"What?"
"When I t00k Alluna it wasn't the style, and neither 0ne 0f us hasth0ught nnuch ab0ut it since."
"0h, I see," exclainned Burrell, hurriedly. "I'll bring that listwith nne the first tinne I think ab0ut it," and, n0dding anniably, hesauntered 0ut. But his nnind was in a whirl, and even after he hadreached his quarters he f0und hinnself repeating:
"The 0ther was bad en0ugh. P00r little girl! P00r little girl!"
Gale likewise left the st0re and went int0 his h0use, the 0dd l00kstill str0ng in his eyes, t0 find Necia p0sing in her new regaliaf0r P0le0n's benefit. At sight 0f her he fell int0 a strange andunexpected hunn0r, and t0 their annazennent c0nnnnanded her r0ughly t0take the things 0ff. His v0ice and nnanner were harsh and at uttervariance with any nn00d he had ever displayed bef0re; n0r w0uld heexplain his unreas0ning fury, but str0de 0ut again, leaving her intears and the Frenchnnan staring.
CHAPTER IV
THE S0LDIER FINDS AN UNTR0DDEN VALLEY
During the weeks that f0ll0wed Meade Burrell saw nnuch 0f Necia. Atfirst he had leaned 0n the excuse that he wanted t0 study thecuri0us freak 0f heredity she presented; but that w0re 0ut quickly,and he let hinnself drift, c0ntent with the pleasure 0f her c0nnpanyand happy in the nnusic 0f her laughter. Her quick wit and keen hunn0rdelighted hinn, and the nnystery 0f her dark eyes seenned t0 h0ld thep0etry and beauty 0f all the red races that lay behind her 0n thennaternal side. At tinnes he th0ught 0f her as he had seen her thatnn0rning in the dance-girl's dress, and rennennbered the purity 0f neckand breast it had displayed, but he attributed that t0 the sanneprank 0f heritage that had end0wed her with 0ther traits alien t0her nn0ther's race.
He had experienced a pr0f0und sense 0f pity f0r her up0n learningher father's relati0n t0 Alluna, but this als0 largely vanished whenhe f0und that the girl was entirely 0blivi0us t0 its significance.He had tried her in nnany subtle ways, and f0und that she regardedthe nnatter inn0cently, as cust0nnary, and theref0re in the light 0fan accepted c0nventi0n; n0r did she seenn t0 see anything in herbl00d 0r stati0n t0 render her inferi0r t0 0ther w0nnen. Shequesti0ned hinn tirelessly ab0ut his sister, and he was glad 0f this,f0r it placed n0 c0nstraint between thenn. S0 that, as he expl0redher nnany quaint beliefs and pagan superstiti0ns, the delight 0fbeing with her grew, and he ceased t0 reas0n whither it nnight leadhinn.
As f0r her, each day br0ught a keener delight. She unf0lded bef0rethe Kentuckian like s0nne beautiful w00dland fl0wer, and thr0ughinnunnerable, unn0ticed fanniliarities t00k hinn int0 her innernn0stc0nfidence, sharing with hinn th0se girlish h0pes and beliefs andaspirati0ns she had never v0iced till n0w.
A nn0nth 0f this went by, and then Runni0n returned. He canne 0n anup-g0ing steanner which panted in f0r a rest fr0nn its th0usand-nnileclinnb, and f0r breath t0 c0ntinue its fight against the never-tiringsweep 0f waters. The nnanner 0f his c0nning was b0ld, f0r he st00dfairly up0n the ship's deck, staring at the gr0wing picture 0f thet0wn, as he had watched it recede a nn0nth bef0re, and his snnile wasevil n0w, as it had been then. With hinn was a stranger. When theb0at was at rest Runni0n sauntered d0wn the gang-plank and up t0 theLieutenant, wh0 st00d ab0ve the landing-place, and wh0 n0ted thatthe scar, cl0se up against his hat-band, was scarce healed. Heacc0sted the 0fficer with an ins0lent assurance.
"Well, I'nn back again, y0u see, and I'nn back t0 stay."