ice which told Steve of the
inroads Marcel had made upon her mother's heart.

"I've thought of all this a whole heap," he said gently. "It's one of
the things that clinched my idea of quitting. Later I don't guess I'd
have had the nerve to--ask for Marcel."

Millie turned abruptly. And the husband was watching her as urgently as
Steve himself.

"That's not fair, Steve," she declared, without attempting to soften the
challenge.

"But, Millie--"

The husband's protest was cut short.

"Don't worry, Mac," Millie cried. "I know just the feelings that
prompted Steve to think that way. But it's not fair. It's making out
that I'd like to go back on my word, and refuse to give Marcel up to the
moloch of Unaga. That's the part that isn't fair. Steve, if you'd come
to me in twenty years my word would have gone every time. That boy might
be my own son, I never had a son, and maybe you can guess just what that
means to me when I say it. But there's bigger things in the world than
my feelings, and I'm full wise to them. That boy loves you the same as
if you were his father. I've helped to see to that. I and An-ina. You've
been through hell for him. You've been through a hell of your own
besides. Now you're ready to give your all for him--including your life.
Do you know what I feel in my fool woman's way? I'll try and tell you,"
she went on, forcing back the threatening tears. "There's men in the
world made to give their everything for those they love. You're one of
them. To rob you of an object for you to work and sacrifice yourself for
would be to rob you of the greatest thing in your life. It would be an
unforgivable crime, and though it broke my heart I would refuse to
commit that crime. Marcel is ready for you the moment you ask for him.
Oh, yes, it's just as I said. His outfit is ready. We've enlarged it as
he's grown. An-ina has done her share. There's two of everything, as I
said there would be--and a good deal over. But," she added, with a
little pitiful break in her voice that showed how near were her tears,
"I wish, oh, how I wish, it was not Unaga, and that, some day, I might
hope to see his smiling, happy face again. You'll be good to him, Steve,
won't you? Raise him, train him, teach him. Don't let him become a wild
man. I want to think of him, to always remember him as he is now, and to
think that when he grows to manhood at least he's as good a man as
you."

PART II

CHAPTER I

AFTER FOURTEEN