The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-07-14

mlnd! love to see you In ham.
mock: / would gladly swing you for
ever" He said the forever" EN-.
phatically, and Helen laughed lightly
as she got up.
You'd get tired" she said.
Shall get you Govern" he asked.
"Oh, no, I'm very comfortable. Tell
me story"
..What about?"
About yourself, of course"
He had seated himself. in a large,
low, wicker chair at her side. His
hands fell easily on the rope of the
hammock. and with slow, even move.
ment he began to swing her
What kind of story?" he asked
slowly.
"oh, any kind, SO long as it is in
teresting"
Must it be Interestingly" he queried.
Interesting to you or to meg"
Why, to me. Tell me about an ex-
perience."
He laughed. with man or
woman?"
She shot questioning smile up at
him. "The woman, of course
But she was interesting only to
me-" he said. He was thinking of one
Of the other women he had met and
thought he loved, and it came to him
suddenly to tell Helen the story of
one of those affairs and watch closely
Its effect. A woman who really cared
for man could not listen to tale of
that mans love for another woman,
even ii that love had passed, without
showing some sign OF her feelings. 1t
would not be unfair. 1t would make
the declaration of his love for Helen,
which he felt must be this evening,
easier. He would be very true; he
would tell it all just as it had hap.
pened.
Well" he persisted, have there
been so many of those experiences
that you don't know which one to
tell?"
He was blowing q long ray of smoke
straight UP into the air and did not
answer.
In a moment he began slowly:
NO, l know which to tell, was
only thinking. 1t was some time ago.
was wondering if-since had come
back-since 1 had been here-my
point of view on those experiences
had not changed" He was looking
straight at her. She had clasped her
hands behind her head on the pillows
and her eyes were closed. He was
swinging her lightly.
"a mans point Of view on such
matters does change, you know; any
way, until he has found his right
lens"
She opened her eyes to look at him
and smiled family. 1t was growing
dark, and he knew that soon the Joy
Of seeing her interest in what he was
saying would be lost to him. Still,
the pleasure of having her near him
was enough, and he went on:
ct was while we were waiting for
our stores to arrive at Alexandria.
they had been delayed, no one knew
why, and, as we couldn't go on with
out them, there was nothing to do
but wait. Billings-you have heard
me speak Of Billings-had letters to
the French consul, and he asked me
to accompany him when he presented
them. The consul's name was Duchon,
and he was living, we found, on the
outskirts of the town. We had little
presentation speeches in our best
French all learned by heart, but they
oil fnll %ha
place. l stood on high, wooded cliff
overlooking the Mediterranean, one of
the most beautiful spots in the world.
Duchon wasn't at home, but that was
no matter; we were asked to stop and
told that Nine. Duchon would see
US. She came soon, and with her
quite the most lovely woman
thought had ever. seen. She was ap.
parently an English girl, with blue
eyes and fair hair. She was presented
to us as my sister,"
Clay had lost himself in his recollec.
tons, and his swinging Of the ham.
mock had lessened to the slightest
movement.
"She appreciated the humor of the
Introduction" he went on, land said
that we would always have to call
her my sister,, as we did not know
her name. Well, that was the begin.
ming of it. The stores didn't come for
month, and all that time we stayed
in Alexandria. And all that time
there was something going on at the
Duchons'. Billings saw it before did
and warned me not to be fool. But
the advice wasn't given in time'
Clay had been speaking in a low
voice, slowly and earnestly. Now he
stopped for word from Helen. He
put his cigar in his mouth and pulled
away intently. 1t was out. He
reached over to the table for match
and striking it waited a moment for il
to blaze up. 1t was parlor match
and burned brightly. 1t made a hale
of light about them out of the night
AS he brought the match up to his
cigar he looked over his arm at the
woman in the hammock. He was
r.. l. d