o his throat.

"Please go away, now," she begged with an anxious gesture. While the
hand was extended, he reached and brought it to his lips, then quickly
kissed her on the forehead, and walked away. She stood trembling, and
as the fingers of one hand hung at her side, they spelled mechanically
these words: "It would spoil his life. I am only a mute--a dummy!"

As she stood so, she felt the approach of someone. She did not turn
instantly, but with the aboriginal instinct, listened, as it were, with
her body; but presently faced about--to Hawley. He was red with anger.
He had seen Hilton kiss her. He caught her smartly by the arm, but, awed
by the great calmness of her face, dropped it, and fell into a fit of
sullenness. She spoke to him: he did not reply. She touched his arm:
he still was gloomy. All at once the full price of her sacrifice rushed
upon her; and overpowered her. She had no help at her critical hour,
not even from this man she had intended to bless. There came a swift
revulsion, all passions stormed in her at once. Despair was the
resultant of these forces. She swerved from him immediately, and ran
hard towards the high-banked river!

Hawley did not follow her at once: he did not guess her purpose. She had
almost reached the leaping-place, when Pierre shot from the trees, and
seized her. The impulse of this was so strong, that they slipped, and
quivered on the precipitous edge: but Pierre righted then, and presently
they were safe.

Pierre held her hard by both wrists for a moment. Then, drawing her
away, he loosed her, and spelled these words slowly: "I understand.
But you are wrong. Hawley is not the man. You must come with me. It is
foolish to die."

The riot of her feelings, her momentary despair, were gone. It was
even pleasant to be mastered by Pierre's firmness. She was passive.
Mechanically she went with him. Hawley approached. She looked at Pierre.
Then she turned on the other. "Yours is not the best love," she signed
to him; "it does not trust; it is selfish." And she moved on.

But, an hour later, Hilton caught her to his bosom, and kissed her full
on the lips.... And his right to do so continues to this day.

A TRAGEDY OF NOBODIES

At Fort Latrobe sentiment was not of the most refined kind. Local
customs were pronounced and crude in outline; language was often highly
coloured, and action was occasionally accentuated by a pistol shot. For
the first few months of its life the place