The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-12-13

Wnere ne COu1Q not ludSlCl, dHu Win -
pathetic moan of "Dane! Dane!' he cud-
died back to the lacy breast, held her tight
with his dimpled arms and let his soul
dissolving tears have way.
/ The duchess dropped over him as swiftly
and instinctively as one covers a wound
She gathered him to her as close and hrmly
as could the most accustomed arms.
"There--there-aunt precious boy!
There, darling" she crooned; and with the
immemorial grading, "mothering" sway,
got to her feet and began to walk with him,
back and forth, hushing, murmuring, with
never a glance at the stupefed witness OF the
miracle The duke sat, weakly.
Bullying roots and twigs caught in those
draperies Penny Bond had deprecated;
stained, ripped zigzags in the flnny stuff
tore off little hens and ribbon bindings and
trailed them in forlorn wisps yards behind
the pacing figure that moved, oblivious,
eyes on the faxen head against her bosom.
The murmur drifted into wordless song,
as natural and as soothing as the drone of
the bees among the flowers, the plash of the
fountain, the meditative whisper OF the
warm, lazy wind. The sobs trailed off to
sighs-to long breaths. Desire and Du-
plicity were lost in the need of nap.
Caught in his own tolls, hanging lead-heavy,
flushed, kissable and angelic, the injured
one slept.
The humming faded to mere whisper of
sound, she paced more slowly. Her cheeks
were peony pink with heat, the piled coils Of
hair were askew, the tendrils chung in moist,
pale gold rings at her forehead and nape Of
neck. Very gradually and cautiously, still
swaying her burden she got to her chair and
rested in it with a soft gasp of fatigue
And looked up to meet her husbands eyes.
How long that look lasted or when he got
across to her, neither knew 1t seemed in
evitable and natural that he should be on
his knees before her, arms laid up about her,
his face with its odd look of hunger and
triumph, bent over her bare forearm, where
his lips burned adoringly She looked down
on him mildly, materially, from the remote
ness of her awakened, brooding woman-self,
that center 50 vastly remote from woman
selhshness. T2e self she had been had acted
incredibly foolish and been incredibly mis-
erablc But tl.2t was over for always, of
course. LGcn wore children. She freed her
lolt hand and laid it gently on the sun
bu~1lC brown head.
T1ey w. - 0 lie house. after time,
the DID, -err.J,.-gg he sleeping boy, the
ctarE4i. g.y >.i.43E,itd girl-who looked not
at all d.:chess.-shielding the little head
from the sun. Penny and Sue, reconnoiter-
ing, came stealthily out on the veranda-.
and met them full. ,...
"The minute | saw that her chin was
tucked in and her lip-corners turned up, l
knew it was all right" Pen declared with
infinite conaplacence as he arranged his tie
before Sues smallest mirror. He had in
vaded her dresslng-room to utilize the few
minutes before dinner in Dragging of his
strategy and its success.
But 1t came in a much nicer way than
you planned" argued Sue "She says that
the sight of our happiness nearly killed her,
Pen, but that she couldn't leave us,-she
says she knew if she did take him back it
would be here, but she didn't see how she
ever could! And she says she worshiped
the Babe, all the time, but she knew if she
touched him she should just break down and
have Mysteries. | know precisely how she
felt! She says she doesn't see why girls
aren't taught that their only happiness lies
in having family to keep them from fads
and foolishness."
She is very wise young woman" said
Pen, winking abominably at his own rehec-
ton. ..,.s-
"Isn't she?" said Sue warmly. Whereat
he had the grace to be ashamed, and went
over and kissed her shoulder. .l...-.s
My, but you're swagger tonight" he
observed. She faced about and took him
by button.
"Do you like this gown"
Altogether TOO we'll, My admiration for
you is too ardent to be comfortable"
silly! Is it? But Pen, dear"
"Yes' Why SO long a pause,
Sweetness?"
"Well-you know what you said about
long skirts, to-day,-do you ever think that
you'd like me to wear long skirts, always,
and not play tennis but to be more dignifed
and-and matronly, now that have Bow
more, perhaps, like Camillap"
He took the busy hand in both his own.
"Sue--" he said. She looked up. And
at what she saw was silenced and bit
awed. Slowly she flushed. Her eyes grew
purple as pansies, her exquisite mouth trem-
pleu lnlo sudineu SinIe, ana Sne lifted her
free hand and shut out that dear truth aud
reproach.
DON'T" she begged, though he had
not spoken word. "I-Pen, don't sup
pose l mean half these silly things ask
you. It's just because I'm woman I
guess. But that's all any woman is-just
woman!" ~
THAT great truth is dywning on me-" h
said, "by degrees"