Show W roa olayo PM CHAPTER XIV continued 17 there was no jack lack of fodder for the flames by dint of oc several wheel borrow trips between the knoll arid tho the farmyard lie had bad presently constructed a pyre of impressive proportions and by that time it was quite dark so a durk dark indeed that he had been forced to hunt up a yard lantern carrying the which the girl had bad ac compa companies companied nied him on his two final trips here lie said clumsily when all was ready offering her matches you light it if please for luck 1 their fingers touched as she took the matches something thumped in ills breast and a door opened in ilia chambers of hla his understanding letting in light kneeling at tho the base of 0 the pyre he blie struck it match and appI applied leAl it to a quantity of tinder dry excelsior tha rho stuff staff caught instantly puffing into it a brilliant pitch of blaze she eho roso rose and stood brick en silhouette delicately poised at attention waiting cosce to fee that jica work was well done ila ho could nottage not tako take his gazo gaze from hei bee so what lio lie had trilled trifled and toyed with tough dougl with and prayed against doubted and questioned laughed fit at and cried down was sober painful fact truth heartrending heart rending to behold in her stark shining beauty had been revealed to him in that moment of brushing fanger alps and lie had looked in her face and known wa his unworthy ness and lie ho trembled ond end was afraid and ashamed the girl retreated to his side returning the matches A tongue of flame shot up from the hie peak of the pyro pyre and a n column of smoke surpassed it swinging off to leeward in great red bosomed volutes and nd whorls picked out with alyin flying regiments of sparks they seated themselves with their backs back s to the are and at a respectful distance from it where they could watch the jetting blades of light that ringed tho ilia far off headland whitaker t reclined on an elbow relapsing into moody contemplation tho the glet stirred uneasily turning her head to look nt at you know slie sho said with a confused attempt to tough laugh tilts this Is really so BO canny this place or else eho im balmy im seeing things shapes that stir against the blackness off there beyond ilia lie light tT moving oving halting star ing hating us for butchering their age old pence peace find and quiet mayhe blayde ill for get to see them if talk tails to we me a little 1 I cant talk to you he said ungracious in his distress you cant its the ilia first time its been noticeable then responsible tor for this all ot of a n sudden change of heart responsible tile words spoke themselves them seles almost against his will youre very obscure am I 1 to tinder understand der fler stand that youve yousie taken a sudden dislike tb roc me so that you cant trent treat me with decent civility ive always understood women knew what men meant before tho the men did themselves ills voice broke it a tittle little oh cant you see how it la is WWI with me cant you see lid ho cried god forgive met me I 1 I 1 never meant to inflict tills this on you nt at such a time I 1 I 1 dont know why I 1 have havo you mean sho she stammered in III a voice of amaze you mean love can you doubt doubt it no not after happened I 1 presume you have followed you have fought so BO to save mo me from drowning I 1 suppose if you badat cared but I 1 know inow then youre not offended he naked asked sitting up why should I 1 be the firelight momentarily outlined tho the smiling half wistful countenance she turned to him what woman would bo be who received ns as great and honorable a compliment from you hugh only again the whimsical little tough laugh that merged into a smothered sigh 1 I wish I 1 knewl knew I 1 wish you know knew what going on inside that extraordinary head of yours in tho the mind behind the eyes that I 1 so BO often find staring at mo me so BO curiously T lie ile bowed that head between hands tha that compressed cruelly ills his temples 1 I wish I 1 knewl knew I 1 ho ha groaned in protest since you called ignoto supper a while v allo ago by name I 1 dont know why your voice ns as you used it then lias has run through my head and through tensing teasing my memory like a strain of music from some borne half remembered song bong it halt half maddens me I 1 afeei ieee so BO strongly that everything would bo be so straight and plain and clear between us it I 1 could only fasten upon that fugitive indefinable something always fluttering just beyond my wasp grasp you mean all that T honestly she demanded dim in an oddly startled voice most ho honestly nOtly ile he looked up I 1 in a L 1 excitement you dont mean youad felt anything 0 at the sort no I 1 her voice broke na as it if weariness 1 I dow dont t mean that precisely I 1 mean probably I 1 dont know what I 1 do mean urn im really very tired too tired to go on just now to sit hero here with you badgering our poor alts with esoteric subtleties I 1 think do you mind rd id better go in she rose quickly without waiting for his hand whitaker straightened out his long body with more deliberation standing finally nt at full height ills his grave and moody countenance strongly relieved in the ruddy glow while her face was nil all in shadow one moment he begged humbly before wo we go in I 1 ive something else also to say to you if I 1 may site she waited seriously attentive 1 I played fair im aarold a lie ho sald said lowering hla his head to escape her steadfast gaze avo ive just told you that I 1 love you but 4 well she demanded demand fid in an odd ringing voice it true true ho he laughed unnaturally its so true I 1 wish I 1 had died before I 1 told you I 1 please explain she urged a trace wearily 1 l ii lie he stammered 1 ill I am already married she gave a little stifled cry whether of pain or horror or of indignation he be could not tell im sorry I 1 he began dont yon yog think you might have thought of this before 1 I you dont understand so it would seem she bho put in cruelly please henr me I 1 it was several years age ORO I 1 married a girl id never seen before to help heir her out of a desperate scrape shed got into we never lived together never even saw ono one another after that hour sho she lad had every reason to think me dead as I 1 should have been by rights but now sho she knows that ls Is about to lo sue for a diver divorce co after a long pause amuse during which neither stirred sho she told him in a faint voice thank yo you U 11 sho she moved toward the house if you wilt will forgive me oh I 1 forgive you sir whitaker my aly heart Is really not quite so fragile as all this If implies I 1 think ill go to bed im very very tired in spite of my steep sleep on tile the sands that rest me really they returned to tho the kitchen in silence lence Bl while whitaker fidgeted about tile room awkward and unhappy the girl removed a glass lamp from tile tho shelf above tile sink assured herself that li it was filled and it then over her shoulder 1 I hope you dont mean to stay up nil night 1 I well im really riot bot sleepy As soon ns as you feet fed the least need of sleep go to 16 bed bea 1 I promise very well then the insistent note faded from her tones she moved toward the table put the lamp down and hesitated in one of her strange woods moods of f diffidence looking down at tile the fingertips finger tips with which sho she traced a meaningless pattern on the oilcloth oil cloth you are kind site she said abruptly her head bowed her face hidden bidden from him kindt kind I 1 lie echoed dumfounded dum founded you are kind and sweet and gen erous crous to me she insisted in a level voice you have shown mn mf your heart the heart of a gentleman without reserve tut but ot of mo me you have asked nothing 1 I dont understand 1 11 I mean you youji Ji avent once referred to what happened last night youve been beem content to let me preserve my confidence to remain secretive end and mysterious in your sight that Is how I 1 seem to you it secretive find and mysterious but I 1 havo no right to your confidence your affairs ore are yours inviolable unless you choose to discuss them you would think thaw that way of coursol course 1 suddenly sho oho showed him her face illuminated with its frank shadowy smile her sweet eyes kind and as fearless na as the eyes of a child other men would not I 1 know and you have every right to know 11 1 I I 1 you and I 1 shall tell you nut but not now f I 1 I 1 theres too much to ta tell to explain and make understandable and rm too terribly tired tomorrow to morrow perhaps or r when we escape from this weird place when ivo ive had timer time to think things out at your pleasure I 1 he assented gently only ant d let anything worry you impulsively she caught both his hands in a clasp at on odee ca soft and trong strong f wholly and friendly do you know she it a laughing voice her head thrown back idoft shadows darkening her mystical ebe cuciti th tho a lamplight caressing her hair until it was na as it if her hend head were framed to in a hole of puro pure gold bright the somber background of that mean baro room ido do you know dear man that tit at you tire anro quite blind 1 a I think ho he paid with hla his twisted smile it would bo be well tor for m mo a it if 1 were physically blind tit at tills instant I 1 she shook her head in III light lit reproof blind quite blind 1 sho she repeated and yet im glad ita so BO with you I 1 have you otherwise tor for worlds 11 que slie withdrew her hand took up tile tho lamp moved a little away from him and paused holding his eyes for love too la Is bit blind ad file said so softly atly with a quaint little nod of oc nt af fir mation good night II 11 iio started forward eyes abamo took a single paco pace after her paused as if against an unseen barrier ilia HIS hands dropped by ills sides bides ills his chin to his bis chest the light died out of his bla face and left it gray and deeply lined CHAPTER XV discovery Disco lie he was up and out la in tho the cool 0 of dawn before sunrise delaying to I 1 listen for some minutes at tho the toot foot of the lie but lie ho heard no sound la in that still house and thero there was no ho longet tho night to affright tho ilia woman with hinted threats of lot nameless na melosa her bor bors lurking beneath its impenetrable cloak iio he felt no longer bound to stand sentinel on tho the threshold of her ber apprehensions ile iio went out tito the day would bo be dear clear lo in tho white magic of air like crystal translucent and motionless tho the world seemed more close knitted and sano sane what yesterdays yelling veiling of haze bad concealed was now bold find and near in tile the north tho the light lighthouse houie stood like a horn on tho the brow of tho the headland the lamp continuing to flash oven even though its light was darkened its beams outstripped by tho the radiant forerunners of tho the sun on tho the nearer land human life was quickening hero and here pale streamers of awoke swung up from hidden chimneys on its wooded weeded rises whitaker eyed cye d them with longing but they were distant from attainment by tit at the least three miles of tideway through which strong waters traced raced ile he wagged a doubtful head 4 L A tongue of flame shot Sho tUp up inlaid scowled no sign in any quarter of a boat heading for the island no telling whon when boo bo taken off the cursed place I 1 in ills his fous irritation tho the screaming of the gulls over in the I 1 west vest seemed to add the unal dual touch of 0 annoyance a addition to the sum of his trials what was th ohp matter with the addle th things I 1 bugs anyway there was nothing to hinder him im from investigating for hirl himself self tile tha girl would probably sleep another hour or two ile he went forthwith dulling the keen edge of his hid exasperation with a rapid tramp of halt half a mile or 6 ao over tho the uneven uplands the screaming wa well nigh deafening by the time lie he stood upon tho the verge of tio the bluff beneath him gulls clouded the air like bees swarming and yet he bo experienced no difficulty in locating tho the cause of their excitement ment B elow below a slow tide crawled slavering up dovec the bowlder boulder strewn sands bands if in a wave cooped depression between two of the largo large bo bowl ders ilia receding writers waters had lett left a little limpid pool in the pool lay the body of a man face downward lamba frightfully sprawling gulls fought for place upon his back the discovery brought with it no shock of surprise to thoom thoman rin ou oil the bluff horror alone lie ile seeded to have known till all along that such ouch would be I 1 the b e cause but lie ho shrank shuddering from the thought of tho the work that lay iny to his bla hand work that must bo be accomplished tit at once and completely ely for she must know nothing of it she bad suffered enough as it was TO BE CONTINUED |