Page:The Pacific Monthly vol. 14.djvu/83

 him. "Down in the bathhouse, sorting bugs," he sang flippantly, beating the wooden seat with his palms in accompaniment to the air. But his eyes, which denied the flippancy, .were hidden from her.

"And Jack ?"

"Couldn't say. Have cut liim ofT the list of my acquaintances for the rest of the day."'

"^^^ly?'•'

"I told }ou we had dift'ered — on a very important question, by the way. How did you know anything was wrong?"

"By your excessive politeness at dinner, and your avoidance of each other afterwards."

"Where do you suppose he is?" lazily inquired Sam. "He isn't in the bath- house — unless he's sulking under one of the beds."

"Em worried, Sam, really," rebuked the girl. "You don't suppose he's wan- dering around the town after what father said to you both, do you?"

"Eet's talk about something more interesting," was Sain's answer. "Ijct's talk about ourselves, for instance. Sooner or later I must give in to Jack and leave this Garden of Eden. Will you miss me?"

But Elizabeth was impatient of his tender words. "Sam, he"s not in the house and he's not out here, and I don't believe he's in the bathhouse. AAHiere is he? Father says that ever since that gunboat was sighted this afternoon, the people liave been Avild to arrest you Americans. They are terribly in sympathy with the Sjianiards in this war, and the talk about Bolivia has driven them crazy. Oh, I know he is out somewhere in that reckless way of his! Em dreadfully worried. If you had only gone away on that last steamer !"

During Elizabeth's words Sam had stiffened up, his hands had plunged deep into his pockets, and the real obstinacy of the man at last looked through the college veneer.

"We couldn't go away because our work is not finished. There is no real danger to us as long as we behave ourselves. Yes, I know what the others say, and T know your father thinks we're foolhardy to stay. That was why we quarreled. Jack and I. He keeps talking about our having to go, and I told him flatly that I wouldn't. I said he and the Professor could go, but Jack said — well, I said — But what does that matter? I won't go, that's all."

Elizabeth was distressed. She watched him as he sat kicking at the gravel under his feet, trying to think of some argument strong enough to move him.

"^Aliy must I go?" he went on recklessly. "See here. Hidden away in that bathhouse, safe inside this garden, I can be quite safe until this trouble blows over. If Jack and the Professor go they will think I'm in the party — these patriotic peo- ple of this crazy town, I mean. Anyway, the mythical maps and charts made for our government would assuredly go with them, wouldn't they? Well, what differ- ence would it make if they did find out I was here?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure you're all wrong," cried Elizabeth. "I don't know what to say to you, but I know your logic is all crazy. Why do you want to stay in the garden doing nothing, when you could be doing good work somewhere else? Y"ou have kept making your work the excuse for staying and now you say — "

"Don't you understand, little girl? Can't you see that it is you I can't leave? Don't you know that you are the Eve of this wonderful Garden of Eden? Y"ou don't want me to go, do you dear? We have been so happy here. You must have known I loved you. I didn't mean to say anything about it until I was sure you cared for me though. You have been so distant lately, that — that I knew you understood what I — " He drew a long breath. "Elizabeth, could you ever care for me?"

The girl raised a dismayed, troubled face to his.

"Sweetheart, you don't mean — " he began, but she interrupted him by spring- ing to her feet and giving a