shining also as he impulsively seized her hand。
〃Thank you； Miss Fosdick；〃 he said。 〃You have helped me more than
I can tell you。 I was about to give up in despair before you came；
and nownow I KNOW I shall write the best thing I have ever done。
And you will be responsible for it。〃
She caught her breath。 〃Oh； not really！〃 she exclaimed。 〃You
don't mean it； really？〃
〃Indeed I do！ If I might have your help and sympathy once in
awhile； I believeI believe I could do almost anything。 Will you
help me again some day？ I shall be here almost every pleasant
Saturday and Sunday afternoon。 Will you come again？〃
She hesitated。 〃II'll see； perhaps；〃 she answered hurriedly。
〃But I must go now。 Come； Goo。〃
She hastened away； down the knoll and along the beach toward the
hotel。 Googoo followed her； turning occasionally to cast
diabolical glances at the Speranza ankles。 Albert gazed until the
graceful figure in the trim sport costume disappeared behind the
corner of the point of the beach。 Just at the point she paused to
wave to him。 He waved in return。 Then he tramped homeward。 There
was deep sand beneath his feet and； later； pine…needles and grass。
They were all alike to him； for he was traveling on air。
That evening at supper his radiant appearance caused comment。
〃What makes you look so happy； Albert？〃 asked his grandmother。
〃Seems to me I never saw you look so sort ofwell； glorified； as
you might say。 What is the reason？〃
The glorified one reddened and was confused。 He stammered that he
did not know； he was not aware of any particular reason。
Mrs。 Ellis beamed upon him。 〃I presume likely his bookkeepin' at
the office has been goin' pretty well lately；〃 she suggested。
Captain Zelote's gray eyes twinkled。 〃Cal'late he's been makin' up
more poetry about girls；〃 was his offering。 〃Another one of those
pieces about teeth like pearls and hair all curls； or somethin'
like that。 Say； Al； why don't you poetry…makin' fellers try a new
one once in a while？ Say； 'Her hair's like rope and her face has
lost hope。' Eh？ Why not； for a change？〃
The protests on the part of Olive and the housekeeper against the
captain's innovation in poetry…making had the effect of distracting
attention from Albert's 〃glorified〃 appearance。 The young man
himself was thankful for the respite。
That night before he retired he took Madeline Fosdick's photograph
from the back of the drawer among the ties and collars and looked
at it for five minutes at least。 She was a handsome girl；
certainly。 Not that that made any difference to him。 And she was
an intelligent girl； she understood his poetry and appreciated it。
Yes； and she understood him； too； almost as well as Helen。 。 。 。
Helen！ He hastily returned the Fosdick photograph to the drawer；
but this time he did not put it quite so near the back。
On the following Saturday he was early at the knoll； a brand…new
scribbling…pad in his pocket and in his mind divine gems which were
later； and with Miss Fosdick's assistance； to be strung into a
glittering necklace of lyric song and draped； with the stringer's
compliments； about the throat of a grateful muse。 But no gems were
strung that day。 Madeline did not put in an appearance； and by and
by it began to rain； and Albert walked home； damp； dejected； and
disgusted。 When； a day or two later； he met Miss Fosdick at the
post office and asked why she had not come he learned that her
mother had insisted upon a motor trip to Wapatomac that afternoon。
〃Besides；〃 she said； 〃you surely mustn't expect me EVERY Saturday。〃
〃No；〃 he admitted grudgingly； 〃I suppose not。 But you will come
sometimes； won't you？ I have a perfectly lovely idea for a ballad
and I want to ask your advice about it。〃
〃Oh； do you really？ You're not making fun？ You mean that my
advice is really worth something？ I can't believe it。〃
He convinced her that it was； and the next Saturday afternoon they
spent together at the inspiration point among the dunes； at work
upon the ballad。 It was not finished on that occasion； nor on the
next； for it was an unusually long ballad； but progress was made；
glorious progress。
And so； during that Summer； as the Fosdick residence upon the Bay
Road grew and grew； so did the acquaintanceship； the friendship；
the poetic partnership between the Fosdick daughter and the
grandson of Captain Zelotes Snow grow and grow。 They met almost
every Saturday； they met at the post office on week evenings；
occasionally they saw each other for a moment after church on
Sunday mornings。 Mrs。 Fletcher Fosdick could not imagine why her
only child cared to attend that stuffy little country church and
hear that prosy Kendall minister drone on and on。 〃I hope； my
dear； that I am as punctilious in my religious duties as the
average woman； but one Kendall sermon was sufficient for me； thank
you。 What you see in THAT church to please you； _I_ can't guess。〃
If she had attended as often as Madeline did she might have guessed
and saved herself much。 But she was busy organizing； in connection
with Mrs。 Seabury Calvin； a Literary Society among the summer
people of South Harniss。 The Society was to begin work with the
discussion of the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore。 Mrs。 Fosdick
said she doted on Tagore； Mrs。 Calvin expressed herself as being
positively insane about him。 A warm friendship had sprung up
between the two ladies； as each was particularly fond of shining as
a literary light and neither under any circumstances permitted a
new lion to roar unheard in her neighborhood； provided； of course；
that the said roarings had been previously endorsed and well
advertised by the critics and the press。
So Mrs。 Fosdick was too busy to accompany Madeline to church on
Sunday or to walk on Saturday； and the young lady was left to
wander pretty much at her own sweet will。 That sweet will led her
footsteps to trails frequented by Albert Speranza and they walked
and talked and poetized together。 As for Mr。 Fletcher Fosdick； he
was busy at his office in New York and came to South Harniss only
for infrequent week…ends。
The walks and talks and poetizings were innocent enough。 Neither
of the partners in poesy had the least idea of anything more than
being just that。 They liked each other； they had come to call each
other by their Christian names； and on Albert's bureau Madeline's
photograph now stood openly and without apology。 Albert had
convinced himself there was nothing to apologize for。 She was his
friend； that was all。 He liked to write and she liked to help him
erwell； just as Helen used to when she was at home。 He did not
think of Helen quite as often as formerly； nor were his letters to
her as frequent or as long。
So the summer passed and late August came； the last Saturday
afternoon of that month。 Albert and Madeline were together；
walking together along the beach from the knoll where they had met
so often。 It was six o'clock and the beach was deserted。 There
was little wind； the tiny waves were lapping and plashing along the
shore； and the rosy light of the sinking sun lay warm upon the
water and the sand。 They were thinking and speaking of the summer
which was so near its end。
〃It has been a wonderful summer； hasn't it？〃 said Albert。
〃Yes； wonderful；〃 agreed Madeline。
〃Yes； IIby George； I never believed a summer could be so
wonderful。〃
〃Nor I。〃
Silence。 Then Albert； looking at her； saw her eyes looking into
his and saw in them
He kissed her。
That morning Albert Speranza had arisen as usual； a casual；
careless； perfectly human young fellow。 He went to bed that night
a superman； an archangel； a demi…god； with his head in the clouds
and the earth a cloth of gold beneath his feet。 Life was a pathway
through Paradise arched with rainbows。
He and Madeline Fosdick loved each other madly； devotedly。 They
were engaged to be married。 They had plighted troth。 They were to
be each other's； and no one else's； for everand everand ever。
CHAPTER X
The remainder of that summer was a paradisical meandering over the
cloth of gold beneath the rainbows。 Albert and his Madeline met
often； very often。 Few poems were written at these meetings。 Why
trouble to put penciled lines on paper when the entire universe was
a poem especially composed for your benefit？ The lovers sat upon
the knoll amid the sand dunes and gazed at the bay and talked of
themselves separately； individually； and； more especially；
collectively。 They strolled through the same woody lanes and
discussed the same satisfactory subjects。 They met at the post
office or at the drug store and gazed into each other's eyes。 And；
what was the most astonishing thing about it all； their secret
remained undiscovered。 Undiscovered； that is to say； by those by
whom discovery would have meant calamity。 The gossips among the
townspeople winked and chuckled and cal'lated Fletcher Fosdick had
better look out or his girl would be took into the firm of Z。 Snow
and Co。 Issachar Price uttered sarcastic and sly innuendoes。 Jane
Kelsey and her set ragged the pair occasionally。 But even these
never really suspected that the affair was serious。 And neither
Mrs。 Fletcher Fosdick nor Captain and Mrs。 Zelotes Snow gave it a
minute's attention。
It was serious enough with the principals； however。 To them it was
the only serious matter in the world。 Not that they faced or
discussed the future with earnest and complete attention。 Some day
or otherthat was of course the mutually accepted ideasome day
or other they were to marry。 In the meantime here was the blissful
present with its roses and rainbows and here； for each； was the
other。 What would be likely to happen when the Fosdick parents
learned of the engagement of their only child to the assistant
bookkeeper of the South Harniss lumber and hardware company was
unpleasant to contemplate； so why contemplate it？ Upon one point
they were agreednever； never； NEVER would they give each other
up。 No power on earthwhich included parents and grandparents
should or could separate them。
Albert's conscience troubled him slightly at first when he thought
of Helen Kendall。 I