compassion or fortitude, yet wishful as a little child's.

Her secret observer moaned as he stood erect. The fury of his soul
seemed to enhance his stature. He did not speak again, but, "Oh, Isabel!
harder to strive against than all the world beside!" was the unuttered
cry that wrote itself upon his tortured brow. "If your unfair winner
would only hold you by fair means! Yet I too was to blame! I too was to
blame, and you alone were blameless!"

Opposite his window Isabel ceased her light talk with the maid, halted,
bent, and scanned something just off the firm path, in the clean wet
sand.

The maid turned and flooded her with the light of the lantern just as
she impulsively lifted an alarmed glance to Leonard's window and as
quickly averted it. "Go on," said the mistress. "I can walk faster if
you can."

The girl quickened her steps, but had not taken a dozen when Isabel
stopped again. "Wait, Minnie. Now you can run back, thank you." She
reached for the lantern.

"I--I thought I was to go all the way, and--and bring the lantern back."

"No, I'll keep the lantern; but I'll stay here and throw the light after
you till you get in. Run along."

Minnie tripped away. As she came where they had first halted, a
purposely belated good-night softly overtook her; and when she looked
back, Isabel, as if by inadvertency, sent the lantern's beam into her