The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-05

munlon OF spirits when they embraced
at their first meeting out of Amble-
side when their souls had met. This
had been intensified when they sat in
close embrace after lunch beyond Dali
~. when heart consciously beat to
heart. Now it was completed in this
more free and unhampered by pre-
parato-y thoughts and intentions.
when body met body in a close if ten
tative communion The mere paucity
They could each feel as they hung to-
gether closely strained, the beating of
each others heart; the rising and fall
ing of each others lungs. Their
breaths commingled as they held
mouth to mouth In such delirious
rapture-for these two ardent young
people loved each other with a love
which both held to be but the very
beginning of an eternal bond and
which took in every phase. actual and
possible, of human beings-there was
no place for forethought or after
thought. 1t was the hour of life which
looked forward to with keen if ignor-
ant anticipation; and which is to be
looked back on forevermore as a time
when the very heavens opened and the
singing of the Angelic choir came
through unmuffled.
For seconds. in which Time seemed
to stand still, they stood body to body
and mouth to mouth. The first to
speak was the man.
Il thought you were in England by
late in the evening-and you were
there all the timer He indicated the
direction by turning his eyes toward
her room. His words seemed to fire
her afresh. Holding him more closely
to her, she leaned back from her hips
and gazed at him dangerously; her
words dropped slowly from her opened
lips:
0''Oh-h. If we had only known,"
What exactly was in her mind she did
not know-did not think of knowing
did not want to know. Perhaps she
did not mean anything definite. 1t
was cLly an expression of some feel
ing, of some want. some emotion. some
lOnging-SOme primitive utterance
couched in words of educated thought
as sweet and spontaneous as the sing
ing Of bird in its native woods at
springtime.
Somehow. it moved Athlyne strange
ly. Moved the manhood of him in
many ways, chiefest among them his
duty Of protection. It is not a COM
primitive man but the partially-com-
pleted article Of a partially completed
cosmic age-is scrupulous with regard
to woman. The general idea to the
contrary effect is true en- gros but not
en- detaille- True of women; not true
of a woman. An educated man, &C
customed to judgment and action in
matters requiring thought. thinks, per-
y,
backwards as well as forward; but
mainly forward. Present surroundings
form his data: consequences represent
the conclusion. Himself remains neu-
trail, an onlooker. until he is called on
for Immediate decision and consequent
action.
So it was with Athlyne. His instant
ejaculation:
THANK God we didn't know," would
perhaps have been understood by a
man. To a woman it was incompre-
hensible- Woman is. after all, more
primitive than man. Her instincts are
more self-centered than his AS her
life moves in a narrower circle, her
view is rather microscopic than tele-
scopic; whilst his is the reverse. In
asmuch then as he naturally surveys
a larger field, SO his retrospective view
is wider.
Joy loved the man; and so, since he
had already expressed himself, consid-
cred him as already her husband; or
to speak more accurately considered
herself as already his wife. 1t was
that she heard his disavowal of her
views. She did not herself quite un-
derstand what those views were, but
all the same it was a disappointment
that he did not really acquiesce in
them; ray more than he did not press
them on his own account-press them
relentlessly. as a woman loves man
to do. even when his wishes are OPP
posed to her own.
woman's answer to chagrin is ulti- |
mate victory of her purpose; and a |
chagrin of love is perhaps the strong
est passion with a purpose than can
animate her.
When Joy became conscious, as she |
did In few seconds, that her lover |
following out his protective purpose
was about to separate himself from
her-she quite understood without any
telling or any experience both motive |
and purpose-she opposed it on her |
part. AS the strictness of his embrace
lessened, so in proportion did hers in |
crease. Then came to the man the re-
action-he was only man, after all /
His ardour redoubfed. and her heart |
beat harder with new love as well as
triumph as he drew her closer to him |
IN a pythonic embrace. Then she, too /
chung to him even closer than before |
That embace was all lover-like-an
agony of rapture
In its midst they were startled some
what by the rumbling of motor driv-
N fast seemed to stop close to them.
from her lover: such is woman'S i'm
pulse. But Athlyne held her all the
.ighter-his embrace was not all love
now, but the protection which comes
rom love. She understood. and re-
signed herself to him. And so they
stood, heart to heart, and mouth to
listening.
There was a clatter of tongues in
IL. l
he voice-she could not be sure in the
distance and through the closed door
md her heart sank She would again
AVE tried to draw away violently but
hat she was powerleSs. Her will was
rome, like a birds under the stare of
he snake Athlyne, too, was in sus-
,ense, his heart beating wildly. He
lad a sort of presage of disaster which
seemed in a way to paralyze him.
There was quick steps on the stairs. |
| voice said: There" and the door
.attled At this moment both the low
RS were willing to separate. But be-
ore they could do so. the door opened
md the figure of Colonel Ogilvie block
ID the entrance.
.sGood God!" The old mans face
lad grown white as though the sight
lad on the instant frozen him. So
,a1lid was he. all in that second, that
oy and Athlyne received at once the
anne idea: that his moustache, which
hev had thought of snowy whiteness
vas but grey against the marble face.
Go be Continued.l