ly in need of
work. My pride is quite dead, you see--one or the other of us had to
die."

She looked down with a gay little smile. "If it wouldn't spoil you I
should tell you what I think of you. Meanwhile, as servitude becomes
man, you may tie my shoe for me--Marlitt's shoe that pinched you.... Tie
it tightly, so that I shall not lose it again.... Thank you."

As he rose, their eyes met once more; and the perilous sweetness in hers
fascinated him.

She drew a deep, unsteady breath. "Will you take me home?" she asked.

PASQUE FLORIDA

The steady flicker of lightning in the southwest continued; the wind
freshened, blowing in cooler streaks across acres of rattling rushes and
dead marsh-grass. A dull light grew through the scudding clouds, then
faded as the mid-day sun went out in the smother, leaving an ominous red
smear overhead.

Gun in hand, Haltren stood up among the reeds and inspected the
landscape. Already the fish-crows and egrets were flying inland, the
pelicans had left the sandbar, the eagles were gone from beach and dune.
High in the thickening sky wild ducks passed over Flyover Point and
dropped into the sheltered marshes among the cypress.

As Haltren stood undecided, watching the ruddy play of lightning, which
came no nearer than the horizon, a squall struck the lagoon. Then, amid
the immense solitude of marsh and water, a deep sound grew--the roar of
the wind in the wilderness. The solemn paeon swelled and died away as
thunder dies, leaving the air tremulous.

"I'd better get out of this," said Haltren to himself. He felt for the
breech of his gun, unloaded both barrels, and slowly pocketed the
cartridges.

Eastward, between the vast salt river and the ocean, the dunes were
smoking like wind-lashed breakers; a heron, laboring heavily, flapped
inland, broad pinions buffeting the gale.

"Something's due to happen," said Haltren, reflectively, closing the
breech of his gun. He had hauled his boat up an alligator-slide; now he
shoved it off the same way, and pulling up his hip-boots, waded out,
laid his gun in the stern, threw cartridge-sack and a dozen dead ducks
after it, and embarked among the raft of wind-tossed wooden decoys.

There were twoscore decoys bobbing and tugging at their anchor-cords
outside the point. Before he had fished up a dozen on the blade of his
oar a heavier squall struck the lagoon, blowing the boat out into the
river. He had managed to paddle back and had secur