The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-16

his arm $ it rested on the little tea
table.
You've got to bear it; there's only
me. But that's tire only way I've
deceived you, Stanton" The rustic
of her dress came strangely with his
name in those clear tones. "All that
told you of my life is true, except
Jes. My father had to have son,
an he made me one. AT first, when
/ was little, ii was for fun he called
me Jes when | hay my boy-clothes
on. an played there were two OF US
But when we found that all the coun.
tryside. all the facrory hands. every
one except my nurse believed Jes and
Jessica twins, we let it go on. 1t made
1t easier for him in trainin' mo to
be his partner. For he said I was
man-fit for that. So Jes studied an
raced an worked with him all day:
in the evenin Jessica wore frocks and
frills. We lived alone In the oR
house: IL was so easy. / used 10
darken my skin a bit; that was all
You're not listepin'-you want time
to think 1t out
He neither moved nor contradicted.
Time for reimbursement he did need.
for realization OF this and himself.
Standing, a slim. upright figure. she
gave IT 10 him. waiting while the
little Swiss clock on the mantle chat
tered through many minutes.
When my father died" she resum-
3D. at last, after / found out that
wasn't goin' to die, too. I saw Jes was
able to earn Sis Twin while Jessica
was liable to starve. / had 1t in my
blood to love that work, / suppose;
/ told you once that the very smell
of exhaust gas drove me out OF my
self with speed fever. Every racer
knows it, you know 1t. that feelin'. So
l got place in tho Mercury factory
an that way / met you. don't know
how 10 make you understand"
lie interrupted 'her r,athlesly, al
most roughly. as he might once have
spoken to Floyd; not looking up.
What of all that. You are you.
now. You've let me think you dead
for two months~-you left me In hell"
mo, no." she denied in swift de-
Tense. mot that. l guessed that you
could believe me dead j thought you
must know me- essica."
How should / know? You never
came near me. The Floyd | knew
would have come" the bitterness of
those desotate nights and days choked
speech
There was a pause, filled with some
strange Significance beyond his
fathoming
Il couldn't come" she deprecated.
her low voice broken. you're maxim
this hard. When i was picked up
stunned, an taken to the hospital,
after We went off the bridge, they
found / wasn't Jes. They talked of
me--the newspapers printed stories
about Stanton's mechanician-the
said, they said you knew ! was a
woman when Wa went West"
The movement that brought STAN
ton to his feet was galvanic. He I'M
derstood, finally, in one binding fash
OF fun comprehension; understood the
doctor. the nurse, his fellow drivers
embarra ssed reticence, and Miss Car
Isle. Understood, too, that here had
been a suffering as acute as his own.
And in the mans hot outrush OF pro-
lection Jes and Jessica were fused into
one.
They'll talk to me-" he grimly as
sured. m not shut in a hospital,
now " ny ridn'r you send them TO
me? You knew Id come to you-"
His sentence broke. as his eyes
caught aud held hers; Fioyd's eyes.
straight and true in spite of the girls
scarlet shame burning in either
cheek.
II knew, yes, you are that kind,
But how could / tell you would want
to come? How can I tell It nnA7
You'd see me through safely, anyhow.
I'm rememberin' that you dismissed
Floyd for one falsehood, an I've
tricked you for we-ss.'
He drew step nearer her; the
pulse which had commenced 10 beat
through him the day they started for
indianapolis aud which had ceased
two months agp. audde1N woke anew