The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-08-15
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= want the old house put in order.
I'm going to live there"
"Alone?'
I'm almost twenty-seven, and that's
being enough Of an old maid for me to
risk Canaan's thinking me eccentric,
isn't it?''
ut will think anything you do is all
right
"And once" she cried, cit thought
everything did wrongv'
Eyes. That's the difference
You mean it will commend me be-
cause I'm thought rich?'
mo, no." he said meditatively, lit
isn't that. It's because everybody will
be in love with you.''
"Quite everybody!" she asked.
Certainly" he replied Anybody
who didn't would be absurd"
"Ah, Joe!' she laughed. "You al
ways We're the incest boy in the world,
my dearv'
At that he turned toward her with
a sudden movement, and his lips part
ed, but not to speak. She had rested
one arm upon the desk and her cheek
upon her hand; the pen she had pick
ed up, still absently held in her fin
gers, touching her lips, and it was
given to him to know that he would
always keep that pen, though he would
-,
lamplight fell across the lower part
Of her face, leaving her eyes, which
were lowered thoughtfully, in the
shadow of her hat. The room was
blotted out in darkness behind her.
Like the background of an antique
portrait, the Office, with it's dusty cor
ners and shelves and hideous safe,
had vanished, leaving the charming
and thoughtful face revealed against
an even, spacious BROWNIES. Only
Ariel and the roses and the lamp were
clear, and strange, small pain NOV
ed from Joe's heart to his throat as he
thought that this ugly Office, always
before so harsh and grim and lonely
loneliest for him when it had been
most crowded-was now TRANSPORTED
into something very, very different
from an Office; that this place where
he sat, with lamp and flowers on a
desk between him and a woman who
called him my dear" must be like
like something that people called
'thome.''
hn IN II
toward her as he said again what he
had said a little while before, and his
voice trembled:
"Ariel, it is your
She looked at him and smiled.
you'll be here always, won't you?
You're not going away from Canaan
again?"
For moment it seemed that she
had not heard him. Then her bright
glance at him wavered and fell. She
rose, turning slightly away from him,
but not so far that he could not see
the sudden agitation in her face.
"Ah," he cried, rising, too, ''I don't
want you to think don't understand
or that I meant should ever ask you
to stay here! I couldn't mean that.
You know couldn't, don't you? You
know 1 understand that it's all just
your beautiful friendliness, don't your"
1T isn't beautiful; It's just me, Joe,~
she said. "1t couldn't be any other
way"
tits enough that you should be here
now" he went on bravely, his voice
steady, though his hand shook. "Noth-
ing so wonderful as your staying could
ever actually happen. It's just a light
coming into dark room and out again.
One day long ago, I never forgot it,
some apple blossoms blew by me as l
passed an orchard, and it's like that
too. But, oh, my dear, when you go
you'll leave a fragrance in my heart
that will lastv'
She turned toward him, her face suf-
fused with rosy light. you'd rather
have died than have said that to me
once" she cried. "I'm glad you're
weak enough now to confess it!''
He sank down again into his chair,
and his arms fell heavily Oh the desk.
Confess it!' he cried despairingly.
"And you don't deny that you're going
away again-so it's true! I wish l
hadn't realized it so soon. I think I'd
rather have tried to fool myself about
it a little longerv'
"Joe," she cried in a voice of great
pain, "you mustn't feel like that! How
do you know I'm going away again?
Why should want the old house put
in order unless I mean to stay? And if
l went you know that could never
change. You know how I've always
cared for you''-
eyes," he said, II do know how. It
was always the same, and it always
will be, won't it?''
"I've shown that" she returned
quickly.
eyes. You say l know how you've
cared for me, and do. know how.
It's just in one certain way-Jonathan
and DAVID