, 1921-09-17

porters and myself because We moved
so slowly When we stopped for the
night he would chafe and fret at the
delay; and when the morning came
he was the hrst to wake. II he slept
at III. and eager to push on. When
at last he was able to walk. he
worked himself into a fever again.
and It was only when Royce warned
him that he would kill himself II he
kept on that he submittcl 20 be car
ried. and forced himself to be patient
And all the time the poor devil kept
saying how unworthy he was OF her.
how miserably he had wasted his
years. how untitled he was for tho
great happiness which had come into
his life. suppose every man says
that when he is in love: very prop
eriy. too; but the worst OF IL was. in
this mans case, that Il was so very
true. He was unworthy of her In
everything but his love for her. II
used to frighten me to see how much
he cared. Well. we got put of It at
last. n reached Alexandria. and
raw white faces once more, and heard
women's voices, and the strain and
fear of failrre were over. and we
could breathe again. l was quito
ready enough to push on to London,
but we had to wait a week for the
steamer. and during that time that
man made my life miserable. He had
done SO well. and would have done
50 much more IL he had had my
equipment. that l tried to see that
he received all the credit due him.
But he would have none OF the public
receptions. and the audience with the
khediye. or any of the fuss they made
over u.s. He only wanted to get back
to her. He spent the days on the
quay watching them load the steamer.
and counting the hours until she was
TO sail: and eve at night he would
leave the first bed he had slept In
for six months. and would come into
my room and ask me II I would not
sit up and talk with him until day
light o see, after he had given
up all thought of all. and believed
himself about to die without seeing
her again;Jt made her all the dearer.
I suppose. and made him all the more
fearful Of losing her again.
He became very quiet as soon as
we were really under way. and Royce
and ! hardly knew him for the same
man. He would sit In silence in his
steamer-chair for hours. looking out
at the sea and smiling to himself.
and sometimes. for he was still very
weak and feyerish. the tears would
come to his eyes and run down his
cheeks. This is the way he would
Sit he said to me night, with
the dark purple sky and the strange
Southern stars over our heads, and
the rail of the boat rising and sink
Ing below the line of the horizon.
And l can rear her voice, and | try
to imagine she is still sitting there,
as she did the last night out. when
| held her hands between mine -
Gordon paused a moment. and then
went on more slowly: II do not know
whether 1t was that the excitement oil
the journey overland had kept him
up or not, but as we went on he be-
came much weaker and slept more,
until Royce became anxious and
alarmed about him. But he did mol
know 1t himself: he had grown SC
sure of his recovery then that he did
not understand what the weakness
meant. He fell off into long spells
of sleep or inconsistencies. and woke
only to be fed. and would then fall
back to sleep again. And in one Of
these spells of Inconsistencies lie
died. He died within two days OF
land. He had no home and no coun-
ftry and no family. as l told you. and
we buried him at sea. He left moth
ing behind him. for The very clothes
he wore were those we had given
him-nothing but the, locket and the
chain which he had told me to take
from his neck when he died"
Gordon's voice had grown very cold
and hard. He stopped and ran his
fingers down into his pocket and
pulled out a little leather bag. The
people at the table watched him in
silence as he opened 1t and took Out
a dull silver chain with a gold heart
hanging from it,
This is It," he said, gently. He
leaned across the table, with his ayes
fixed on those of the American girl,
and dropped the chain in front of her.
would you like to see it?" he said.
The rest moved curiously forward
to look at the little heap of gold and
silver as II lay on the white cloth.
But the girl, with her yes half closed
and her lips pressed together. pushed
It on with her hand to the man who
sat next her. and bowed her head
slightly, as though II was an effort
for her to move at all. The wife OF
the Austrian Minister gave a little
sigh Of relief.
IT should say your story did end
badly. Mr.. Gordon" she said. 1T is
terribly sad. and so unnecessarily so.n
"I don't know" said Lady Arbuth-
not. thoughtfully-"I don't know; II
seems to me 1t IA better. As Mr..
Gordon says, the man was hardly
worthy of her. A man should have
something more to offer a woman
than love: it is n woman's prerogn-
tive to be loved. Any number of men
may love her: it is nothing to their
credit: they cannot help themselves.'
WELL" said General Kent. 'if all
true stories turn out as badly as thai
one does. I will take back what
said against those the story-wrfters
tell. 1 prefer the ones Anstey and
jerome mako up. 1 call 1t a mos,
unpleasant story"
But It isn't finished yet" said
Gordon. as he leaned over and picked
up the chain and locket. There Is
still a little mole"
"Oh. ! beg your pardon!" said tbs
wife of the Austrian Minister, Gag