Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-17

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able to analyze 1t; while the simplicl-
ty delighted expensive simplici-
| ty, he decided, and most of it left
| overs from the time her father went
| broke and died.
She re-entered the room, and as she
crossed it to her chair, he admired
the way she walked, while the bronze
slippers were maddening.
ard like to ask you several Ques'
TONS" he began Immediately. Are
YOU thinking OF marrying somebody
else?"
There isn't anybody else. l don't
know anybody I like well enough 10
marry. For that matter, don't think
l am marrying woman. Office WORK
seems to spoil me for that"
"It strikes me that you're the most
marryingest woman that ever made .
man sit up and take notice. And now
another question. You see, I've just
got to locate the lay OF the land. IS
there anybody you like as much as
you like me-"
But Dede had herself well IN hand.
"That's unfair" she said. "And IL
you stop and consider, you will tno
that you are doing the very thing you
isclaimed-namely. nagging. refuse
to answer any more of your questions.
Let us talk about other things. How
Is Bob?"
Half an hour later, whirling along
through the rain on Telegraph Ave
nue. toward Oakland, Daylight smoked
one Of his brown-paper cigarettes and
reviewed what had taken place. 1t was
not at all bad, was his summing up,
though there was much about 1t that
was battling. There was that liking
him the more she knew him and at
the same time wanting to marry him
less. That was a puzzler.
Once again, on rainy Sunday,
weeks afterward, Daylight proposed
to Dede. AS on the first time, he re-
strained himself until his hunger for
her Overwhelmed him and swept him
away in his red automobile to Berke-
ley. He left the machine several
| blocks away and proceeded to the
house on foot. But Dede was out, tho
!, landlady's daughter told him, and
added, on second thought, that she
was walking in the hills. Further
more, the young lady directed him
where Dede's walk was most likely to
extend. Daylight obeyed the girls in
| structions, and soon the street he fol-
| lowed passed the last house and Itself
ceased where began the first steep
slopes OF the open hills. The air was
damp with the on-coming Of rain, for
the storm had not yet burst, though
the rising wind proclaimed its i'm
minence. AS far as he could see,
there was no sign Of Dede on the
smooth, grassy hills. To the right.
dipping down into hollow and rising
again, was large, full-grown eucalyp.
| tus grove. Here all was noise and
movement, the lofty, slender-trunked
trees swaying back and forth in the
wind and clashing their branches to-
gether. In the squalls, above all tho
minor noises Of creaking and groan'
ing, arose a deep drumming note as
of a mighty harp. Knowing Dede as
he did, Daylight was confident that he
would find her somewhere in this
grove where the storm effects were SO
pronounced. And find her he did,
across the hollow and on the exposed
crest of the opposing slope where tho
gale smote it's fiercest blows.
"It's the same old thing" he SAID.
"I want you and I've come for you.
You've just got to have me, Dede, for
the more think about 1t the more
certain I am that you've got sneak
ing liking for me that's something
more than just ordinary liking. And
you don't dast say that 1t isn't; now
dast you?"
Please, please" she begged. 1--WE
can never marry, so don't let us dis.
cuss it"
Daylight decided that action was
more efficient than speech. So he
stepped between her and the wind
and drew her so that she stood close
in the shelter of him. An unusually
stiff squall blew about them and
thrummed overhead In the tree-tops,
and both paused to listen. A shower
OF flying leaves enveloped them, and
hard on the heel Of the wind came
driving drops of rain. He looked down
on her and on her hair, wind-bloWn
about her face; and because of her
oloseness to him and of a fresher and
more poignant realization OF what she
meant to him, he trenlbled so that she
was aware of it in the hand that held
hers. She suddenly leaned against
him, bowling her head until 1t rested
lightly upon his breast. And SO they
stood while another squall, with flying
leaves and scattered drops OF ra1n'
ratified past. With equal suddenness
she lifted her head and looked at him.
do you know" she said, Il prayed
last night about you. I prayed that
you would fail, that you would lose
everything-everything."
Daylight stared his amazement at
this cryptic utterance.
"That sure beats me. / always SAID
e,,A - NTH woman.