mercilessly,
selfishly cruel. I longed to hear you say what you have said. All my
life I shall remember it as a penance for the wrong I have done you."

"I will not listen to such words." He clasped the hand that rested on
his breast, but she tore it away.

"Don't tempt me further, Ralph."

He was again close beside her.

"Tell me all, Helen. You have given me the right to know."

"I have not, I cannot. If I should tell you, you would despise me. If I
granted your wish, all my life I should loathe myself."

Ralph stood with eyes undoubting, unconvinced, but he could go no
farther.

"Is it forever, Helen, hopelessly forever?"

"Don't ask me, Ralph, but forgive me." Her eyes were shining with unshed
tears. "I am afraid it is. Will you, can you forgive me?"

Winston's lips set. There was a determination in his eyes that was yet
softened by a great love.

"I have nothing to forgive. I love you and I shall always love you.
Nothing you have said or can say will change it or weaken it. You do not
see clearly now. Some time you will. Then I shall claim you and you will
come to me."

Helen could trust herself no further, nor could she still the throb of
hope his words had kindled. Was she mistaken after all? Was her sin as
she saw it, but a gigantic empty shadow resting on a vanishing cloud
which the clear light of reason would melt away? There had been
conviction in his words, "Sometime you will see clearly, then you will
come to me."

She was to outward appearances her old self as she mingled once more
with the visitors on the way back to Ysleta. The enthusiastic crowd
declared that they would see to it that the completion of the great dam
was duly celebrated, and with one accord they voted that Helen was to
swing the last stone into place. Helen objected, but to no purpose. She
was told that it had all been arranged between them and Winston.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Seymour did not arrive in Ysleta as soon as Winston and Uncle Sid had
expected, yet there was no doubt that he had heard of the Pacific
failure and the consequent loss of a considerable amount of the
company's funds. There was also no doubt that the news of Elijah's
transactions with Mellin had been transmitted to him. His non-appearance
puzzled them somewhat, but the fact that he had communicated with no
one, officially at least, partly explained the situation to them. It
must be that he felt perfectly secure and was taking his own time in