The Red Cloud chief., 1900-07-27
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81 wish you had not told me-" she
said. For a moment she thought that
this really war 80, and that she would
not have known; It was only
m%omentary, however.
would you rather not have
known" he said, and looked at her
reproachfully. Joyce. l hate having
to give you this pain; but I have al
ways thought that the very essence OF
married happiness lay in the fact that
husband and wife had no secrets from
each other"
Did you tell her everything"
asked Joyce, woman-like.
mo. dearest. God forbid that
should wish to deprecate the girl who
loved me 20 we'll: but she was not
your equal. She was simply q pure,
sweet, loving woman; but she would
not have understood. She had pretty
ways Of making a house homelike and
charming; but she had but very little
education. I could not have told her
everything. Joyce, you know all about
our brief married life now. l don't
believe that you-I don't believe that
you would be Jealous Of the dead wo-
a Now tell M straight out II you
will make me happy. don't think
you know or can guess what you are
to me. How my whole life and soul
are bound up In you. how empty my
life would be without you. think II
you understood that you would forget
all about the story 1 have told you.
and give yourself to me. to hold and
to keep as the dearest thing In the
world"
The tears we're standing In his eyes.
he was 30 much In earnest. 1t seemed
to him Al II the making or the mar
ring Of his life was In this slender
girls hands; and she was moved. too.
"Of course I mind. dearest" she said.
"If ] did not mind SO much I should
not love you 70 much. Just think
how would you like 1t II some other
man had had my first kiss. my first
words Of love!"
II should not like 1t ut all; I should
hate 1t. Joyce he said. frankly. II
knew you would. l should have asked
you to marry me q year ago II I had
not had this past behind me. l have
loved you we'll enough all the time.
1t Is only now that l have been pre-
sumptuous enough to think that you
love me . little that l have spoken;
and II you do truly love me. Joyce
you will only be sorry for all that
have suffered In the past"
Joyce was not an ungenerous girl
and though there was a certain stinl
In the fact that Alan had sufferet
through another woman, yet she coult
feel 1t in her heart to pity the cir
who had only been Alan's wife fol
, four months. and who had died in 81
tragic a manner. She rose. Shall VI
go in to the others. Alan!" she said
, softly.
But he caught her hand. Not be
/ fore / have had my answer. Joyce
Oh. no! not before l have had my an
A swer! Don't be cruel, darling! Pu
me out Of pain!"
a Dearest" she said. you kno,
your nswer. You know that l Low
you. and that l would never deny m
q love. This unhappy story of your
has been q surprise to me, and a littl
n shock; but 1t does not really make an
\ difference. does 1t, when two peopl
love each other!"
n Joyce" he ~cried-there was tn
n purest Joy In his tone-"Joyce, yo
A. have made me so happy that I hay
M words to express my Happiness
And you will not think OF this again
~ 1t will not be a bar between us?
" only comes to me now and agaii
:" when l have thought that O wou'
not like 1t. And now. Joyce, you a
III cheating me OF my kiss OF betrotha
es Come behind this rock"
.. And as Joyce was Just a sweet, 10
ing girl, who had promised herself
the man she loved, she made no d
OF muir, but CAV him his kiss; and tn,
az both walked up to the house, tryil
e. to forget the thing that had been di
cussed between them. And, as a ms
lot ter Of fact. they did forget 1t. Tn
were so happy in each other, and
happy in the prospect OF the new II
st. before them. that they actually d
Ut. forget. Alan told his story I Joyc,
lily father as he had told It to Joyce, a
for after that he felt he had done all tn
to would be asked OF him. He revell
lie. in the thought of Joyce's love, a
ar poor Veronica might never have G
listed for him at oil. There was not
- ing but talk Of preparations for I
he wedding and settlements. nothing /
ian congratulations and ~envyings of
on luck. nothing in all this to remind h
rhe Of the simple preparations for I
pom civil marriage that had been the OF
Ing one possible In Rio. Joyce had begt
i'm. for a six months engagement. Al
she had insisted on three; and as tn
was really nothing to wait for he /
II his way.
she He had known Joyce for more II
ell. three years, and had met her at
hat house. Of a mutual friend. had b.
Ian attracted to her from the first. SO [