Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-04-14

mo eyes 0iu tNOt I urn 10 F1crS, but
Remained Fixed.
knitted In perplexity. What an old
bear you are, Tom" she said Whats
the matter today? It's not bit like
you to sulk just because we disagree
about something We disagree all the
time. but you've never been like this
to me before
Il always told you | was sullen
brute when things went wrong with
me, although you never would believe
it, he said. I'm sorry"
Il don't want you to be sorry" she
told him; Il just want you to be few
shades more cheerful"
He seemed not to be able to give
her what she wished, however, for he
lapsed again into his moody abstrac-
ton. But after a few minutes more
of silence, he turned upon her with a
question that astonished her What
did you do that for, just now?"
At first she was in doubt as to what
act of hers, he referred to. do you
mean my hand?" sha asked, after look
lNS DIT llIll Ill pu6Lleu tQIlOSlly lOI q
moment
He nodded.
"Why--because l was feeling a lit
tie lonesome, l suppose and sort of
tender-hearted, and we'd been about
half quarreling all day, and ! didn't
feel quarrelsome any more, and |
thought my big brothers hand would
feel-wel- grateful and comforting,
you know"
She was curious as to why he want
ed the explanation, but she give it tc
him unhesitatingly, without the faint
est touch of coquetry or embarrass-
ment.
Il can't remember back to the
time" she continued, when didn't do
things like that to you, just as you
did to me, and neither of us ever
wanted an explanation before. Are
you trying to make up your mind to
disown me, or something"
He leaned back moodily into his
chair without answering her.
After little perplexed silence. she
spoke again. Il didn't know things
were going wrong with you. | didn't
even suspect II 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 monosyllabe 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
err 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
| was that quite as genuinely as II i
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 1t was min
ute or two before he could command
the words he wanted, to his lips. Be
cause Of my hopes, l suppose he
said unsteadily; because l had hoped,
absurdly enough, for the other an
swer. You asked as joke while
back II l meant to disown you. Well
do, from that ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'm not fit for the Job; because-be-
cause-Pve 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"
Il didn't know myself until today,
he interrupted her stormily; 81 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 I knew why wanted
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