. For in his soul lived a voice
comparing her to an ideal known only to his dreams--a being, somewhere,
who would tear off the sling with brave and loving hands, and not be
content to see him drift. His closely guarded better nature was
persistently pleading with him to face about, while her pouting lips
imperiously demanded his mornings and afternoons for her entertainment.
Then, very softly, a consciousness began to dawn upon this little
romance, showing its glitter to be the veriest tinsel; and, so it was,
in a make-believe fervor of self-righteousness, he pressed the pseudo
crown of martyrdom upon his brow and "stepped aside."

If the truth were known, his soul had many times craved
self-sacrifice--a hunger from which true men and women do not long
escape. So he hugged the imitation, knowing it to be an imitation, but
pretending it was real; before this false altar he "stepped aside,"
crying within himself that he had done a noble act, and knowing it was
counterfeit. The knowledge, not the sacrifice, was bitter; nevertheless,
this false altar sweetly fed his innate hunger--and, to keep the false
in an attitude of real, he dreamed more, drank more. In the three years
which had passed since then he retained only the love of drifting.

As he now looked seriously up into Jane's face he was swept by one
thought: tragedy, cruelty, disappointment were entitled to no place in
the atmosphere of her dwelling. With a pang he realized that Dale was
bringing them all to her. With a bound, something that was very far
from being false, awoke in his heart, whispering how she might be
spared. Then he perceived her still smiling down at him.

"Dreaming?" she asked.

"Fascinated," he murmured.

Without assistance she slipped from the saddle, exclaiming:

"My, but it's a lovely day!"

"Isn't it! Oh, you can't interrupt the Colonel and Dale just now," he
warned, seeing her intention. "They're hard at it. Come with me while I
tie your horse, and then let's go to your charmed circle and talk. Have
you forgiven my--er--shortcomings?"

"I'd forgotten you were so afflicted," she laughed, knowing he had no
reference to the dinner--that absolutely closed subject.

"I didn't know I was either, till you told me one day. In fact, you're
always enlightening me. How wonderful you must be to discover so many
things in a chap!"

"My insight is very clear," she observed, without enthusiasm.

"A vision filtered through such wonderful eyes