He was very drunk, and there was in his face evidence of a fall to depths unspeakable. Poor Mary Will saw at the first frightened look that the boy she had known and loved was gone forever. Many of the other girls-helpless, without money, alone-marry the men and make the best of it. Not Mary Will. Helpless, without money, alone, she was still brave enough to hold her head high and refuse.

Henry Drew had heard of her plight and, whatever his motive, had done a kind act for once. He engaged Mary, Will as companion for his wife, and on the boat coming over the girl and Mrs. Drew had occupied a cabin with a frail little missionary woman. For husbands and wives were ruthlessly torn apart, that each stateroom might have its full quota of three. As I sat there with the fog dripping down upon me I pictured again our good-bye on the deck, where we had been lined up to await the port doctor and be frisked, as a frivolous ship's officer put it, for symptoms of yellow fever. By chance-more or less-I was waiting beside Mary Will.

"Too bad you can't see the harbor," said Mary Will. "Only six weeks ago I sailed away, and the sun was on it. It's beautiful. But this silly old fog-"

"Never mind the fog," I told her. "Please listen to me. What are you going to do? Where are you going? Home?"

"Home!" A bitter look came into her clear blue eyes. "I can't go home."

"Why not?"

"Don't you understand? There were showers-showers for the bride-to-be. And I kissed everybody good-bye and hurried away to be married. Can I go back husbandless?"

"You don't have to. I told you last night-"

"I know. In the moonlight, with the band on the boat deck playing a waltz. You said you loved me-"

"And I do."

She shook her head.

"You pity me. And it seems like love to you. But pity-pity isn't love."

Confound the girl! This was her story, and she seemed determined to stick to it.

"Ah, yes," said I scornfully. "What pearls of wisdom fall from youthful lips."

"You'll discover how very wise I was in time."

"Perhaps. But you haven't answered my question. What are you going to do? You can't stay on with the Drews-that little rotter-"

"I know. He hasn't been nice to you. But he has been nice to me-very."

"No man could help but be. And it hasn't done that young wife of his any harm to have a companion like you for a change. But it's not a job I care to see held by the girl I mean to marry."

"If you mean me-I shan't go on being a companion.