er. Strong in the back and weak in
the head--the best of us."

But Mills himself stayed on. What kept him, Hollister wondered? Did he
have some objective that centered about Myra Bland? Was the man a
victim of hopeless passion, lingering near the unobtainable because he
could not tear himself away? Was Myra holding him like a pawn in some
obscure game that she played to feed her vanity? Or were the two of
them caught in one of those inextricable coils which Hollister
perceived to arise in the lives of men and women, from which they
could not free themselves without great courage and ruthless disregard
of consequences?

Sometimes Hollister wondered if he himself were not overfanciful, too
sensitive to moods and impressions. Then he would observe some
significant interchange of looks between Mills and Myra and be sure of
currents of feeling, furtive and powerful, sweeping about those two.
It angered him. Hollister was all for swift and forthright action,
deeds done in the open. If they loved, why did they not commit
themselves boldly to the undertaking, take matters in their own hands
and have an end to all secrecy? He felt a menace in this secrecy, as
if somehow it threatened him. He perceived that Mills suffered, that
something gnawed at the man. When he rested from his work, when he sat
quiescent beside the fire where they ate at noon together, that cloak
of melancholy brooding wrapped Mills close. He seldom talked. When he
did there was in his speech a resentful inflection like that of a man
who smarts under some injury, some injustice, some deep hurt which he
may not divulge but which nags him to the limits of his endurance.

Hollister was Mills' sole company after the other two men left. They
would work within sight of each other all day. They ate together at
noon. Now and then he asked Mills down to supper out of pity for the
man's complete isolation. Some chord in Hollister vibrated in sympathy
with this youngster who kept his teeth so resolutely clenched on
whatever hurt him.

And while Hollister watched Mills and wondered how long that effort at
repression would last, he became conscious that Myra was watching
_him_, puzzling over him; that something about him attracted and
repulsed her in equal proportions. It was a disturbing discovery. Myra
could study him with impunity. Doris could not see this scrutiny of
her husband by her neighbor. And Myra did not seem to care what
Hollister saw. She would look fran