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Show . a. I By CLIVE ARDEN Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrill Co. the mountain peaks enveloped them. Try as they would, they could never quite free themselves from it. Distractions of any sort became urgent ur-gent ; but to find them, in this small Island, was no easy matter. However, Alan, after mentally viewing the land, took what frail material there was and wove it Into ropes of support. That the ropes might break he could not foresee. He turned once more, in pathetic hope, to the natives. During the months since their first visit to the settlement, he had come to occupy the unique position of a semi-divine semi-divine Overlord. His orders, issued at first in the spirit of bluff, were obeyed. This at first surprised, then amused, him. After a time, it afforded him intense in-tense interest. His orders regarding cleanliness were receiving extraordinary extraordi-nary consideration ; irrigation work had been undertaken. Now, he plunged with new zest into this novel training of prehistoric minds. He ordered or-dered the cultivation of taro to be re-instituted re-instituted ; tapestry-weaving from reeds to be revived. All this originating from fear, not Inclination, slowly awakened the natives' interest, which increasing, caused much of their lethargy to vanish. Within a few weeks, the lust signs of a threatening new epidemic of sickness sick-ness vanished, and the settlement became be-came more wholesome. This being attributed at-tributed to the what man's magic, their fear blended into a crude awesome affection, which struck Alan as pathetic. pa-thetic. Gradually his visits became hailed even with delight. For, in matters mat-ters of dispute, Chimabahoi appealed to him, relying more and more on his counsel. And, swayed by none of the opposing elements, he dealt with a severe se-vere justness, yet humaneness, which they found both novel and attractive. Withal, he braced them, stimulating their latent powers, much In the same way in which he had stimulated Barbara,, Bar-bara,, by the mere force of his own vitality. Her own interest In these people grew apace. From Alan she learned some of the diaieet, very soon being able to speak a little herself. , Some- without speaking searching, proving her In some inexplicable manner. "How much do you love me?" he demanded, at last. She looked startled at his peremptory peremp-tory tone. "Why do you ask such questions?" ques-tions?" But she collapsed against him. "With my very life." she whispered passionately. "I should die if 1 lost you now." He strained her close, pressing bot lips to hers. "How far would you go with me? How far?" he muttered' eagerly. "To eternity!" she murmured, half faint with the sudden passion sweeping them both away. The arms holding her were trembling. "If we never get rescued? How far then? How far, Barbara?" Only a little stifled gasp answered him. All the soft night odors of tlie forest were stealing down to the beach, blending blend-ing with the pungent smell of hot earth, mingling with the languorous murmur of the tide. Close in his arms, a weak craving to surrender, to capitulate before be-fore the forces arrayed against thera both, swept over her. It was easy to let all else go. . . Twice she opened her own Hps, but no words would come; only her eyes told hiin that which caused his senses to reel. His grip tightened, so that he hurt her; but the pain was an exquisite joy. The animal in man, longing fiercely for its mate, had been let loose in Alan, stronger for all these months of temptation temp-tation and repression. The future at this moment lay in his hands and he knew it, exulted in the knowledge. . . . Half unconsciously he rose to his feet, lifting her, unresisting, with him. Her warm young body lay acquiescent, at his mercy. He took a step toward the hut ; cast one dazed look' round the darkening beach From Roowa's dwelling the faint cry of a child came to them, wafted upon the soft night breeze down the bay. . . . The girl heard It, and raised her head. The man heard it, and caught his breath. Their eyes met. She slipped from his arras with a long quivering sigh. They stood facing fac-ing each other, struggling with the turbulence tur-bulence of their emotion. " "Reverberations' ! Do you remember?" remem-ber?" she whispered, at last. He made no reply, continuing to gaze upon her face, and she went on speaking, speak-ing, almost to herself, standing before hiin with the darkness closing around her. " 'The vast harmony in which each note has unlimited effect upon every other note.' You taught rae that. Do you remember? Life's harmony, you said. We we are forgetting." He turned away and walked to the lagoon, standing there for several minutes, his back toward her, his hands covering his face. When he returned, re-turned, he had, she could see, regained his self-control. Coming close, he laid his hands upon her shoulders. "Are we perhaps troubling over what may never happen? Barbara there might be no no 'reverberations.' There are not, always." She smiled at him, a smile that was almost maternal. "That's true. But " She broke off. a little catch in her breath, her eyes dwelling dreamily upon the face above her own, as If picturing something far off and passing pass-ing beautiful. . . . "But it wouldn't be fair." she muttered to herself. A flush mounted to his cheek In meeting and interpreting the look which, momentarily, his own eyes reflected. re-flected. "The thought of you troubles me most." he owned. "The question of 'fairness' is an open one. This is a grand free life for anybody who knuws no oilier. The world might liink it unfair. Bui the world doesn't count with us. We are savages now. But you you ! Oh. my darling. . . . Nature is so hard on women." Her face was hidden on his breast. He went on diffidently, whispering Into the dark hair. "The question of 'reverberations' shall be yours entirely. Do you understand? under-stand? If you decide not to face It all" "Ah! no. no, no!" She raised her head quickly. "Alan. I love you for that. But I won't shirk! Don't ever think I mean that." She turned her luminous eyes seaward. "Imagine a little home wilii just you and me and a dear litlle nosi all our own. . . . oh! it's cruel, cruel !" Passionately she gripped his shoulders. "I long for It all I ache iiis.iie. Sometimes I dream we have it together; and then then I wake up " "But we can have It. her", now." he interrupted eagerly. "''ply the forms would he absent ; the - l it would he there. Surely, in these circumstances. we can make o'jr own laws?" He took her clinging hands In his. "Barbara. have you thought over the nia'ter? Faced it squarely?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) i . . wg PART THREE Continued. 11 She sprang to her feet, breathing quickly. "Alan! What are you saying! Don't ! Don't !" "Why not?" he asked, getting up,, too. "We can't remain blindfolded forever." The mists fell from a huge mountain moun-tain peak, and tlie color ebbed from the girl's face. "Ah !" she murmured, clasping her hands. "Isn't the present perfect? Don't precipilate " He took her by the .shoulders, forcing forc-ing her to face him. "We are only human." he said, in a low voice; "and, Barbara I want my wife!" She pressed her clenched hands Bgainst him, hiding her bead upon them. "Oh. not yet ! Don't think me obtuse, Alun. I have thought, too, rjnd and feared" "What have you feared?" She did not reply for a moment; he waited, motionless. When every accustomed bulwark of life has been demolished, the foundations founda-tions of a fresh building are laid necessarily nec-essarily in a troubled soil composed of struggle, temptation, agonies of uncertainty. un-certainty. The undeveloped girl, blindly groping after the "liiddens want" in a materialistic environment, had gone forever. As the ripened corn sprung from Its buried seed, the woman, sublime In her love, glories in the growing courage of the inner self she had tried to slide, had arisen. "We have found the true keynote here," she murmured brokenly at last, "and we must keep it tuned aright. I wouldn't, for the' world, spoil the beauty of everything." "You couldn't ever.", he whispered into her hair. "But love is a terrific force which can't be turned on and off like hot water; or compressed into narrow preconceived channels." He suddenly threw his arms round her and strained her to him. "Barbara! "Bar-bara! why should we be done out of our rights? We've been chucked out of the world; stripped of everything that made life worth living. But now we have discovered Hie greatest treasure treas-ure of all. Are we to. give that up because of scruples? By G d !" with sudden anger he loosed her, clenching his hands, "I won't! I'm d d If I'll agree to that! It isn't fair. You say I always get my way. AVell some time ' She met calmly the passion and threat in his eyes. These untamed forces no longer alarmed her, as they would have done six months ago. "Alan!" she protested, holding out her hand. He ignored it, gazing still upon the peculiar radiance of her face. She went to him. lifting both hands to his shoulders, her lips tremulous. "There is more to be considered . . . not not only ourselves. . . . My darling! don't you realize we are man and woman, and " Her flushed face sank on his breast. "Don't you see?" she whispered. "Others! Not 'scruples.' " A long silence succeeded her broken words. His arms closed around her again, and again he hid his face in her hair. He raised his head at last; and as lie pulled her hands down into his own his face looked strangely drawn. "Gud help us both, Barbara!" lie muttered huskily. "For we are In the very h 1 of a position." There was a strange blending of fear and adoration ador-ation in the eyes of both, while they looked upon en eh other. "But I I swear I'll I'll never force you to anything. Always remember that. And, for heaven's sake, don't let me forget ! I'm so d d human," he added, add-ed, with naive pathos. For the first time since she knew him, she heard a lack of confidence In his tone. Conscious of those forces of nature against which they were but puppets, all the woman in her rose to meet him. "We can never lose faith In each other. Alan. That will help ns. Hut " she looked at the dearly loved figure. For one illuminating instant, in-stant, all that marriage would mean between them (lashed into her heart, awakening the mother dormant with-dn with-dn her. "Ah ! Hut It's going to be hard hard hard !" The cry burs;. Involuntarily, from her Hps. All the love and longing which inspired it shone in the gaze which seemed to envelop him as a glowing fire. . . . For a space he stood silent, lost with her in n world which neither had dreamed of before. Then he stepped forward with a muttered mut-tered ejaculation, and they clung together to-gether as they had clung on thir firs' night on the island two derelict beings swept over the world's edge. . "Go in." he whispered tremulously Bt last. "I can't come to supper tonight. to-night. I must go away alone for a hit . . . anil think. . . . You've opened a new world to me tonight." He kissed he-'' with lingering gentleness, gentle-ness, and tmned away toward the hore. Barbara walked slowly Into the hut. Put to her, also, food seemed impo-sible impo-sible ust then. That moment's illumination illumi-nation had opened up a new world for her. too a world which, it seemed she was never to enter! . . . With a litlle sobbing breath she went into the sleeping Inn and threw herself face downward on her bed. lor a hng time neither alluded to this conv. sutiim. A new chord hail been stn.'K oetweon them, too deep "7 'die t1-";. A subtler difference, a k:-.'i(ie. nto w f s' iuusness. came Into fitir relations. The shadow cast by The ruined huts were strictly tabu, haunted by the spirits of those slain there. Roowa, proudly radiant, began to build a new hut, to which Meamaa and his two children could be fetched. Within a short time smoke arose from Meamaa's cooking; and two small black figures danced, like imps, among the palms. II "I wonder," suggested Barbara, when they strolled together one night, "if we ought to teach them Christianity." Alan looked down, smiling at these lingering instincts of the parson's daughter; but shook his head. "If they learn gentleness, kindness and cleanliness, don't you think they are acquiring the spirit of it?" he asked. "These will permeate, paving the way, if you think It necessary to teach them Christian creeds later. But don't upset their old faiths yet they are not ready. It's always a dangerous thing. If it's hurried, it Is fatal." She thrust her arm through "his. "You're awfully wise, Alan mine! You seem to know just how to manage tlie natives. Why is it, I wonder?" "Because I care for them. You can usually understand those you love, if you try. See how well I manage you!" She laughed; then felt bis arm. "D'you know, you're getting thin Alan." "Hard work." "I have noticed it in your face, too. You mustn't work so incessantly there's no need." "Isn't there? Ah, Barbara ! I think there is." She looked up quickly; but he had turned his face seaward; only the grim set mouth was visible. The woman in her thrilled to him, for she understood. Clasping his arm tightly, she laid her face against it. "Dear !" she murmured. "We have been here nearly a year," was his only response. "I know." They walked on in silence a while, passing near Roowa's hut. Just outside out-side tlie entrance the native and his wife sat close together, the youngest child asleep in the man's arms, both too much absorbed In low-toned conversation con-versation to notice their approath. The natives' love may be little above that of an animal for its mate; but-it contents con-tents them. Barbara's clasp tightened, as these two outcasts from all laws looked upon the group. "They are very happy. Alan, I often watch them." "So do I my G d !" She glanced up in surprise at the passionate tone in his voice. "I sometimes wish I had never brought them here," be continued. She was silent a moment; then drew his hand swiftly up to her face. With her lips against it, she whispered, so low that he had to bend down to catch her words : "Do you ever look at their little ones and think supposing if only?" "Barbara ! I do." He turned and drew her into his arms. "I have thought of it all over and over again! I think of nothing else." Tlie relief of speaking, for once, about tlie theme which lay heavy upon their hearts caused discretion to be thrown to the winds. "It haunts me!" she cried passionately, clinging to him. "It haunts me day and night. I can't bear to see them. I've tried " "And I, by heaven !" Loosing her abruptly, lie threw himself him-self down upon lite rock outside the lint and bowed his head in his hands What was passing through his mind she could only surmise by the chaos of emotion which, now the barriers were down, surged through her own. All these weeks both had struggled to forget for-get the problems menacing them. But the very straws at which they had caught proved to be. so to speak, serpents ser-pents In dis-uise. For nature, crude and unattended, ruled this island. By her inexorable laws these primitive people were guided, unabashed, in al! good faith. And among these subtle forces working around them, untler-mining untler-mining the very ground beneath their feet, the two were flung together In a solitude, a familiarity, so maddening yet so entrancing, that their senses were inflamed at every turn. Escape was impossible. Wherever they moved they were confronted with their own rising passion. Regarded us man and wife they shrank now from visiting the settlement together. Throughout the days each constantly surprised the other's furtive, hungry, troubled regard. re-gard. Conversation heeiime often strained, demnnstrativeness between them a danger. Throughout the night each lay listening to the other's movements move-ments and breathing, through the frail bamboo partition. No longer could they shout careless badinage, hold midnight mid-night talks. . . Rut. since the building of the palisade, neither had dared put into words the fear risinz ever higher in their hearts. He uncovered his face at last, and looked II) at her. a grim defiance in his eyes. "We can't go on like tiiis. It's damnable! dam-nable! Barbara mine here." Hesitating a little, not understanding the unusual expression of his fac e, she went toward the nam! he held out. He might her mughiv by the arm pu l'nr her down to her Knees at bis side, jraz-Inc jraz-Inc into her eves for several seconds The Ruined Huts Were .Strictly Tabu. times she brought the children odd bits of ribbon or lace, which produced an excited uproar. Weeks later, she used to see these scraps adorning some woman's dark form, with ludicrous incongruity. in-congruity. But, among these "children of nature." na-ture." as among other children, not of nature but of civilized education, there existetl undercurrents of strife, ambition, ambi-tion, ill-feeling. These were responsible for a division of which Croft soon became be-came aware. The more savage factions fac-tions waxed impatient for Ba'iooma to be their chief. Only the superstitious awe in which a chief is held saved Chiinabalioi from being despatched unceremoniously un-ceremoniously to tlie spirits of his murdered sons. The result of that would have been civil war. and deadly peril for the two white people. For Babooma and his friends were not partial to these stranu'e newcomers who forced t hem to work and frustrated frus-trated their savage tendencies. Croft knew well tlie risky ground on which he trod. For reasons of strategy, therefore, he forbore, save for a drastic dras-tic warning, to take any steps in retaliation re-taliation for Christmas day's attempt upon bis life. "Ball-devils" from the white woman. In swift retribution for what be bad contemplated, had frightened fright-ened Babooma enough for the present. His black face was seldom seen, nowadays, nowa-days, far from the settlement. Roowa and Meamaa, since their child's recovery, had regarded the "white chief" with little less than worship. wor-ship. And this fact gave Alan the idea wherewith to cause distraction in the increasing difficulty of the life he and Barbara now led. It was, both knew, but catching at straws; yet. eagerly, such frail aids were welcomed. After a ihort consultation with Chimabahoi. Boowa was commanded to .ake up h'.s residence In the north, to help the "white chief in work upon the land, while Meamaa served bis "wife." |