dimly upon his progress through a veil of drifting cloud. He was
streaming with water at every step, but he moved as if his drenched
clothing were in no way a hindrance--steadily, strongly, with stubborn
fixity of purpose. The burden he carried hung limply in his arms, and
over his shoulder there drifted a heavy mass of wet, black hair.

He came at length on his firm, bare feet to the little gate that led to
the lonely cottage, and, without pausing, passed through. The cottage
door was ajar. He pushed it back and entered, closing it, even as he did
so, with a backward fling of the heel. Then, in the tiny living-room, by
the light of the lamp that shone in the window, he laid his burden down.

White and cold, she lay with closed eyes upon the little sofa,
motionless and beautiful as a statue recumbent upon a tomb, her drenched
draperies clinging about her. He stood for a second looking upon her;
then, still with the absolute steadiness of set purpose, he turned and
went into the inner room.

He came back with a blanket, and stooping, he lifted the limp form and,
with a certain deftness that seemed a part of his immovable resolution,
he wrapped it in the rough grey folds.

It was while he was doing this that a sudden sigh came from between the
parted lips, and the closed eyes flashed open.

They gazed upon him in bewilderment, but he continued his ministrations
with grim persistence and an almost bovine expression of countenance.
Only when two hands came quivering out of the enveloping blanket and
pushed him desperately away did he desist. He straightened himself then
and turned away.

"You'll be--all right," he said in his deep voice.

Then Columbine started up on her elbow, clutching wildly at the blanket,
drawing it close about her. The cold stillness of her was gone, as
though a sudden flame had scorched her. Her face, her neck, her whole
body were burning, burning.

"What--what happened?" she gasped. "You--why have you brought me--here?"

He did not look at her.

"It was the nearest place," he said. "The Death Current caught you, and
you were stunned. I got you out."

"You--got me--out!" she repeated, saying the words slowly as if she
were teaching herself a lesson.

He nodded his great head.

"Yes. I came up in time. I saw what would happen. There's often a tidal
wave about now. I thought you knew that--thought Adam would have told
you. He"--his voice suddenly went a tone deeper--"knew it. I told hi