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Venters gently put her from him and steadied her upon her feet; and all the while his blood raced wild, and a thrilling tingle unsteadied his nerve, and so--that he had seen and felt in her--that he could not understand--seerant breath, sweet as nothing had ever before been sweet to hiht and judgment unbiased by pity, and reality unswayed by sentiment

Bess's eyes were still fixed upon hiht Swiftly, resolutely he put out of mind all of her life except what had been spent with hience that ed him He was face to face with the inevitableness of life itself He saw destiny in the dark, straight path of her wonderful eyes Here was the si with new and strange and enthralling e truth of innocence; here the blind terror of a woht of death to her savior and protector All this Venters saw, but, besides, there was in Bess's eyes a sloning consciousness that seelorious radiance

"Bess, are you thinking?" he asked

"Yes--oh yes!"

"Do you realize we are here alone--ht that we may make our way out to civilization, or we may have to stay here--alone--hidden froht--till now"

"Well, what's your choice--to go--or to stay here--alone withvibrantly in her voice, gave her answer singular power

Venters treaze from her face--from her eyes He knehat she had only half divined--that she loved him