Martie, the Unconquered

ith burning, secret pride, and with perhaps a faint, renunciatory pang. She had pushed in her opening wedge

as the

that what you had to say upon an apparently well-worn subject struck a most responsive chord. Can you not giv

n. After all, even as a rich man's wife, she mig

now, every instant of the day. Yet she found time, as only a busy woman can, for writing, and put a new ardour into her at

Pittsville, and would not see her until after dinner; the rare opportunity was too precious to los

into the level rays of sunset light that were pouring into Main Street. The little fruit stand opposi

up to the curb. She had not seen it before in Monroe, nor did she recognize the m

ped from the car, and now came toward her. She smiled into a clever, unf

e seat, and was watching them. Her heart stopped beating for a second, then, commenced to race. Her colour rose in

tammered. "My

eyes in fair lashes. Time vanished, and Martie felt that she might have seen it yesterday; have felt yesterday the mu

's eyes were wet, her delight turning her cheeks to rose. John did not speak, unless his burning

ve to be introduced to me, because I know Joh

was a writer with twenty books to his credit. He had a ranch somewhere in Califo

t it meant to glance up and see you-and you look so well! And you're famo

glance was delightfully f

d have been absurd. He had not spoken before; she knew now that she had hungered for his rather

I got Dryden here to come, too. They want me to take a long sea trip: I hope you'll help me persuade him to come, too. He's trying to double-cross me on

little confused by this open recognition of John's feeling. "B

otel?" asked

you," said Martie. "We've more than enough room at our

f right now, or let us take you to dinner somewhere, or direct us to the hot

s still dazed and exulting.

id, in his simple way, hi

. "If you'll let me get in the car with you, and-and le

t do," Dean Silver said decisive

, with his dreamy air that was yet s

He turned his head so that she was always under the fire of his adoring ey

s just now in high favour, was mildly pleased with the invasion. This impromptu hospitality smacked of prosperity, of worldliness.

, kept a brisk conversation moving with Dea

wn beside him. He followed her down into the tipsy brick paths, u

lf. Old-fashioned street full of kids streaming in for ice-cream, garden with stocks and what-you-c

pleased at the

so pleasantly!" he

as born here. I belong here. I lived for years in New York wit

dea of what you can d

ghed maternally. "If you'

n to him," the nov

don't want to say the awkward thi

d at her

you cor

year, p

is cigarette, and sunk h

s divorced," h

owers in her hands, she stood

ing at all," Dean Silver said, after a silence. "But I thoug

lf-whispered, with

asked, in a tone

, n

d a few notes and sh

Martie. "A few of us have come to know Dryden well, this winter," he said gravely. "He's a rare fellow, Mrs. Bannister-a big man, and he's got his field to himself. You wouldn't be

Martie said, turning troubled eyes toward

r raised h

elieving that sort

million!" she answer

laughed

lication!"

"I'm engaged to be married to the preside

steadily for

u are not serious?"

she said, with

his shoulders again. In silenc

fact, is it?" Silver asked,

mely. "I've not seen John-I tell you I never thought of him as anything but Adele's husband! And Clifford-the man I am to mar

set of reasons for a beautiful woman'

l at once. She felt that another word would be too much. Silently she

room was made, the bureau spread with a clean, limp towel. Pauline was interviewed; she brightened. Dean Silver was from Prince Edward's Island, too, it seemed. P

ced with resentment that Pa had really brightened perceptibly under the unexpected stimulus. It was Lydia who said mildly, almost reproachfull

from her, or spoke to any one else. He glowed at her lightest word, laughed at

that she was hopelessly entangling her affairs, Martie's heart began to swell, and her senses to feel creeping over their a

king, had been warned by his physician that he must take a rest. So he and John were o

r in fairyland!"

said the novelist. "But he isn

istakable look at this, she tried

would be ma

r after awhile," he suggest

her mouth into a thin line of disapproval. Lydia was obviously thinking of C

hn sat silent beside Martie, and whenever she glanced at him she met his deep smile. Lydia preserved a forbidding silence, but Malcolm's

nd gold mines up as far as this, t

ly, "a company was formed here for the pu

, and walked across the dim grass to

bedtime?" asked Lydia. J

d?" he asked directly. L

her thanks over her shoulder as they walked away. She wa

s; the moon would be late, but the sky was high and dark, and thick with stars. In the silver glimmer the town lights, and the dim eye of the dairy, far up on the rang

nfinitely far and yet friendly, above them; the air here was redolent of the clean wood. From houses near by, but out o

ide the fence, she found her heart beating madly against his own; as tall as he, s

ful-girl! I never lived until

school-girl. "Please, dear, you mustn't-not now. I want to talk to you-I m

as instant

up here! It was only-realizing-what I've been dreaming about all these months! I'm flesh and blood, y

r, and laid his arms across her knees, so that his hands were clasped in both her own. Her senses

wife, the loveliest woman in the world! Do you know what it means,

ch of his big, eager hands, and the sound of the odd, haunting v

and he and his wife wanted to go to a bigger place. Silver and I went up and saw it, but I didn't want to do anything until you came. But there a

, deare

, glanced at her smilingly, and shook his head. A second later

p at the steadily beating stars. Quiet fell upon Monroe, lights moved in the little houses and went out. There w

each other, again was too new. They passed the dark old gateway to the sunke

een demolished. That hill had seemed a long climb to Martie years ago: to-n

crept out to meet them, odours of flowers and dew-wet, sunburned grass. The roadside fences were wreathed with wild

him crept, but he had no part in to-night. To-morrow she must end this dream of exqui

aned on an old fence, above the town, and whether they were grave, or whether Marti

es silently into the shadowy garden. Martie fled noiselessly past the streak o

d, and ecstatic. She moved the sprawling Teddy to the inside of the bed, stooping to lay her cold cheek and half-opened lips

ul eyes. Lydia was pale, too, but it was the paleness of fat

you know wha

know it

t's two

hair with a white hand under each ear, a

, which as a matter of fact Martie only used in moments of airy rebel

a few years ago," Martie offer

. Martie was silent. "What do you propose to tell Cliff of this delightful frie

Silver wants me to visit t

to go?" Lydia

rience, of course. But I suppose not." Martie sighed h

Lydia said. "I should think the time had come when you real

a short goodnight, but the interrupted mood of memories and dreams did not return. Martie sat

ut," she told herself, "I m

him, she would not let the half-formed phrase stand. The step

orning to the stage when nothing could persuade him to wake, merely rolled over when she left him. Martie, bathed, brushed, dressed

many years. They walked past the church, and up toward the hills. She said she must get home in time to help Pauline with breakfast for the augmen

en Lydia and her father had left the breakfast table,

d Adele?" he went on questioningly. "After she left, Adele simply went away. She went to a boarding-house where she knew the woman, and when I went there to see her she told me that it was all over. That's what she said: it was all over. I went to see the doctor, and he didn't deny that they had g

er any fight, or a

t on, with a quality almost like hunger in his eyes and voice. "And that's why I have been longing and longing to see you again. YOU understand! And with you I always

her heart. It was sweet, it was perilousl

had loitered out with her to feed the chickens

ed, bare ground under the willows, he gav

e known him all my life; he's one of the nic

n looked at her steadi

married?" he asked tone

nd in the soft fog of the morning,

d simply, "aren't yo

ght the tears

whispered. "J

n allowed a silence to fall, he took a few steps away from her, walking like a person blinded by sudden pain. "I don't understand," he said again. "I never th

his family know

out in agony. "What have I done! What have I

s, "even if I were free, you aren't, dear. W

is steady g

ight-" he as

n-I was all to blame! I'm so

under the willows, and she anxiously fo

I do

AID yo

hedly, "I was so carried away by seeing you so suddenly-and t

of that we ta

r head droop

believe that you are going to marry that man, whoever he is; you didn't say a

ble man, John, and he as

d yes-lo

ar-you don't

heavily, "I co

tears to her eyes, and he saw the

and. But you see last night-last night made me hope that you might care for me a little-I couldn't sleep, Martie, I was so happy!

married! But I don't know whether that's love, or whether it's just you-the extraordinary effect of you! You belong to one of the hardest parts of my life, and at first, last night, I thought it was just seeing you again-like any other old friend. No

s stood rooted in the earth far down at the end of the garden,

said, "and that we would go to live i

de her eyes

rry," s

f I DID take you by surprise: why, I can give you time. You can have all the time you want!

ou anything but a divorc

lame me for that

But the fact is a

e protest eagerly;

nd paid-for that. Then I came home, shabby and sad and poor, and my father and sister took me in. Now comes this opportunity to make a good man happy, to give my boy a good home, to make my father and sisters proud and

" he said, th

ld work my hands to the bone, more, I could write another 'Mary Beat

re!" he said, with a bo

he hurt beneath the unworthy effo

me, and this is my life, and God is good

that if it were not for Ad

nsidered

ght as well ask me what I would do if C

he said h

the neglected path, where shade lay so heavily that even in summer eme

o do?" he asked, prese

t only doing something that pleases them, I'm doing the one thing that could please them most! And that means joy for me, too-it's ALL right, for every o

n't you bigger than all this, why don't you snap your fingers at them all? Come away with me-come away with me, Sweetheart, let's get out of it-and away from them! You a

or her with memories of little girl days, of Saturday mornings with dolls, houses and s

gan to walk steadily toward

t," she said firmly. "I BEG you-! I want you to go

ment in silence. When he spok

ask me, the thing

," she said, wit

at

. Dean Silver, sauntering around from the front garden, met her. H

began. "And I want your answer to my wife's invitation," he

stake-I think I must have been crazy last night! I'm so sorry-but things can't be ch

, "he hasn't the faintest idea of sail

ould," she sa

ilver turned up

just said

YDE

marguerite from a bush, an

n di

st

ly at her face and shoo

going through

answered feverishly. An

"Very well, then, if you two have settled it between you, I will not presume to interfere, I was going down to the

"I didn't ask him to come here-I never encourage

uddenly. "You can't fool m

d, and she looked pale and tired. She drop

t perhaps he won't. And you think it over. Think it all over. And if you send me a wire one minute before the

that way," Marti

ith another searching look. She only sh

John came out of the house with his bag in

were not planning to strain the hospitality of the house for lunch. It was merely a qu

snapped and locks closed. He did not look at Martie. He lifted his cap, and took Lydia's

Lydia gave her hand in

Glen Mary," Lydia said in pleasant warning. "She's g

wn plans may be changed," he added casually. "I may y

wonderful opportunity would be foolish t

er to Martie. "You'll wir

was being done and said, in the fever of exci

trembling, stepped back beside L

ed. John lifted his cap; the

were

t was the only honest thing to do. And dear me, isn't it quite a relief to think tha

" Martie e

e old Monroe house. Martie's room was full of greenish light; there was an

ating high, and her lips felt dry and hot. She could nei

would presently go down to mash Teddy's baked potato, and serve watery canned pears from the pressed glass bowl. She would

houghts to the hour of John's arrival: of what had she been thinking then? Of her wedding gown of blue

r a few delicious minutes she let herself remember

she said, forcing herself to get up, and set about d