The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-08

I 'The devil, you say!' The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. For a second time the girl rose from her chair.
 ''You will go?' she entreated. "You will go tomorrow?''
 Her hand was on the latch of the door.
 "You will goT'
 He had risen and was lighting cigar over the chimney of the lamp. Laughing, he came toward her.
 "Yes, surely I am going-to see you safely home." Suddenly he turned back to the lounge and belted on his revolver and holster. When he re- turned she barred his way deiantly, her back against the door.
 "You cannot go."
 "Why?''
 "Because"-he caught the frightened f1utter of her voice again-"because they will kill you"
 The low laugh that he breathed in her hair was more of joy than fear.
 "I am glad that you care," he whis-a pered to her softly.
 | 1Ou gu, SuC St1ll peISlSlcO~
 "With you, yes," he answered.
 'tNo, no; tomorrow. You must go back to La Pas-back into the south. Will you promise me that?"
 Perhaps" he said. q will tell you soon' She surrendered to the deter imitation in his voice and allowed him 10 pass out into the night with her. Swiftly she led him along a path that ran into the deep gloom of the balsam and spruce. Ee could hear the throb ping of her heart and her quick, ex- cited breathing as she stopped, one of ! her hands clasping him nervOusly by | the arm.
 ''It is not very far from here," she whispered. "You must not go with me- If they saw me with you at this hour"- He felt her shuddering against him.
 'Only little farther he begged. She surrendered again hesitatingly, and they went on more slowly than before until they came to where few faint lights in the camp were visible ahead of them.
 l 'Now-now you must go." l Rowland turned as if to obey. In an instant the girl was at his side.
 "You have not promised" she en- treated "Will you go-tomorrow" Tn the luster of the eyes that were | turned up to him in the gloom How land saw again the strange sweet pow | CT that had taken possession of his. l soul. It did not occur to him in these | moments that he had known this girl i for only a few hours; that until tonight he had heard no word pass from her lips. He was conscious only that in the space of those few hours some thing had come into his life which be had never known before, and a deep longing to tell her this, to take her sweet face between his hands as l they stood in the gloom of the forest and to confess to her that she had be- come more to him than a passing vii sion in strange wilderness, filled him.
 He crushed her hands once more to h<s breast as he had done on the Great North trail, holding her so close that he could feel the throbbing of her bosom against him. He spoke no word. and still her eyes pleaded with him to go. Suddenly he freed one of his hands and brushed back the thick hair from her brow and turned her face gently until what dim light came down from the stars above glowed in the beauty of her eyes. In his own face she saw that which he had not dared to speak, and from her lips there came soft little sobbing cry.
 ''No, have not promised, and I will not promise,'' he said, holding her face so that she could not look away from him. Forgive me for-for-doing this"T And before she could move hs caught her for moments close in his arms, holding her so that he felt the I quick beating of her heart against his own, the sweep of her hair and breath ia his face. 'This is why I will not go back" he cried softly. "It is be- cause I love you-love you''- He caught himself, choking back the I words, and as she drew away from him her eyes shone with glory that made him half reach out his arms to 1 her.
 l "You will forgive me!' he begged. "I do not mean ito do wrong. Only you must know why I shall not go back into the south'' From her distance she saw his arms stretched like shadows toward her. Her voice was low, so low that he could hardly hear the words she spoke, but its sweetness thrilled him.
 'If you love me you will do this | thing for me. You will go tomorrow" "And you?'
 'IT He heard the tremulous quiver l in her voice. ''Very soon you will for | get that you have-ever-seen-me From down the path there came the l sound of low voices. Excitedly the l girl ran to Rowland, thrusting him | back with her hands. "Go! Gor' she cried tensely. "Hur- ry back to the cabin! Lock your door, and don't come out again tonight! Oh, please if you love me DleaSe, gO"-