ne and unadorned. But her beauty was
such as could support and glorify simplicity. Indeed it required
simplicity as a foil for its own delicate gorgeousness. The lithe
slenderness of her figure was enhanced by the transformation. Her long
hair hung in heavy braids that gave an almost childlike girlishness to
her appearance. Alexander, he thought, was wholly delectable.

But as he stared at Alexander she flung him look for look and commanded:

"Now, tek off your hat."

He tossed the thing away from him, and hesitated for a moment gazing at
her while his eyes kindled, then with an inarticulate sound in his
throat and no other word, he sprang forward and caught her to him, in
arms that would not be denied.

Alexander made no struggle. It would have been futile to match even
her fine strength against the herculean power of those arms--and
suddenly the girl felt faint.

For that unwarned and tumultuous conduct on the part of the man she had
been totally unprepared and it was as though the wave of amazement
which swept over her had left her gasping; bereft of both nerve-force
and breath. But other waves were sweeping her too, so that she of the
ready and invincible spirit for the moment rested inert in Halloway's
arms as her brain reeled. In one way she was dazed into
semiconsciousness. In another way, she was so staringly wide awake as
she had never before been in life. She had thought of this man with
feelings that she had neither named to herself nor analyzed, but the
unadmitted sex call of the strong man to the strong woman had sounded
like a bugle note through her nature. Now while the beginnings of an
indescribable fury stirred within her, she none the less thrilled to
his embrace with a flooding of her heart under which she almost
swooned. While she felt his kisses on her temples, her cheeks and her
lips, she had no power of speech or protest.

To Jack Halloway, it seemed that this non-resistance was unconditional
surrender and through him in a current of fluid fire, ran the fierce
ecstasy of victory.

But after a little Alexander straightened up and the pliant softness of
her body stiffened in his arms. She pushed against his shoulders with
steady hands. They were not struggling hands but firm and definite of
meaning, and Halloway released her. He released her readily as a man
may who can afford to be deferential in his moment of victory.

But when she was quite free, she stood unsteadily for a