Evening star., 1921-07-03

seemed SO utterly outlandish 1
made that way; how what there was
to spend had to be spent.
You don't understand. poor lad.
| was saying when the night nurses
dash found him there beside my bed.
He was discharged next morning.
heard"
Tor time there was silence. every
thing in the world seemed to
have been said. Mary Farnoe's SEN
tence had carried a curious feeling Of
f1nality. like the settling Of a last
account. She lay on her side with
her hands clasped. searching Mendars
half-lowered face.
"Mendal"'
He looked up. moved by tho change
in her voice, and found her en-
barrassed as a girl with the color
coming and going across her face
II don't seem to know how to
say it. Mendal. You seem so big and
solid and dependable: sometimes It
almost frightens me to find myself
clinging to you so for everything.
You've been like a breath of clear
thing-their precious frailties. their
precious personalities, their pre-
cious spirits. their whims. nut
out here. Mendal-why. you're no.
body. And I'm nobody. 1t doesn't
seem to matter much whether
ment. II don't want you to laugh at
mo-" she implored.
~Laughing at you"
mo. It's about the bell, out there
at the last end of everything"
Mendel checked her there by put
hers.
you've been thinking abcmt
bell n good Dr. 'r."'r''
''Oh, please don't think I'm roman
tic or melo'ir.
than that. Mendal. It's me- I've always
through. to go through to the
end. whatever it might be. Listen,
Mendal! Hear"
DO you mean." he put to her
slowly. that you would like to go
He got up and moved to the door,
where he turned with his hand on
the latch.
do you think you're strong enough.
on night like this?"
= yes: yes! 4 feel stronger than 1
have for weeks"
"rll be back in a minute"
He came back into the room and
stood over her. studying the face
against the pillow.
You look like a BRIDE" he said.
the bedclothes tight about her. picked
her up in his arms and went down.
stairs and out Of the house.
Once beyond the half shelter of the
porch. the wind claimed them. Men
dars first rush carried him as far as
L. LII
hesitated and looked down at the face
against his shoulder, dim-gray in its
muffiings. His own was gray, and a
bead of perspiration clung for an in.
stant on his forehead before the wind
whisked it away.
bending so that his lips were close
to her ear.
Am I heavy?"
He shook his head savagely.
Whats that, Mendal--over there?'
He followed the direction Of her
! eyes, slanting over his shoulder Be.
! yond Barnham Head village the moon
was rising. casting dome Of light
before It into the sky. and vertically
across this dome, from further
abutment of the hill. rose the stark
o.ssh Thas9 sspf he ei aesitated state an instan.
That's the telegraph"
"But I didn't know"
TITS come lately"
"Oh, what difference does It make
| after all? Why do we stop here &c
long, Mendal?"
He started down the slope, wadet
through the bit of marsh at the bot.
| tom that sucked at his shoes, found
| the hard. uneven footing of th1
breakwater, and passed out once more
! into the wind.
: It was one of those nights tha,
| come once or twice in an autumn
| swept clean of all the dusts and
| mists Of the world, everything shoff
! and incisive: even the sound Of the
| water lashing through the crevicei
/ of the sea wall had an edged quality
like liquid blades playing in the rock
Mendal had to keep. sharp watch oi
| light the tilted slabs were treacheroui
footing. When the arm about hi
L a nck fi9hfenin3 hao.Had hin affAS.