Angel Island

"Julia," and now it was Lulu who questioned, "why do you not marry Billy

when you love him so?" The seriousness of her tone, the warmth of

affection in her little brown face robbed this question of any

appearance of impertinence.

"Lulu," Julia answered simply, "I don't know why. Only that something

inside has always said, 'Wait!'"

"Well, you did well," Peachy said bitterly, for, at least, Billy loves

you just as much as at first. I don't see him racing over to the

Clubhouse the moment his dinner is eaten. I don't see him spending his

Sundays in long exploring tramps. I don't see him making plans to go off

into the interior for a week at a time."

"But he would be just like all the others, Julia," Clara exclaimed

carefully, "if you'd married him. Keep out of it as long as you can!"

"Don't ever marry him, Julia," Chiquita warned. "Keep your life a

perpetual wooing."

"Marry him to-morrow, Julia," Lulu advised. "Oh, I cannot think what my

life would have been without Honey-Boy and Honey-Bunch."

"I shall marry Billy sometime," Julia said. "But I don't know when. When

that little inner voice stops saying, 'Wait!'"

"I wonder," Peachy questioned again, "what would have happened if - "

"It would have come out just the same way. Depend on that!" Chiquita

said philosophically. "It was our fate - the Great Doom that our people

used to talk of. And, after all, it's our own fault. Come to this island

we would and come we did! And this is the end of it - we - we sit

moveless from sun-up to sun-down, we who have soared into the clouds.

But there is a humorous element in it. And if I didn't weep, I could

laugh myself mad over it. We sit here helpless and watch these creatures

who walk desert us daily - desert us - creatures who flew - leave us

here helpless and alone."

"But in the beginning," Lulu interposed anxiously, "they did try to take

us with them. But it tired them so to carry us - for or that's - what in

effect they do."

"And there was one time just after we were married when it was all

wonderful," said Peachy. "I did not even miss the flying, for it seemed

to me that Ralph made up for the loss of my wings by his love and

service. Then, they began to build the New Camp and gradually everything

changed. You see, they love their work more than they do us. Or at least

it seems to interest them more."