The Irish standard., 1911-08-12

spoke again. II didn't know things
were going wrong with you. l didn't
even suspect 1t 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 to be nice to
you. Is the world going badly real
ly badly-really 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 cuddled a little deep
or 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 really deserved the
| Job Of being your big brother; that
I was that quite as genuinely as If
had been born that way?"
NO" she said; "of course not, Tom.
dear. What put such an idea into
your head?"
He paled little, and it was a min
ute or two before he could command
tho words he wanted, to his lips. BE
cause Of my hopes. I suppose" he
said unsteadily; because had hoped.
absurdly enough, for the other an
swer You asked as joke . while
back II meant to disown you. Well.
I do from that acknowledgements.
I'm not At for tho job; because-be-
cause-l'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 ..-N..
Slowly her color mounted until she
felt her whole face burning. II didn't
know" she said. you shouldn't have
let me go ON thinking"
Il didn't know myself until today"
he interrupted her stormily; Il didn't
know knew, that is. But when I saw
you put your hands ON that villain
Cayley. I wanted to kill him, and in
that Same flash I knew why I wanted
to-"
Turning suddenly to look at her, he
saw that she had buried her face in
her hands and was crying forlornly.
have told you about 1t in this way"
What does tho way matter? That's
not what makes it hard. It's loving
you 80 much. the way do, and having
to hurt you. It's having to lose my
brother-the only brother ever had"
There WAS a long. miserable silence
after that. Finally he said: Jeanne.
II you do love me as much as that
the way you do, not the way l love
you, but love me any way--could you
could you-marry me Just the same?
I'd never have any thought in the
world but Of making you happy. And
I'd always be there; you could count
on mo. you know"
"Dontl" she interrupted CURLY,
Don't talk like that, Tom" She shiv.
cred. and drew away from him with
little movement somewhere near
akin to disgust
He WINGED at 1t, and Redeemed.
Then. in q voice that sounded curious.
ly thick to her. curiously unlike his
own, he asked a question: IF l had
told you all this a month ago-told
you how l felt toward you, and asked
you. loving me the way you do, to
marry me Just the same, would you?-
Oh. l suppose you would have re-
fused But would you have shuddered
and ahrunk away from me--like that?
Ibid I shudder and shrink away?
she asked. Il didn't know 1t.
wasn't angry; I'm not now. But
but that was terrible thing you
asked of me-"
Would IT. have struck you az hor
rible," he persisted, III l had asked II
! month ago."
Perhaps not,'7 she answered
thoughtfully. I've changed a good
deal in the last month-since We
Il sailed away from San Francisco and
left the world behind us-our world
empty one. I don't know why that IL.
II know" He was speaking with 9
. sort of brutal intensity that startled
her. II know. It's not in the last
month you've changed; its within the
. last "a hours; it's since you saw and
fell in love with that murderous lying
u brute of Cayley."
II don't know" she said very quiet
o ly. whether you're trying to kill the
love have for you-the old love-ol
not, Tom, but unless you're very care
!" full, you'll succeed in doing it. DOM
think I want to talk to you any
. more now, not even sit here beside
you. I'm going to take little walk.
: He held himself rigidly until till SHE
q had disappeared round the end Of the
= deckhouse. Then he bent over ant
" buried his face in his hands!
" What the thing was that reused hin