ary. She recalled Devant with a
sense of hurt and pity; but Thornly came to her memory with a radiance
that grew with absence and, perhaps, forgetfulness on his part.

With the proud young womanhood that remained with the girl like a royal
birthright, the knowledge of all that Thornly's renunciation of her help
in his art meant brought the warm blood to her cheek and a prayer of
gratitude to her lips. She could afford to live and work apart; she
could be glad in worshipping her ideal of all that was brave and manly,
even though she knelt forever before an empty shrine.

Billy and Davy loomed upon her near horizon in added splendor. Ah! she
had known such good men! She was very blest. And so she sang as she
worked.

About noon of the winter's day, James B. slouched down to the Light and
entered the living room where Janet sat darning Davy's coarse gray
socks.

"Has John Thomas gone on yet?" he asked.

"No," said Janet, "his boat is at the dock."

"I'm thinkin' of goin' on with him. Looks like a rough enough storm was
comin' up, an' if anythin' should happen an' extry hand or two, over at
the Station, wouldn't come amiss. Eliza Jane's been havin' feelin's in
her bones that I better be over there."

Janet's eyes flashed, but the drooping lids hid them. She could not tell
why, but every time James B. went over to the Station she resented it.
It seemed as if he were keeping an eye on Cap'n Billy, and it aroused
her dislike and suspicion.

"Eliza Jane's bones must be troublesome for the rest of the family," she
said.

"They be!" nodded James. "I told Eliza Jane t'-day, that t' be rooted
out in the teeth of the kind of storm this one is like t' be, jest fur
feelin's in her bones, warn't exactly fair t' me."

"Why do you go?" The girl raised her great eyes and looked full at him.

His furtive glance fell.

"'Cause Eliza Jane said t'!" he answered doggedly. "She was down t' Miss
Thomas's an' when she knew John Thomas was off, she sot her mind on my
goin' on with him. I kind o' hoped he was gone."

"Well, he isn't. There he goes now down to the dock. It's queer he
doesn't stop and speak a minute."

James B. slouched toward the door. "Any message fur Cap'n Billy?" he
said.

"Just my love, and tell him I'm coming on to-morrow or next day. Shut
the door, James, the wind comes in as if it were solid."

She watched the two men make ready the little ice boat, she saw them get
aboard, and almost on the instant the s