The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-03-26
CHAPTER l-Continued,

CHAPTER l-Continued.
Listen" he commanded, again
leaning toward her. There is some
thing which makes me think you love
ME. | shall ask nothing more of your
father. or OF your plans. because |
want TO make YOU see the position. "
He frOwned at the waiter, who came
toward them and then retreated.
Norm he went on, there is to be
war Your country is unprepared. 1t
will be OVerrun by an enemy that is
ruthless and that will come to con-
Guer. The end may not be defeat
but as certain as death this country
will writhe and suffer before it can
regain the ground it will lose in the
outset. Can't YOU see that? Can
you understand what 1t will be for
you and your father here under such
conditions? Don't you know that for
your very safety you must leave? AS
my wife, or even my betrothed, | can
make the way so much easier for
you. Give me the right, dear, give ME
the right"
1T is IMPOSSIBLE she replied, turn
ing toward him again: and he looked
hurt. 1T is the very danger of war
+, that makes ii so. You don't know
how much | wish | could say yes to
you; but it's impossible. | must be
: with my father. | owe it to him. He
can't go away, nor can | leave hil.
So until the way is clear we can be
friends only and no more
He sat stunned for moment, vain
ly striving to understand circum
stance or combination of conditions
which could have dictated such an
answer Then the thought came that
perhaps the girl before him was ma
king sacrifice to some awful men
ace, and it could be only one thing
the threatened insanity of her father
But what had the war to do with that
: Perhaps She would never be more to
him if her father went insane, because
{ then she would say no because of her
very love for him, and the fear for pos
terity Their happiness, then, was to
depend upon the condition of an Old
mans mind.
1. Norm" he asked, softly, is it in
sanity?H
She turned toward him in amaze
ment, not fathoming his line of reason
ing. Il can tell you nothing more"
5She spoke as one under stress and
suppression. You must ask nothing
more. You must take my love on
faith or not at all until you know it is
time for you to tell me again that
am necessary to you"
He felt that it was a crisis with
them, and slowly thought of what he
might say to break away this barrier
or induce her to remove the embargo.
They sat looking into the distance;
UhJ DElOIC liz SUllu lOl dll
gument the sound of horses hoofs
madly Gathering over the pavements
caught their attention. 1t came near
er and nearer. and then past them on
the street below man in soldiers un-
form flashed by. They looked at each
other wonderngly, half starting to
their feet, and as they looked a sudden
pandemonium broke forth.
From an alleyway nearby burst an
army of newsbOys, the streets sudden
ly became alive with pedestrians
belched forth from cafes and hotels,
and above all other sounds came the
cries of "Extry, Extry! War broken
out, War! War! War"
She turned away from him as if in
those cries were an irreyOcable sen.
tence of misery, parted the vines and
stood silently locking out into the
night; and he knew without seeing
that in her eyes were tears.
HLnnrcD ~