The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-01-17

THANK meE said Trevor, casting
her a casual look. "What for?"
Andreas lips trembled. If only the
fire hadn't happened just when it did
she thought, if only it had given hin
time to find her, to take her in his
arms! For saving me-" she answered
simply.
For saving nothing" affirmed Ire
vor. 'For saving the nothing that is
left of your beauty and freshness an(
honor after the touch of that beast"
Overwhelming shame stained hel
cheeks; she felt all that was noble anC
generous within her shriveing into 8
strangling knot. She tried to speak
to protest against his hardness and in
justice. but she could only gulp. Fol
hours they sat in absolute silence. anC
gradually the cold that had struck hel
heart spread through all her body un
til her teeth began to chatter.
"Why are you doing that?" asked
Trevor sharply. at isn't really cold.
I'm d-d-d-doing it b-b-be
cause | c-c-can't help it," chartered
Andrea. Il am c-c-cold. - She
pressed herself against his body. as
though she begged for his arms around
her. He drew away from her.
She crouched back in her corner
and turned upon him the accusing eyes
of a child that has been cruelty
wounded; then her womanhood came
to the rescue. 1t reasoned with her
told her that the time for pride had
passed, for il she lost this man she lost
all men forever No longer could she
say my world" and think of parties
Bond street, taxicabs and the smartes1
restaurants; her world was here be
side her, to win or lose.
When it came to describing her
hours with Manchester, she harped
with supreme feminine intuition on 8
single fact. Again and again she gave
him to understand that except for lug
ging her across his shoulder to the
boat, Manchester had not once SC
much as laid a finger on her. SO care
full was her narrative in it's logical Sc
quence of detail that it could not fail
to carry conviction with it. Trevor
gradually melted to the extent of fill
ing his pipe and lighting it.
She told of her entering the court
around the great Gaia with Manchester
of his discovery that a case of gin had
arrived with his freight and of the
oily change that had come to his voice
At this point in her story Trevor for
got to smoke. He clutched the hot
bowl Of his pipe in grip that made
his knuckles show white. She could
feel him listening with his whole tense
body. She hurried on to her climax
to the description of her strategy in
removing the cleats and of MacClos-
ter's terrifying attack. She even re-
peated some of his words. 'He said,
Waiting up for me, dearieT and then
drove the nails into his hands and
when he snatched them back, hit him
across the head and he fell. And then
heard you coming. / thought l had
gone mad, that it was not with my ears
but with the longing of my heart that
l heard you coming. When l called
and you answered l forgot that / had
ever known fear; / knew that was
safe, forever and forever"
Good girl" said Trevor huskily. He
reached out and patted her hand but
his thoughts were not altogether with
her; they were lingering behind, how
ering over the scene of her elemental
battle with Manchester as though he
sought to steep his soul in that recol-
lection in an effort to drown for once
and all time the memory of twenty
four hours of torturing jealousy.
$50 you're not jealous any more, are
your" pleaded Andrea.
Jealous! exclaimed eternal man
"Who said anything about
jealousy? It's one rotten quality that,
thank God, 1 don't possess. It's the
that eats into the heart
of trust A man that feels it. demeans
the woman he loves"
"How extraordinary" murmured
Andrea, because l don't believe any
woman in the world ever really loves
an unjealous man. OF course" she
added thoughtfully, ''we despise jeal
that doesn't keep us from
adoring it in just one man."
Trevor was silent for long time,
on this absurd and unan-
swerable argument. The sun arose
and set to work at once to overhead
the world; Andrea grew warm and
then drowsy. She began to nod and
her body to incline. If it had dropped
In direction directly opposite to that
IN which it actually did, she would
have fallen into the river; as it hap
pened, she fell against Trevor's Shout
Ter. He first assured himself that she
was really asleep and then slipped his
arm around her and held her close.
He forgot his burns and bruises, his
fatigue and hunger; he looked back
with exuItant pride upon the mael-
strom of emotions that he had ridden
% reach this haven of his souls peace.
The feverish haste with which he had
lug out the airplane and patched 1t
IN. the white rage in which he had
lurled himself with it into the air, the
absolute and marvellous determination
If the steady, unwavering flight that
lad carried him straight to MacClos-
ers craal, all became emblems to him
If the power of that which is within
IS TO rise eternally to superhuman