lfcV wrvirowT1 toft nsrt jiaM
CHAPTER XIV Continued.
17
There was no Inck of fodder for
the flames. Ry dint of several wheel
barrow trips between the knoll anil tho
farmyard, he hail presently construc
ted a pyre of Impressive proportions;
and by that time It was quite dnrk
so dark. Indeed, that he had been
forced to hunt up a yard lantern,
canting the which the girl had ac
companied him on his two final trips.
"Here," he said clumsily, when all
was ready, offering her matches. "You
light It, please for luck."
Their fingers touched as she took
the matches. Something thumped In
his breast, and a door opened In tho
chambers of his understanding, letting
In light.
Kneeling at the base of the pyre,
she struck a match and applied It to
a quantity of tinder-dry excelsior.
The stuff caught Instantly, puffing Into
a brilliant patch of blaze; she rose
and stood back, en silhouette, delicate
ly poised at attention, waiting to seo
that her work was well done. Ho
could not take his gaze from her.
So what he had trilled and toyed
with, fought with and prayed against,
doubted and questioned, laughed at
and cried down, was sober, painful
fact. Truth, heart-rending to behold
n her stark, shining beauty, had been
revealed to him In that moment of
brushing finger-tips, and he had looked
In her face and known his un worthi
ness; and he trembled and was afraid
and ashamed. . . .
The girl retreated to his side, re
turning the matches.
A tongue of flame shot up from
the peak of the pyre, and a column of
smoke surpassed It, swinging off to
leeward In great, red-bosomed volutes
and whorls picked out with flying regi
ments of sparks.
They seated themselves with their
backs to the Are and at a respectful
distance from It, where they could
watch the Jetting blades of light that
ringed the far-off headland. Whltnkor
reclined on an elbow, relapsing .Into
moody contemplation. The girl stirred
uneasily, turning her head to look at
Whltaker.
"You know," she said with n con
fused attempt to laugh: "this Is really
so canny, this place. Or else I'm
balmy. I'm seeing things shapes that
stir against the blackness, off there be
yond the light, moving, halting, star
ing, hating us for butchering their age
old peace and quiet. Maybe I'll for
get to see them. If you'll talk to me
a little."
"I can't talk to you," he said, un
gracious in his distress.
"You can't? It's the first time It's
been noticeable, then. What's respon
sible for this all-of-n-sudden change
of heart?"
"That's what's responsible." The
words spoke themselves almost against
his will.
"You're very obscure. Am I to un
derstand that you've taken n sudden
dislike to me, so that you can't treat
mo with decent civility?"
"I've always understood women
knew what men meant beforo tho men
did, themselves." Ills voice broke a
little. "Oh, can't you see how It Is
with me? Can't you see?" he cried.
"God forgive me! I never meant to
Inflict this on you, at such a time I
I don't know why I have . . ."
"You mean," she stammered in a
voice of amaze "you mean love?"
"Can you doubt It?"
"No . . not after what's hap
pened, I presume. You wouldn't have
followed you wouldn't have fought so
to save me from drowning I suppose
If you hadn't cared. . . . Hut I
didn't know."
"Then you're not offended?" he
asked, sitting up.
"Why should I be?" Tho firelight
momentarily outlined tho smiling half
wistful countenance she turned to him.
"What woman would bo who received
us great and honorable a compliment
from you, Hugh? Only" again tho
whimsical little laugh that merged into
a smothered sigh "I wish I knowl"
"Wish you knew whnt?"
"What's going on Inside that extra
ordinary head of yours; what's In tho
mind behind the eyes thnt I bo often
fin staring nt me so curiously."
He bowed thut head between hands
that compressed cruelly his temples.
."I wish I knewl" ho groaned In pro
tect. "Since you called mo to supper,
'a while ago, by numo I don't know
why your voice, as you used Jt then,
has run through my head and through,
teasing my memory like a strain of
music from some half-remembered
song. It half-maddens me; I feel so
strongly that everything would be so
straight nud plain and clear between
us. If I could only fasten upon that
fugitive, Indefinable something that's
always fluttering Just beyond my
grasp I"
"You mean alt that honestly?" she
demnnded In an oddly startled voice.
"Most honestly." He looked up In
excitement. "You don't mean you've
felt anything of the sort?"
"No, I" her voice broke as If wltB
weariness "I don't mean that, pre
cisely, I mean . . . Probably I don't
know what I do mean. I'm really
very tired, too tired to go on. Just
now to sit here with you, badgering
our poor wits with esoteric subtleties.
I think do you mind? I'd better go
In."
Sho rose quickly, without waiting for
hi: hand. Whltaker straightened out
his long body with more deliberation,
standing finally at full height, his
grave and moody countennnce strongly
relieved In the ruddy glow, while her
face was all In shadow.
"One moment," ho begged humbly
"before we go In. I . . I've some
thing elso to say to you. If I may."
She waited, seriously attentive.
"I haven't played fair, I'm afraid,"
he said, lowering his head to escape
her steadfast gaze. Tts Just told
you that I love you, but . .
"Well?" she demanded In nn odd.
ringing voice. "Isn't It true?"
'True?" ne laughed unnnturally.
"It's so true I wish I had died beforo
I told you I"
"Please explain," sho urged a trace
wearily.
"I." he stammered "I am already
married."
She gave a little, stifled cry
whether of pain or horror or of Indig
nation ho could not telli
"I'm sorry I " ho began.
"Don't you think you might have
thought of this before?"
"I . . . you don't understand "
"So It would seem," she put In
cruelly.
"Please hear me I It was several
years ago I married a girl I'd never
teen before, to help her out of a des
perate scrape sho'd got Into. We
never lived together, never even snw
one nnother after that hour. She
had every reason to think mo dead
as I should have been, by rights. Hut
now she knows thnt I'm ullvc Isnbout
to sue for a divorce."
After a long pause, during which
neither stirred, she told him, In a faint
voice: "Thank you."
She moved 'toward the house.
"If you will forgive me "
"Oh, I forglvo you, Mr. Whltaker.
My heart Is really not quite so fragile
as all this Implies. I think I'll go
to bed. I'm very, very tired. In spite
of my sleep on the sands. That didn't
rest me, really."
They returned to tho kitchen.
In silence, whllo Whltaker fidgeted
about tho room, nwkward anil un
happy, the girl removed n glass lamp
from the shelf nbovo the sink, as
sured herself thnt It was filled, and
lighted It. Then over her shoulder:
"I hope you don't mean to stay up
all night"
"I well, I'm really not sleepy."
"As soon as you feel tho least need
of sleep, you'll go to bed?'
"I promise."
"Very well, then."
Tho Insistent note faded from her
tones. She moved townrd tho table,
put the lamp down, and hesitated In
one of her strange, unprcsoged moods
of diffidence, looking down at the
finger-tips with which sho traced n
meaningless pattern on the oil-cloth.
"You nre kind," she said abruptly,
her head bowed, her faco hidden from
him.
"Kind!" ho echoed, dumfounded.
"You nro kind and sweet and gen
erous to me," she insisted in a level
voice. "You have shown mo your
heart tho heart of n gentleman with
out reserve; but of mo you have
asked nothing."
"I don't understand"
"I meun, you haven't onco referred
to what happened Inst night. You'vo
been content to let mo preserve my
confidence, to remain secretive and
mysterious In your sight. . . . That
Is how I seem to you Isn't Itt"
"Secretive nud mysterious? Hut 1
hnvu no right to your eonlldeueo; your
uffalrs nro yours, Inviolable, unless
you choose to discuss thorn."
"You would think that way of
course I" Suddenly she showed liliu
her faco Illuminated with Its frank,
shadowy smile, her sweet eyes, 1. 1 ml
nud as fearless as the eyes of n 'child.
"Other men would not, I know. And
you have every right to know."
"I I"
"You; and I shall tell you. , . ,
Hut not now; there's too much to tell,
to explain and make understandable;
and I'm too terribly tired. To-morrow,
perhaps or when wo escapo from this
weird place, when I'vo had tlmo to
think things out"
"At your pleasure." ho assented
gently. "Only don't let anything
worry you."
Impulsively she caught both his
hands In a clasp at onco soft and
strong, wholly straight forward and
friendly.
"Do you know." she snld In n laugh
ing voice, her head thrown hack, soft
shadows darkening her mystical eyes,
the lamplight caressing her hair until
It was as If her henil were framed In
u halo of pure gold, bright against tho
somber background of that mean, bare
room "Do you know, dear tuau, that
you aro quite blind?"
"I think," he said with Ids twisted
smile, "It would be well for mo If I
were physically blind at this Instant I"
Sho shook her head In light reproof.
"Hllud, quite blind I' sho repeated.
"And yet I'm glad It's so with you.
I wouldn't have you otherwise for
worlds."
Sho withdrew her hand, took up tho
lump, moved a little away from him,
and paused, holding his eyes.
"For Love. too. Is blind." she said
softly, with a quaint little nod of nf
Urination. "Good night."
Ho started forward, eyes nflarao;
took a single pace after her; paused
as If against an unseen barrier. His
bauds dropped by his sides; his chin
to his chest; tho light died out of his
face nud left It gray and deeply lined.
CHAPTER XV.
Discovery.
He was up and out In tho cool of
dnwn. before sunrise, delaying to listen
for some minutes at tho foot of tlxs
stairway. Hut he heard no sound In
that still house, mid thero wns no
longer tho night to nffrlght the woman
with hinted threats of nameless hor
rors lurking beneath Its Impenetrable
clonk. Ho felt no longer bound to
stand sentinel on the threshold of her
apprehension. He went out.
The day would be clear. In the
white magic of air like crystal trans
lucent anil motionless, tho world
seemed more close-knitted and snnc.
What yesterday's veiling of hnzo had
concealed was now bold and near. In
the north the lighthouse stood like a
horn on the brow of the headland, the
lamp continuing to flash even though
Its light was darkened. Its beams out-
A Tongue of Flamo Shot Up.
stripped by Uio radiant forerunners
of the nun. On the nearer land hu
man life was quickening; here and
there pale streamers of smoke swung
up from hidden chimneys on Its wood
ed rises.
Whltaker eyed them with longing.
Hut they wcro distant from attain
ment by at tho least three miles of
tideway through which strong waters
raced. Ho wagged a doubtful head,
and scowled; no sign In any quarter
of a boat heading for the Island, no
telling when they'd bo tuken oft tho
cursed place 1
In his mutinous Irritation, tho
screumliig of the gulls, over In tho
west, seemed to add the final touch
of annoyance, a superfluous addition
to the sum of his trials. What was
the matter with the addlo-puted things,
anyway?
Tlloro wns nothing to hinder him
from Investigating for himself. The
girl would probably sleep another hour
or two.
Ilo wont forthwith, dulling tho keen
edgo of his exasperation with a rapid
tramp of half a mllo or so over tho
uneven uplands.
Tho screaming wns woll-nlgh deafen
tug by tho tlmo ho stood upon tho
vergo of tho bluff ; beneath liltti gulls
clouded the air like hoes swarming.
And yet ho experienced no dllllcutty
In locating the cause of their excite
ment.
Helow, a slow tldo crawled, slaver
ing, up over tho bowIlortrown sands,
In n wuvo-seooped depression between
In the Pool Lay the Body of a Man.
two of tho Inrge bowlders, the reced
ing waters had left a little, limpid
pool. In thu pool lay the body ol
n man, faco downward, limbs fright
fully sprawling. (lull fought foi
place upon his back.
The discovery brought with It nc
shock of surprise to the man on th
bluff; horror alone. Ilo seemed tc
have known all along that such would
be the cause. Hut ho shrank shudder
ing from the thought of tho work
thnt lay to his hand work that muni
lie accomplished at once and com
plotely; for she must know nothliu
of It. Shu had suffered enough, ai
It wns.
(TO m: CONTINUKD.)
HELIOGRAPH USED IN AFRICA
Wlreles Telegraphy Hat Not Entire!)
8upplanted 8unllght Sig
naling. The heliograph, although largely su
pcrscded by wireless telegraphy, still
Is used on tho frontiers of India and to
South Africa, where the air Is cleat
and signals can be seen over long dis
tances. Hotha's men nro using It. and sc
nre his opponents, though perhaps the;
seldom think this method of signaling
by means of flnshlng reflections of th
sun's rays Is more than i.lKXJ years old.
being Invented by Tacitus. Tho shlcldi
of soldiers, grouped In a prearranged
manner, were used, but, of course, tlu
system was very primitive and trans
mission slow, only the simplest ex
pressions' being possible.
Under favorable conditions a hellv
gruph signal can bo read for very Ions
distances, 770 miles being not at nil
uncommon, while tfi years ago Major
Home, on thu staff of General French,
managed to send messages for V2
miles, for long n record.
Itecuutly this has been outdone, and
the same olllcer was able to read quite
clearly signals which were Unshed
from a distance of Ktu miles. Captain
Sadler of thu Carablulers, using a 5
Inch heliograph from Compass Hcg,
talked to Major Homo on tho Cocks
combe mountain, near Ultenhnge, a
record which remains unbeaten. ,
The Country Wookcr.
Dr. Iloraco Leavenworth Hall, the
pioneer of thu children's country
week movement In thu West, suld
the other day In Denver:
"Tho examples of slum children's Ig
norance a i o us Incredible us I hey are
Innumerable.
"A farmer's wife pointed out to a
slum urchin u flock of birds wing
ing their way across tho evening
sky.
"'Oh, look nt tho pretty birds I' she
said.
"'Poor things!' said tho urchin,
'Poor little things! Tliey haven't got
no cages, have they?"'
No Troublo at All.
Friend I suppose If peoplo would
do Just what you tell them you would
have u great dual less trouble.
Doctor Yes, Indeed! I would tell
some of them to sottlu their accounts.
POULTRY
mis
TURKEYS ARE EASILY RAISED
Dlrd la Especially Adapted to Qraln
and Stock Farma Where Thero
li Ample Range.
(Preptuod by the IhiTted Hlnl Depart
ment of AKrlcultuto.)
No onn Is In a better position to re
spond to tho present campaign for the
Increased production of poultry on tho
farm than the turkey raiser. Tho tur
key Is a farm bird, llrst and last, and
Is especially suited to tho grain and
stuck farms whore thero Is ample rang
ing ground abounding In such turkey
food as grasshoppers and otlp-r In
Hoets, weed seeds. wnlo grain, such
.! r f1 ! -fi" fvi. J; v a ti
a $ tt
flood Netta for Turkey.
as Is left In the lleldv after hnrve-st,
and nuts of such varieties as beech
nuts, chestnuts, pecans, pine nuts and
acorns. On such a farm, the present
prices of grain nffrct the turkey rais
er but little, for with tho exception of
what Is used at fattening time, the feed
consumed Is largely of such a kind as
would otherwise be wasted.
EACH BREED HAS ITS PLACE
All Have Been Made and Developed on
General Principle of Practical
Quality and Value.
(Prepared t" thn United Milieu Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
To thn novice In poultry keeping It
fteti appears that thero Is no real
necessity for so many breeds and va
rieties as have been, standardized In
Interim. Further acquaintance with
them, however, shows that although
color differences aro In most cases
made merely to please tint eyes of
persons having different preferences
for color, tho differences In shnpo nnd
size which make breed character have
been developed with a view to adapting
"itch to particular uses or particular
"ondlllons.
Leaving out of consideration tho
breeds kept ns novelties, most of which
originated before Industrial progress
created n Inrge demand for poultry
products, all the standard American
breeds of fowls have been made and
developed on the general principle of
practical quality, tho foundation of
breed, character nnd vnluo.
In harmony with this principle the
common classification of breeds ac
cording to their place In tho general
scheme of poultry production divides
them Into three principal classes, name
ly, laying breeds, meat breeds that nro
not ns ready nnd .persistent egg pro
ducers ns the laying breeds, and not as
menty and ns easy to fatten ns tho
meat breeds, yet combine In one Indi
vidual fowl vftw Kood laying capacity
with very good tsble quality.
Tho Leghorn, Minorca, Andnluslan,
Anconu nnd Camplno aro well-known
breeds of the laying class; the Hrah
ma, Dorking, nud Cornish nf the meat
class; tho Plymouth Hock, Wyandotto,
Rhode Island Ited nnd Orpington of
tho general purpose class.
CONTENTED FOWLS ARE BEST
Easier to Keep Hena Healthy and to
Reproduce Stock Under Colony
House System.
(Prepared by the United Btatns Depart
ment of Agriculture,)
A contented hen Is a profltnhln pos
session, and contentment with tho hen
Is commensurate with tho comfort of
her homo. Ilenco henhousn building
should receive mora than passing no
tice from ono who would profitably
produco poultry.
Hens do not do well In apartments;
even semidetached houses nro not do
slrahlo; separated (colony) Iioubcs,
each with Its own ynrd, glvo host all
around satisfaction.
It Is easier to keep tho birds healthy
and to reproduce thu stock under tho
colony system if tho birds nro allowed
free range, Hreedlng stock, nnd espe
cially growing chickens, should hnvo
un abundant raugo, while lions used
solely for the production of mnrkot
eggs may be kept on a very small area.
8
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ft ;