The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-08-07
CHAPTER xxl.-(continued.

manded. with sudden passion, and he
caught her to him with his arms al
most roughly in an embrace that
made her pulses beat wildly. With
out word she kissed him, and then
he kissed her on lips and eyes and
cheeks For one delicious moment
she yielded, and then disengaged her
self from him.
DO you still say, Christabel, that
you win rot be my wife," he asked,
as they stood little spaceaapart from
each other.
Il cannot be your wife," she said.
"but shall always love you, and al
ways remember this morning and all
you have said to me. 1t will help me
a!ways-always, wherever 1 am, and
whatever may happen. Norman. Will
you think of that, dear?"
Help you?" he said We'll. it will
help me, too. that you have been here
-perhaps-I hardly know what l am
saying; the thought of losing you is
tntolerable."
You will never lose my love"
Nor you mine. But-but-I want
you in my life. near me, close to me,
heart to heart. Don't you under
stand?"
Yes. dear, 1 think 1 know" she
said, simply.
"And is there no Wayne means
of overcoming the obstacle-won't
you tell me what it is? Can't we over
come it together?" he went on, inco-
herently for her lips had set him on
fire.
NO" she said, in tone of the ut
most sadness, for she knew from her
own feelings what it must be. ct is
4 case of duty-I may tell you that"
Your duty? Not to marry me?
Your duty?" he asked, COMPOUNDED and
and amazed.
Yes, Norman. cannot explain
the matter to you. Do you think 1
would not do so if could? long and
long to tell you all, but l may not. 1t
would have been wiser not even to
have said that to you. When we
last met asked you not to make it
harder for me than it already was.
Please say no more, and let me go.
This must be our farewell. Good by,
Norman she said, stretching out her
hands to him.
He took her hands in his own and
tried to draw her toward him, but she
resisted.
Good by she said again, and her
voice was low and sweet and sad.
Stay a moment" he begged of her,
in tremulous tone. You say good
BY Christabel almost as if we were
never to meet any more. Surely you
can't mean that?"
Perhaps, by and by, some day.
Norman, we may meet again. can
not tell you that either. Sometimes l
hoEe that we may meet again"
Then there is a chance?"
Il do not say so; only hope
Then l can hope, too, Christabel!"
He was silent for second, stand
ing thinking and looking at her while
their hands were still clasped togern-
err
"You are going to Russia" he re-
sumed; sit is almost as if you were
going into another world. Will you
not let me write to you now and
again. dear, and will you not write to
me? There is always the tie of our
love between u.s." he added, suggest
lively, land 1 shall want 0 know r:,w
You are. and what you are doins,
Won't you promise that you will write
to meo"
Yes, will promise yol that" re-
piled Christabel.
And if you should ever need Ire. if
I can ever be of any help 20 you IN
any way, you will let me know? From
Use me that, too, dear. I shall always
be thinking about you, always be anx-
ious about you"
Eyes, Norman, promise that also"
For another moment they gazed at
each other, not saying word.
Good by, Norman" she said, kiss
Ing him before he could guess her in
tention. and walked out of the room,
closing the door after her.
11AS 1upulse Was W IOllOW ner, but
he thought she did not wish him to
do so-the suddenness of her action,
even the closing of the door upon him,
seemed to bid him remain where he
IVES.
Il shall never give her up," he said
to himself Surrey this cannot be
the end.'
Christabel descended the stairs
quickly. AS she walked along Shaftes
bury avenue, crossed the Circus. and
presently found herself in the Green
Park, she told herself that now she
was not sorry she had seen Norman
not sorry that he had kissed her and
held her in his arms, not sorry tina,
she had kissed him even before he
had kissed her, not sorry for anything
that had happened that morning, fol
It was all sweet and dear and mem
orable beyond everything that had &C
CURED. in her life before. II Their,
were never anything else-we Their,
would always be this, and she woul,
never, never forget it.
And some distance behind hel
fhn,l1h hanni1v eho woc i,noonao;o,,