The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-28

stSsH4 4as0yt{DDGN from SSltTuds.
He seemed not to be able to give
her what she wished. however, for
he sapsed again into his moody alb
straction. But after few minutes
mere az silence. he turned upon her
w;th = question that astanished her.
.sufhat aid you do that for. Just now.
AZ first she was in doubt as to what
art az hers he referred TO- DO you
mean u1y hand >" she asked. after
booking AT him in puzzled curiosity
for a moment.
u. He nodded.
.sNhy--becsuse j was feeling a lit
Tie lonesome. ! suppose, and sort OF
render hea rted, and we'd been about
half qaarreIing all day. ana l didn't
feet auarreisome any more. and |
thought my big brothers hand would
fcel--well--grateful and comforting.
you know"
she was curious as to why he want
ed the explanation. but she gave IT
10 him unhesitatingly. without the
fatntest touch of coquetry or embar-
rasSrnent.
II can't remember back to the
line she continued, when ] didn't
de things like that to you, just AS
xcu did to me, and neither OF US
ever wanted an explanation before,
Are you trying to make up your mind
ID disown ma. or something?
He dropped back moodily into his
chair without answering her.
After a little perplexed silence. she
spaka again Il didn't know things
were going wrong with you. / didn':
even suspect II until this morning,
when Uncle Jerry said
What" Tom interrupted. What
does the governor know about 1t:
What did he say ?"
-why, nothing. but that YOU were
playing in rather hard luck, he
thought. and that ] was 10 be nice
10 you. IL the world going badly
really badly--reaily badly ~
Yes" That curt monosyllable was
evidently all the answer he meant TO
make. AT that She gave up all at
tempt to console him. dropped back
in her chair and cuddaed a little
deeper down under her bear skin.
her face. three-quarters away from
him, turned toward that part of the
sky that was already becoming Clio
rfous with the tints OF sunset.
You've never had any doubt al
all. have you, that ! really deserved
the job OF being your big brother
that / was that quite az genuinely Is
Ii | had been born that way
Me- she said. ''of course not
Tom, dear. What put such an idea
into your head %
He paled "A little, and it was a min
ute or two before he could command
the words he wanted, to his lips
Because OF my hopes, / suppose" M
said unsteadily; because / had hop
ed. absurdly enough, for the otheI
answer You asked as ii joke a whil'
back Ii l meant to disown you. Wei
i do. from that reiationship-heca
I'm not fit for the Job. because
because come to love you In tn
other way.
She looked at him in perfectl
blank establishment He would no
meet her eyes. his own, their pupil
almost parallel, gazed out, unseeing
beyond her.
But. Tom she cried, you can
mean that.-0h. yes. / know yo
mean it. but it's only q temporar
alteration. it can't be more than that
81 We've known each other from tn
time when we were quite small kids
yes. ! was a kid as much as you; n
potter term would describe us. View
always loved each other. and playe
together, and spatted and plague
each other. and made up again, an
relied on each other to see us throug
6diif 0Aiiti > SSfAfISt anu iloiiittu W
each others faults and gloated ovs
each others whippings We've Il
more civilized, OF course, now tht
we've grown up, but The relation
really the same, There can't be an
romance about ii; no mystery abol
me for you. You can't possibly los
me like that"
Cant II" he said. Cant Il WI
you give me the chance and see
II 4 cant? Love you? ] love you S
much that the touch Of a stray loo
OF your hair drives me half mae
10 that the sound of your step make
any heart stop beating; SO that II
sight of little commonplace objec
tia. happen to have an associatio
L with yotlwthings that / don't realii
+ are associated with you at all unit
they bring up with them pictul
u that has you in it--make a lump com
lin my throat And when you carei
me with your hands He flung o,
his own with an impulsive gestul
that finished the sentence; and the
ciutched them tightly together. fc
they were trembling.
Slowly her color mounted until sh
felt her whole face burning.
u didn't know she said. 'You shouldn
have let me go on thinking"
II didn't know, myself, until e
day he interrupted her stormily
~ didn't know ! knew. that is. 81
when ] saw you put your hands o
that villain Cayley, / wanted to Xxi
& him. and in that same flash | kne
why i wanted to"
Turning suddenly to look at he
DIcTv TDT