Morris tribune., 1895-08-14

1t was just like that pretty-faced fresh
man. when from somewhere there cam
a soft voice. saying: sis that you
dear?"
Then before all the blood near hi
backbone had time to freeze into littl'
j splinters of ice, he said, "Shsss," ant
stepped out of the moonlight and int
the shadow, which is the best thing t.
do in case you are in similar situa
ton. Buckley's instinct made hin
do it.
| Across the silence the soft voice
floated again and mingled with the
moonlight: 'Oh, I'm not asleep. But
why didtyou stay so long, Guy, dear?'
There was another sound. It 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 he saw to be long braids
of dark hair. Also, the light showed a
! tall, slender figure clothed in but one
garment, which was white, and face
which was young and beautiful Buck
| ley had never seen a 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 a sort of whisper: "You
have not forgiven me yet?" 1t began
to sob, and he felt the sobbing against
his orange and black sweater. 'You
know 1 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
gritted~ his 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 it 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 husband!" 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
if necessary, and said in oae breath:
For Heavens sake, don't scream-I
can explain!"
ugh! Oh, let go! Violet me go
or I'll screa-ch-ch-ch!"
But Buckley didn't let her do either.
He pressed on the windpipe, feeling
like three or four kinds of murderers
as 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 it locked? The
stairs-where were they? The front
door-was the night-latch above the
knob? Was it below? Would it stick?
All this time she would be screaming,
and the house was full of men. He |
would be caught. He was in for some
thing. But was he hurting her? He
began to talk.
"Oh, please, if you scream it'll only
make things awfully awkward. got |
in here by mistake. I 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 CO."
Yes, yes, promise" said the scared
voice. Anything. Only let me go"
Buckley released his grasp. She fled
across the room. He thought she was
making for the door. He sprang to-
ward it to keep her from running
downstairs and arousing the house.
But she only snatched up an afghan or
from the sofa, and, holding
it about her, retreated to the dark part
of the room.
Buckley couldn't see her now, but
heard her moan: ''Oh dear, OH dear!'
in a mufded tone, and he felt that she
must be covering in the corner far
thest away from him, and it 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 a loud, nervous
whisper, 'but whoever you are, wish
you wouldn't cry. Please be calm. l
want to talk to you"