Page:Frank Owen - Woman Without Love (1949 reprint).djvu/57

 man of fire. She should not bother with those whose very breath is death."

Mary walked over to the window. Steve Garland interested her yet he made her feel sad. There was a wistfulness about him which was apparent even through his studied levity. From far across the fields Yekial was coming toward the house, his great bulk looming large on the horizon.

Steve Garland walked over and stood beside her. He noticed the figure striding across the fields.

"He looks a giant," said Steve. "What strength!"

"He is my husband," said Mary simply.

"Naturally your mate would be a strong man."

Mary Blaine wondered what had prompted her to lie about her status with Yekial Meigs. Somehow or other she wanted Steve Garland to believe that she was decent.

of Steve Garland, Mary had no cause to complain of lonesomeness. She had imagined that she was familiar with all types of men and any new meetings would be only repetitions. But she was wrong. She had never met anyone like Steve. He laughed at life even when he beheld it fleeing in terror from him. It made Mary Blaine creepy but at least now there was laughter in the house.

"I have a rendezvous with death," he told her, "though she is somewhat late. However I'll wait. While I am not physically busy at least I have much time for musing. In China there are over six hundred million people. In India there are three hundred million. Without considering the other teeming millions of the world, it does seem to me that any god must be kept tremendously busy listening to all those prayers and pleas. Sometimes I imagine that a man who doesn't pray is really more religious than the others because he lessens the Divine work. He pleads for nothing. It is a noble tribute. His silence at least adds