Bisbee daily review., 1911-05-13
CHAPTER X
On the Stairs.

across the roof, the cracking of tin under feet, and a comfortable and companionable odor Of tobacco. moved a very little. and then I saw | that 1t was a man-the height and erectness told me which man And just at that instant he saw me.
 Good Lord," be calculated. and throwing his cigar away he came across quickly. Why, Mrs. Wilson. what in the world are you doinS here? I thought-they said"
 That I was suiking againr' I fn- ished disagreeabiy. 'PerhSSs am. In fact, I'm quite sure of it-"
 You are not" he said severely. You have been asleep in a February night. in the open air. with less cloth ing on than wear in tho tropics" had got up by this time, refusing his help. and because my feet were numb. I sat down on the parapet for q moment Oh. knew what looked like-one of those ''valleyof-the-Nile- After-a-F1ood" pictures
 ~There is one thing about you that is comforting" snired. You said | precisely the same thing to me at | three o'clock this morning. You never startle me by saying anything uneI- | pected."
 He took step toward me, and even | in the dusk I could see that he was ! looking down at me oddly. All my brayado faded away and there was l queerish ringing in my ears. T would like tol" he said tensely. q would like, this minute-Fm fool, | Mrs. Wilson," he finished miserably. q ought to be drawn and quartered. but when see you like this I-I get crazy. If you say the word. Tll-Tn go down and" He clenched his fist It was reprehensible. of course; he saw that in an instant. for he shut his | teeth over something that sounded very fierce, and strode away from me, ! to stand looking out over the river. i with his hands thrust in his pockets | Of course the thing I should have 1 done was to ignore what he had said altogether. but he was so uacomfort- able, so chastened, that, feline, femi- nine, whatever the instinct is. could not let him go. I had been so vretched myself
 What is it you would like to say?" called over to him. He did not speak Would you tell me that I am a silly child for pouting7" No reply; i he struck a match. "Or would you l preach a nice little sermon about I people-about women-loving their 1 husbands?"
 He grunted savagely under his breath.
 Be quite honest" pursued relent- ! lessly. Say that we are a lot of barbarians. say that because my-be- | cause Jimmy treats me outrageously- ] oh, he does; any one can see that and because I loathe him-and any one can tell that-why don't you say you are shocked to the depths?" was a little shocked myself by that time, but couldn't stop. having started.
 He came over to me, whitehead and towering. and be had the audacity 1 to grip my arm and stand me on my feet, like a bad child-which I was, dare say.
 Don't" he said in husky, very pained voice. You are only talking; You don't mean it. It isn't you. You know you care, or else why are you crying up here? And don't do it again. don't do 1t again-or I will
 You will-what?'
 Make a fool of myself, as I have now" he finished grimly. And then be stalked away and left me there alone, completely bewildered, to find
 my way down in the dark
 I groped along. holding to the rail
 for the staircase to the roof was verJ
 steep, and I went slowly. Halfway
 down the stairs there was a tiny land
 Ing. and I stopped. could have
 sworn l heard Mir Harbison's foot
 steps far below. growing fainter.
 even smiled a little. there in the dark
 although l had been rather profoundll shaken. The next instant I knew
 had been wrong; some one was on th' ! landing with me. could hear short sharp breathing. and then am not sure that I struggled: il
 fact, l don't believe I dId-I was to'
 limp with amazement. The creature :. to have lain In wait for me like thrt
 And he was brutaliy strong: IA
 caught me to him hercely. and hell i me there clcse. and he kissed memo
 once or twice. but half a dozen times ' long kisses that filled me with ho | shame for him. for myself, that ha v liked him. The roughness of hi ,- coat bruised my cheek: loathed hin e Anz th41 ess,e one came vhistiin s along the hall below, and he pushe s- me from him and stoode listening } breathing in long. gasping breaths: