Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-01-05

But now TO approach nef! tie oil
vined the fanatical love Of freedom In
her, the deep seated antipatby for re-
ytraint of any sort. No man could
ever put his arm around her and win
her She would dutter away like
frightened bird, Approach by contact
that, he realized was the one thing
he must never do. His hand clasp
must be what it had always been-the
hand clasp Of hearty friendship. aud
nothing more. And then. one morning.
quite fortuitously the opportunity
came.
"My dearest wish is the success OF
Berande," Joan had just said apropos
Of discussion about the cheapening
Of freights on copra to market. -
"Do you mind if | tell you the dear.
est wish Of my hearth" he promptly
returned. II long for it. ! dream
about it. 1t is my dearest desire. II
is for you some day when you are
ready to be my wife"
She started back from him as if she
had been stung. Her face went white
on the instant, not from maidenly en-
barrassment. but from the anger which
he could see flaming in her eyes.
'This taking for granted! This
when l am ready" she cried passion
ately. Listen to me, Mr.. Sheldon.
like you very we'll, though you are
slow and muddler, but want you to
understand once and for all that did
not come to the SoOmOns to get mar
RED Getting married is not making
my way in the world. 1t may do for
some women, but not for me. thank
you. When sit down to talk over the
freight on copra I don't care to have
proposals Of marriage sandwiched in.
Besides-besides'-
Her voice broke for the moment. and
when she went on there was note Of
appeal in it that well nigh convicted
him to himself Of being brute.
Don't you see? 1t spells everything.
1t makes the whole situation impos.
sible-and-and so loved our partner
ship and was proud Of it. Don't you
see? can't 90 on being your partner
If you make love to me. And l was
so happy!'
Tears of disappointment were in her
eyes, and she caught a swift sob in her
| throat.
81 warned you" he said gravely.
"Such unusual situations between men
and women cannot endure. I told you
so Mt the beginning"
ooh, yes; it is quite clear to me what
you did. You took good care to warn
me against every other man in the
| SolOmons except yourself"
1t was blow in the face to Sheldon.
He smarted with the truth Of it, and
at the same time he smarted with
what he was convinced was the injus-
tice of 1t. A CLEAN Of triumph that
hickered in her eye because Of the
hit she had made decided him.
ut is not so one sided as you seem
to think it is" he began. Il was do
ing very nicely on Berande before you
came. ! did not want you to stay. l
wasn't in love with you then. l want
ed you to go to Sydney. to go back to
Hawaii. But you insisted on staying.
You virtually
He paused for softer word than
the one that had risen to his lips, and
she took it away from him.
Forced myself on you-that's what
you meant to say" she cried, tue flags
Of battle painting her cheeks 100
ahead. Don't mind my feelings"
"AIl right. won't" he said deci-
sively, realizing that the discussion was
in danger of becoming a vituperative,
schooboy argument. You have in
sisted on being considered as man.
Consistency would demand that you
talk like a man and like man listen
1t is not your falt that this unpleas-
antness has arisen. do not blame
you for neutrality-suspicious. that-and
for the same reason you should not
blame me for anything.
"You can't help being yourself. You
can't help being very desirable crea-
ture so far as am concerned. You
have made me want you. You didn't
intend to; you didn't try to- You were
so made. that is all. And was so
made that | was ripe to want you.
But can't help being myself. can't
by an effort Of will cease from want
ing you any more than you by an eff
fort OF will can make yourself unde-
sirable to me-"
'Oh. this desire, this want. want.
WANT she broke in rebelliously. II
am not quite fool. understand
some things. really think it would
be a good idea for me to marry Noa
Noah or Adamu Adam or Lalaperu
there or any black boy. Then l could
give him orders and keep him penned
away from me and men like you would
leave me alone and not talk marriage
and 4 want. I want"
| Sheldon laughed In spite of himself
and far from any genuine impulse to
I laugh.
You are positively soullcss." he said
savagely.
Because I've soul that doesn't
yearn for man for master?" she took
up the gauge VERY we'll. then. am
soulless. and what are you going to do
about it?'
Il am going to ask you why you look
like a woman? Why you have the
form of a woman. the lips Of a woman.
| the wonderful hair of woman? And
l am going to answer because you are
n woman. though the woman in you Is
asleep and that some day the woman
will wake up