be swayed; she knew she had taken her
steps faithfully as she had seen them--she must not stumble now
because of any one, anything.

"It's what you do to love that counts!" Almost fiercely Mary-Clare
grasped this. And in that moment Noreen, Northrup's mother, even Larry
and the girl who had just departed, put in their claim. She must
consider them; they were all part with Northrup and her.

"There is nothing for me to do but wait." Mary-Clare seemed to hear
herself speaking the words. "I can do nothing now but wait. But I will
not fear the Truth."

The bared Truth stood revealed; before it Mary-Clare did not flinch.

"This is what it has all meant. The happiness, the joy, the strange
intensity of common things."

Then Mary-Clare bowed her head upon her folded arms while the warm
sunlight came into the doorway and lay full upon her. She was absorbed
in something too big to comprehend. She felt as if she was being born
into--a woman! The birth-pains were wrenching; she could not grasp
anything beyond them, but she counted every one and gloried in it.

The Big Thing that poor Peneluna had known was claiming Mary-Clare. It
could not be denied; it might be starved but it would not die.

Somewhere, on beyond----

But oh! Mary-Clare was young, young, and her beyond was not the beyond
of Peneluna; or if it were, it lay far, far across a desert stretch.

CHAPTER XVI

Northrup had cast himself upon Twombley's hospitality with the plea of
business. He outlined a programme and demanded silence.

"I'm going to buy this Point," he confided, "and I'm going to go away,
Twombley. I'm going to leave things exactly as they are until--well,
perhaps always. Just consider yourself my superintendent."

Twombley blinked.

"Snatching hot cakes?" he asked. "Spoiling Maclin's meal?"

"Something like that, yes. I don't know what all this means, Twombley,
but I'm going to take no chances. I want to be in a position to hit
square if anything needs hitting. If no one knows that I'm in on this
deal, I'll be better pleased--but I want you to keep me informed."

Twombley nodded.

About noon Northrup departed, but he did not reach the inn until
nearly dark.

Heathcote and Polly had been tremendously agitated by the appearance
of the Morris car and the Japanese. They were in a sad state of
excitement. The vicious circle of unbelievable happenings seemed to be
drawing close.

"I guess I'll put the Chinese"--Peter was not car