miss Ordway's body
jumped, though there was no outward
sign, as the tension that had been
growing between them snapped with
the voice of Siletz.
The girl had stopped on the far side
of the room, unnoticed by either, and
now she stood leaning forward with
her hands upon the table, her braids
hanging beside them. The shadow OF
her parted hair vas i've her eyes,.
Miss Ordway's fingers crawled into
her palm, rigid with a desire to infiict
bodily pain upon this unlimited blum.
derer. But Siletz was of the wilder
ness and she did not know she had
committed a faux pas. She knew
only that she had become absorbed in
the exigencies of this mythical man
confronted by so grave a problem and
she spoke as unconsciously as a child
With a deep breath exhaled slowly,
as if a swimmer drew in sweet air,
Sandry lifted his eyes to her.
THE right 1aw!" he said. yes.
S'letz is right. And a man would do
it if he had an incentive great enough
even a sane man of ~today-with the
average nonor. And he would hold up
his mead if he was of the strength to
do the thing at ALL
For a moment Miss Ordway sat ST.
lent, regarding him intentiy.
"Goodi~ she said at last, then you
think ma go on without danger of
overdrawing my character"
''Unquestionabiy.'
She dropped her eyes, toying with a
bone-handled fork lying neal
Thanks, Walter she said at last
gently; 81 shall go on with more conf
dence. It is a daring thing to make
my hero do-but-the woman loves
him in spite of a thousand crimes
above and beyond them"
Her heart vas beating so,fast that
her white throat fluttered spasmod.
ically at the soft hollow at the base
and she knew that she took a chance.
She knew also, as Sandry rose alb
ruptly and left the room, that he had
felt the steel, for his face was gray
again.
In the silence of the little south
room she stood long, staring into the
yellow flame of the hand lamp on the
stand. Then, suddenly, she covered
her flushed face with her hands and
shuddered.
IF l should ~blunder!" she gasped,
my God! If l should fail to win him
after ALI Oh, Walter, Walter-heart
Of my hearth"