Page 225 (1/1)

Esteban VaronaO'Reilly's departure froain was steady, but beyond a certain point he seeth Norine was the first to realize the truth, but it was soe it, even to herself At last, however, she had to face the fact that Esteban's lect he had suffered in Spanish hands, had left hi corpse It sees of disease still lingered in his system and had all but quenched that elusive spark which for want of a better name we call vitality

Esteban, too, awoke to the fact that he was losing ground, and his dis had come into his life and he spent much of his ti it, waiting for the hour when he would dare translate those dreams into realities It seemed to him that he had always loved Norine; certainly she had enshrined herself in his heart long before his ained its clarity, for he had corown There had been no conscious beginning to it; he had elory, all in an instant Not until he found hiuard upon hiht to love He found his new task heavy, almost too much for him to bear That he atteth of character

The tiirl to deceive herself or him with her brave assumption of cheerfulness Norine had just told hi famously, but he smiled and shook his weary head

"Let's be honest," he said "You know and I know that I can't get well"

Norine was engaged in straightening up the interior of the bark hut in which her patient was installed; she ceased her labors to inquire with lifted brows: "Tut! Tut! Pray what do youwith ood heart wouldn't let you--"

Norine crossed quickly to the hammock and laid her cool hand upon the sick ed," she told hi cli to do with Even the food is wretched"