The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-08-10

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dear?v
Then before all the blood near his
backbone had time TO freeze into little
| splinters of ice. he said. "Shsss," and
stcpped out Of the moonlight and into
| the shadow, which Is the best thing TO
do in case You are In u similar situa-
ton. Buckley's instinct made him
| do IL.
| Across the silence the soft voice
noated again and mingled with the
moonlight: "Oh, I'm not asleep. But
why did you stay so long, Guy, dear?"
There was another sound. 1t was the
squeaking OF bed-spring.
Then, as Buckley's knees stiffened
| tight against each other. he spied COM
ing toward him something white, with
two black streaks hanging half way
down. which as the thing came into
| the moonlight ne saw To be long braids
OF dark hair. Also, the light showed n
tall, slender figure clothed in but one
garment, which was white, and face
which was young and beautiful Buck
ley had never seen woman dressed
that way before, and he closed his
eyes
But he felt it coming nearer He
stood up perfectly straight and rigid
in the darkness as two arms reached
up and met about his neck. The arms
were soft.
Buckley did not bulge, and the soft
voice began, in sort of whisper: You
have not forgiven me yet?" 1t began
20 sob. and he felt the sobbing against
his orange and black sweater. You
know / did not mean it. Won't you
forgive her? Won't you forgive--her?"
And Buckley fully realized that he
was in the thick of some Economically
CHASTITY mistake. and that the only
thing he could do to make it worse
would be TO speak or show his face
For fully minute he stood thus mo-
tionless, with his arms at his sides,
gathering himself together, and trying
to think what to do. And when he
had made up his mind what TO do he
grittcdhis teeth and put both arms
about the Clingy Thing.
And when he had done that the
Clingy Thing began to purr in soft,
plaintive tones, which undoubtedly
were sweet, and would probably have
been appreciated by Buckley If he had
notbeen so ratified. Tell me that you
do forgive me. Say il with your own
lips"
Buckley said nothing with his lips.
He was biting them.
''Guy, speak TO mel'
Buckley didn't.
speak to me, my husbandl" A soft,
fragrant hand came gently up along
his cheek, which tingled, and over his
eyes, which quivered, and pushed back
the hair from his brow, which was
wet. Suddenly she raised her head,
gave one look at his face with large,
startled eyes, then, with a shuddering
gasp, she recoiled
But Buckley was not letting go.
This is what he had been preparing
for Keeping one arm about her waist
he threw the Other around her neck in
such way that he could draw it tight
II necessary, and said in one breath:
For Heavens sake, don't scream-I
can explainl'
"Ughl oh, let gol Who--let me go
or I'll screa-ch-ch-chl"
But Buckley didn't let her do either.
He pressed on the windpipe, feeling
like three or four kinds OF murderers
rs he did SO. Then. as she struggled
with feeble, womanly might, Buckley
did the fastest thinking he had ever
done in all his nineteen years. The
door OF the room-was il locked? The
stairs-where were they? The front
door--was the night-latch above the
knob Was IL below? Would IL stick?
All this time she would be screaming,
and the house was full of men. lie
thing. But was he hurting her2 He
began TO talk.
"Oh, please, IL you scream it'll only
make things awfully awkward. got
in here by mistake. can explain.
I'm not going TO hurt you. Oh, please.
keep quiet"
She tried again to wrench away from
his grasp, and Buckley drew her back
with ease, feeling half sorry for her
poor little strength. Promise me
you'll not cry out and I'll let go"
yes, yes, promise" said the scared
voice. Anything. Only let me CO."
buckley released MS grasp. She fed
across the room. He thought she was
making for the door. He sprang to-
ward IL to keep her from running
downstairs and arousing the house.
But she only snatched up an afghan or
something from the sofa. and, holding
IL about her, retreated to the dark part
OF the room.
Buckley couldn't see her now, but
heard her moan: ''0h dear. OH dearl"
in mufiied tone, and he felt that she
must be covering in the corner far
thest away from him, and IL made him
have all sorts OF contempt for himself
Then he talked again. standing with
his back against the door and looking
toward the dark. II don't know who
You are" he began In loud, nervous
whisper, "but whoever you are, wish
Won xVouldnft crvf pIooco Ia ,,l,,. +