They were in the middle of the stream now. Byrne's arms
already had commenced to tighten upon the girl. With a
sudden tug he strove to pull her face down to his; but she put
both hands upon his shoulders and held his lips at arms'
length. And her wide eyes looked full into the glowing gray
ones of the mucker. And each saw in the other's something
that held their looks for a full minute.
Barbara saw what she had feared, but she saw too something
else that gave her a quick, pulsing hope--a look of
honest love, or could she be mistaken? And the mucker saw
the true eyes of the woman he loved without knowing that he
loved her, and he saw the plea for pity and protection in
them.
"Don't," whispered the girl. "Please don't, you frighten
me."
A week ago Billy Byrne would have laughed at such a plea.
Doubtless, too, he would have struck the girl in the face for
her resistance. He did neither now, which spoke volumes for
the change that was taking place within him, but neither did
he relax his hold upon her, or take his burning eyes from her
frightened ones.
Thus he strode through the turbulent, shallow river to
clamber up the bank onto the island. In his soul the battle still
raged, but he had by no means relinquished his intention to
have his way with the girl.
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