The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-02-16
what did he sayg"

playing in rather hard luck. he
thought. and that l was to be nice 10
you. Is the world going badly real
" hadly-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 little deep
er down under her bear skin, her face,
three-ouarters 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
| was that quite as genuinely as II |
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
the words he wanted, to his lips. BE
cause OF my hopes, | suppose" he
said unsteadily; because had hoped.
absurdly enough. for the other an
swer. You asked as a joke a while
back IL | meant to disown you. Well.
! do, from that ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'm not fit for the job; because--be-
cause-lye come to love you in the
other way"
She looked at him in perfectly blank
g 10 n 10 80 l.
eyes, his own, their pupils almost
parallel. gazed out. unseeing, beyond
her.
Slowly her color mounted until she
felt her whole face burning. Il 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. | wanted to kill him, and in
that same fash ! knew why | wanted
to-"
Turning suddenly to look at her, he
saw that she had buried her face in
her hands and was crying forlornly.
"Oh, ! am a brute" he concluded, ito
have told you about 1t in this way"
What does the way matter? That's
not what makes il hard. It's loving
you SO much, the way do, and having
to hurt you. It's having to lose my
brother-the only brother ever had =
There was long. miserable silence
after that. Finally he said: Jeanne,
IL 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
Id never have any thought in the
world but Of making you happy And
I'd always be there; you could count
on me, you know"
DON'T" she interrupted CURLY
Don't talk like that. Tom" She shiv
cred, and drew away from him with
a little movement somewhere neal
akin to disgust.
He WINGED at 1t, and redeemed
Then. in voice that sounded curious
ly thick to her. curiously unlike hii
own, he asked question: IF l hst
told you all this a month ago-tols
you how | felt toward you, and askes
you. loving me the way you do, t,
marry me just the same, would your
Oh, | suppose you would have re
fused But would you have shuddere,
and shrunk away from me--iike that?
did | shudder and shrink away?
she asked. Il didn't know 1t.
wasn't angry: I'm not now. But
but that was a terrible thing yoi
asked of me-"
Would 1t have struck you rs hor
rible,7 he persisted. IF had asked /
a month ago?"
Perhaps not she answered
thoughtfully. I've changed a goot
deal in the last month--since W,
sailed away from San Francisco ant
left the world behind us--our worlt
and came out into this great white
empty one. ! don't know why that Is
Il know" He was speaking with !
sort OF brutal intensity that startled
her. Il know It's not in the las
month you've changed; it's within ths
last "A hours; It's since you saw and
fell - love with that murderous lying
brute Of Cayley."
II don't know" she said very quiet
ly, whether you're trying to kill the
love / have for you--the old love-oi
not, Tom, but unless you're very care
full, you'll succeed in doing IT, don''
think l want to talk to you an,
more now, not even sit here beside
you. I'm going to take little walk.
He held himself rigidly until till she
had disappeared round the end of the
deckhouse. Then he bent over and
buried his face in his hands!
What the thing was that reused him
to his present surroundings he never
knew He was conscious of no sound
but suddenly he sat erect and stared
about him in amazement. II had grown
quite dark 1t must be two or three
hours since Jeanne had left the chair
beside him and announced that she
was going to take little walk
He spoke her name. not loudly al
first. for he thought she must be cloee
by. But the infinite silent spaces
seemed to absorb the sound OF his
voice. There was no sign that any
sentient thing. except his very self
had heard the words he uttered Their
he InI