FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  
uch as she could in the penumbra of her thoughts. She did not want to pity or to help him, she convinced herself; but she did not want his death laid to a Morgan plot--for none of his friends would ever believe de Spain had found his way alive and alone to where he lay. All of this Nan was casting up in her mind as she walked home. She had already decided, but without realizing it, what to do, and was willing to assume that her mind was still open. Toward daylight of the morning, de Spain dreamed he was not alone--that a figure moved silently in the faintness of the dawn--a figure he struggled to believe a reality, but one that tricked his wandering senses and left him, at the coming of another day, weaker, with failing courage, and alone. But when he opened his eyes later, and with a clearer head, he found food and drink near. Unable to believe his sight, he fancied his wavering senses deceiving him, until he put out his hand and felt actually the substance of what he saw. He took up a bottle of milk incredulously, and sipped at it with the caution of a man not unused to periods of starvation. He broke eggs and swallowed them, at intervals, hungrily from the shell; and meat he cached, animal-like, in near-by crannies and, manlike, in his pockets. He was determined, if she should come again, to intercept his visitor. For forty-eight hours he tried cat-naps with an occasional sandwich to keep up his strength. Nan returned unseen, and disappeared despite his watchfulness. A new supply of food proved she had been near, but that it would be hard to time her coming. When she did come, the third time, an innocent snare discovered her presence. It was just before day, and de Spain had so scattered small obstacles--handfuls of gravel and little chips of rock--that should she cross the ledge in the dark she could hardly escape rousing him. The device betrayed her. "I'm awake," announced de Spain at once from his retreat. When she stopped at the words he could not see her; she had flattened herself, standing, against a wall of the ledge. He waited patiently. "You give me no chance to thank you," he went on after a pause. Nan, drawing nearer, put down a small parcel. "I don't need any thanks," she replied with calculated coolness. "I am hoping when you are well enough you will go away, quietly, in the night. That will be the only way you can thank me." "I shall be as glad to go as you can be to have me," rejoined de
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

coming

 

senses

 

figure

 

gravel

 

obstacles

 
occasional
 

handfuls

 

escape

 

rousing

 
scattered

watchfulness

 
supply
 

strength

 

returned

 

unseen

 

disappeared

 

proved

 

presence

 

discovered

 

sandwich


innocent

 

replied

 

calculated

 

coolness

 

parcel

 

hoping

 

rejoined

 

quietly

 

nearer

 

drawing


stopped

 
flattened
 

standing

 

retreat

 

betrayed

 
announced
 

chance

 

waited

 

patiently

 

device


daylight

 

Toward

 

morning

 

dreamed

 

realizing

 

assume

 
silently
 

faintness

 

weaker

 

failing