Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-05-04

half quarreling all day, and l didn't
feel quarrelsome any more, and |
thought my big brothers hand would
feel-well-grateful and comforting,
you know"
She was curious as to why he want
ed the explanation, but she give 1t to
him unhesitatingly, without the faint
est touch of coquetry or embarrass-
ment.
II can't remember back to the
time she continued, when l didn't do
things like that to you, just as you
did to me, and neither Of us eve
wanted an explanation before. Are
you trying to make up your mind to
disown me, or s~omething?"
He leaned back moodily into his
chair without answering her.
After a little perplexed silence, she
spoke again. Il didn't know things
were going wrong with you. | didn't
even suspect 1t until this morning,
when Uncle Jerry said"
What" Tom interrupted. What
does the governor know about it?
What did he say?"
why, nothing, but that you were
playing in rather hard luck, he
thought, and that | was to be nice to
you. Is the world going badly real
ly badly-really badly?"
Yes" That curt monosyi!able 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 cuddled a little deep
er down under her bear skin, her face,
three-quarters away from him, turned
toward that part Of the sky that was
already becoming glorious with the
tints of sunset.
You've never had any doubt at all,
have you, that l really deserved the
job Of being your big brother; that
l was that quite as genuinely as If l
had been born that way?"
NO." 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. Be
cause of my hopes, | suppose" he
said unsteadily; because l had hoped,
absurdly enough, for the other an
swer. You asked as O joke a while
back if | meant to disown you. Well,
l do, from that ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'm not fit for the job; because-be-
cause-I've come to love you in the
other way"
She looked at him in perfectly blank
establishment. He would not meet her
eyes, his own, their pupils almost
parallel, gazed out, unseeing, beyond
her.
Slowly her color mounted until she
felt her whole face burning. 81 didn't
know" she said. You shouldn't have
let me go on thinking
II didn't know myself until today
he interrupted her stormily; Il didn't
know l knew, that is. But when | saw
you put your hands on that villain
Cayley, l wanted to kill him, and in
that same flash | knew why l wanted
to-"
Turning suddenly to look at her, he
saw that she had buried her face in
her hands and was crying forlornly
ooh, l am a brute" he concluded, tic
have told you about it in this way"
What does the way matter? That's
not what makes it hard. It's loving
you so much, the way l do, and having
to hurt you. It's having to lose my
brother-the only brother ever had.
There vas a long, miserable silence
after that. Finally he said: Jeanne
If you do love me as much as that
the way you do, not the way l love
you, but love me any way--could ycl
could you-marry me just the same
I'd never have any thought in tlt
world but Of making you happy. AEC
I'd always be there; you could couI
on me, you know"
DON'T" she interrupted CURLY
Don't talk like that, Tom" She shiI
cred, and drew away from him will
a little movement somewhere neG
ekin to disgust.
He WINGED at it, and Redeemed
Then, in a voice that sounded curiouu
ly thick to her, curiously unlike hit
own, he asked a question: IF | haI
told you all this a month ago-tol
you how l felt toward you, and aske,
you, loving m the way you do, I
marry me just the same, would your.
Oh, l suppose you would have ~
fused. But would you have shuddere,
and shrunk away from me-like thatf
Did l shudder and shrink away?
she asked. 81 didn't know 1t.
wasn't angry; I'm not now, But
but that was a terrible thing y0
asked Of me-"
Would it have struck you as hoi
rible," he persisted, If l had asked
a month ago?"
Perhaps not" she answere
, th%oughtfully. I've changed a goo
deal in the last month-since W
sailed away from San Francisco an
, left the world behind us-our worl
and came out into this great whit
t empty one l don't know why that is
81 know" He was speaking with
sort of brutal intensity that startle
l her. II know, It's not in the la
month you've changed; it's within Il
A last "a hours; it's since you saw ar