The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-02-05

! uurlute. mere were Gays NliHll Tug
lcogered sixty speenly aHd eiiei
\ miles nor q j Ilede eye elaln
l ahy day loo long nor anothef slionE
commendation to Daylight did tht
hardest day ever see the slishtssi
chafe Of the chestnut sorrel's back
"a sure enough hummer" was Day
! lights stereolyAeii bat ever snthasias
tic verdict to himself. Z
His lifelong fear Of woman had orig
mated out Of Misunderstanding and
had also, prevented him from reaching
any understanding. pede on horse
back, Dede gathering peoples on q
summer hillside Dede taking down
dictation IN her swift shorthand
strokes AL this was comprehensive
to him. But he did not know the
Dede who so quickly changed from
5mood to mood 5the Dede who refused
steadfastly to ride with him and then
suddenly consented, the Dede in
whose eyes the golden glow forever
waxed and waned and whispered
hints and messages that were not for
his cars. In all such things he saw
the glimmerlng profundities Of sex,
acknowledged their lure, and accept
ed them as incomprehensible.
But through It all ran the golden
thread OF love. At first he had been
content just to ride with Dede and to
be on comradely terms with her; but
the desire and the need for her In
creased. The more. he knew OF her,
the higher was his appraisal. Had
she been reserved and naughty with
him, or been merely a giggling. sim
pering creature of a woman, 1t would
have been different. Instead, she
amazed him with her simplicity and
wholesomeness, with her great store
Of comradeliness. The latter was the
unexpected. He had never looked
upon woman in that way. Woman,
the toy; woman, the harry: woman,
the necessary wife and mother OF the
races offsprlng-all this had been his
expectation and understanding Of
woman. But woman. the comrade and
playfellow and ioyfellow-this was
what Dede had surprised him in. And
the more she became worth while, the
more ardently his love burned, nn-
consciously shading his voice with
caresses, and with equal unconscious
ness flaring up signal fires in his eyes.
Nor was she blind to 1t, yet, like many
women before her, she thought to play
with the pretty fire and escape the
consequent confagration."
winter will soon be coming on"
she said regretfully. and with proyoca-
ton, one day, "and then there won't
be any more riding"
But must see you in the winter
Just the same" he cried hastily.
She shook her head.
1--WE been pretty good" he declared,
II leave It to you II / haven't. It's
been pretty hard, too, can tell you.
You just think 1t over. Not once have
l saidgasgord about love to you, and
me loving YOU all the time. That's
goingssone for "a. man that's used to
Having liis. own way, 4 Til somewhat
ofsa rusher when It, Domestic travel.
ing. reckon; I'd rush God Almighty |
il it came to d race over the ice. And
yet I didn't rush you. guess this |
fact is an Indication of how much'T
do love you. OF course l want you to
marry ne. Have | said word about
It, though? Nary a chirp, nary a tlut-
ter. I've been quiet and good, though |
It's almost made me sick at times, this
keeping quiet haven't asked you toll
marry me. I'm not asking you now.
Oh, not but what you satisfy me. I I
sure know you're the wife for me. But
how about myself? Do you know me
we'll enough to know your own, mind"
lie shrugged his shoulders. II don't
know, and I amt going to take
chances on It now. You've got to
know for sure whether you think you
could get along with me or not, and
IN playing slow conservative game.
amt a-golng to lose for overlooking
ny hand"
This was love.making Of a sort be-
yond Dede's experience. Nor had she
,ver heard Of anything like 1t.
80 you see" he urged, "just for a
quare deal we've got TO see some
more OF each other this winter. Most
likely your mind amt made up"yet-"
But It Is" she interrupted. u
wouldn't dare permit myself to care for
'ou. Happiness for ME, wctld not lie
hat way. like you. Mr.. Harnish,
nd all that, but it can never be more
han that" t
cts because you don't like my way
I living" he charged. thinking in his
wn mind of the sensational joy.rides 4
nd general DEoaigacy with which the
ewspapers had credited himlthink.
ne this, and wondering whether or
ct, in maiden modesty, she would
isclaim knowledge Of 1t.
To his surprise, her answer was fat
nd uncompromising.
"No; | don't"
"I know I've been brash on some Of
lose rides that got into the papers,"
/