Evening star., 1921-08-14

rescue changed and 1 became as re-
solved as Willis Rothery himself?
II SO. I can only plead that beauty
is beauty and that since the beginning
Of the world man has instinctively
bowed before it.
Yet there was more in my change OF
feeling that plain admiration of Grace
Gordon's face and figure. The sense OF
some great event about to dawn-of a
door near to opening-that had
haunted my sleep the night before
now seemed to gather itself together
and break into light.
This is it," my mind said to me
Not death, but life"
For I knew that I had found the
woman at last.
1t would be absurd and you would
not believe me II l told you that I. q
strong man in the thirties, had never
taken interest in any woman before
Only in books does a man pass hall
his life asleep like the silly princess
in the wood waiting for love.
had been broad awake since first
they tied the armlet of manhood or
me in these very mountains. and. as
Nambu, my friend, had said, there
were girls even then who were ready
to cook my food for me-in Papua, q
significant act. And in France and
in Queensland
why should I speak Of any Of these;
had 1t ever appeared possible to me
that I might marry. I had taken i
for granted that light loves, fancies
that came and passed, were all that
life could hold for me. I was not as
other men. Civilized on the surface
beneath 1t I was the man Of the for,
hating the indoor. life with a hatred
deep as death.
THERE are men like myself in the
world: more. perhaps. than you OF
the cities would believe, and the same
problem strikes them every one. But
almost every one, they solve it by
taking a brown woman to wife, or q
half-caste.
was different. White Australian
to the roots of my soul, would no,
give my name nor the mothering ant
care Of my children to a woman with
one dark drop in her veins. And sc
it had seemed certain that children
companionship, home would never bt
mine--until, in the emerald light OF
the mountain evening 1 met Grace
Gordon.
Here was the native woman. tn.
creature Of forests and rivers. thu
hardy. bush-trained girl. careless o.
money and the things that none,
brings-yet, though uncultured, un
educated, utterly uncivilixed. white
with the noble teachable white mint
and the pure white blood that hold!
and carries onward no stain.
And-let me say it once again-sh'
don't know how the thing nigh,
, have struck me If she had been squal
or crooked or frog-mouthed or cat.
eyed. Perhaps I might have held tt
my original opinion. that It was
kinder to leave her where she had
lived. But being what she was, II
was not in the heart Of man to ses
her and pass by on the other side.
And the natives thought her ugly
They did-and the young men woult
not look at her, or she at them, ac'
cording to Nambu. Yes, I remember
me ugly. with my queer pale Skin
ana foolish light hair and eyes. L
had taken "a strong man and an elo
Quent tongue to win them to an,
other opinion.
Grace Gordon, II judged her right
had been despised and set aside til
she was utterly sullen and sulky. NJ
wonder she WAS not popular. Well
did not desire anything else.
The women had passed by, the sur
was rapidly going down behind tn,
forest walls. Willis and rose from
our crsmped position and loked at on'
another.
well, what do you think now?'
asked he. a.r5
I did not answer him at all, but
led the way up the hill to the vii
"You are going to get her away p
he said. toiltng behind me. "Yon hav,
seen that sm right. Simon, Simon
what . lovely creaturel One ceult
Ialmost-A man might almost--"