Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-11-13

ne began to be sure Butler was not az
70 look after her
His surmise had been right. He saw
Grace. tan and big and blond, stand
ing watching that Consummate idiot.
Billy. as he pushed Marietta his Mari
eta high and yet higher into the air.
He jumped from his car, motiOntng
Butler. who did not see MIN, TO stop.
not daring to call lest he brighten her.
He was sure the swing was not safe
He came running up. facing the girl,
who. as she receded to be pushed for
ward again by Butler, saw him and
gave a little cry. out she came toward
him, far out. His heart stopped as a
sudden warning creak from the chains
made him look up. The chain had
broken.
Without an instaDt's hesitation he
held up his arms for her and shouted.
Jump, Marietta, jumpw Such com
mand. such conviction, rang in his
voice that the girl obeyed az if her
own mind had prompted her. While
horribly frightened silence fell on the
others and some people close by came
running up she fell safely into his
arms. where he stood holding her, tell
ing her and the rest, telling himself,
that she was not hurt And, indeed,
she had miraculously escaped without
harm. for Butler had caught the chain
so the swing could not strike her as
she fell.
1t seemed ages to Frank Worthing
before he made everybody go away
before it dawned or Butler, who was
strangely willing, that he was to take
Grace home and leave him (Worthingl
to bring Marietta when and how he
chose. She was very silent and queer,
and he had felt her cling to him as he
held her in his arms as IL she would
never leave that shelter
They did not so straight home, be 1t
saw the moon rise, and many things
were said. especially by Worthing,
whose usual slowness of speech melted
away under his great need. SO pres
emily they were very much engaged,
and he stopped the car. the better to
hold her hand, proceeding of much
greater Importance than reaching
home. where he would have to let her
out of his sight till the next day. Then
she demanded what had brought him
to the park 1t gave him the desired
opening
You" be answered. with succinct
promputude. II was going to toss
Billy into the lake while asked you
what l had done or left undOne that 1
should be driven out of paradise. 1t
dawned on me that / might have
neglected you during that Lawton
case. because. you see, Alice He
felt his beloved stiffen.
Pm sure nobody ever thought of
hindering your devotion to Miss Law
ton. p But he shamelessly inter
rupted.
But, Marietta, dearest. you surely
knew it was a legal necessity for me
TO see her-tO"-
ITO take her-alone-tO your Office
l saw you. Brank-tO be with her con-
stantly, to have time fOr-nobody else"
Her aunt was waiting for her in
my Office that time / had to be with
her. 1t was matter Of business. You
surely see that. Marietta? And surely
you know it is you that / lOve?" His
heart sang to think that he had been
right. that she had been jealous, that
she cared enough for him to be jeal-
Gus. That was the wonder. Most of
all his heart sang to know that in the
moonlight she lifted her face to give
him u kiss of forgiveness for the Of
Tense he had never committed He re-
hected that he was not the first man
probably to joyfully accept pardon for
what he had not done; that she was
not the first woman to whom a man
had vainly explained a matter of BUSH
ness.
"Of course" she said suddenly,
drawing back 10 look at him. you
know 1 was not jealous. She is not
the sort of girl l could be jealous Of
so ery-unattractive." Workings
laughter was silent, a thing of the in
uer man. Alice Lawton, his old
friend. an accepted beauty, unattrac-
tive, But he was wise, and his dis
loyalty was very loverlike.
Marietta, did you suppose could
think you were jealous? And as for
Alice. well. you know / can't see 9TH
or women am blind"