The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-24
MeMAN IN Me..
BROWN DERBY
Z,
Wells HASTINGS
seeo Author Of GEO
The Professors Mystery
(Owdshtl9llby Bobbsf1emiA %
cHAPTgR VII.
\ (contln1ed)

SQUARE Oh emDrOldery and de1tly
threading an impossibly small needle
with length of coarse silk, set about
the absent completion of some flower
unknown TO botany. | have often won
dered IL fancy work was not more
adornment than employment. an un-
conscious and decorative stage prop
erty, as foreign to It's possessor as
earrings, and without actual intent,
serving much the same purpose. Ger
tainly, as she sat there, slim fingers
busy with the work, thought nothing
on heaven or earth could be more
charming. II seemed to me that ma
ture itself held its breath watching
her, that all the tender newborn
beauty about us was only frame and
background for her loneliness. The APP
ple-trees, gnarled with the whimsical
growth of years, twisted and rough.
ened by sleet and sun and Frost SEEM
ed TO have laid aside for their sturdy
work-a-day utility, yelling themselves
In blossoms, every triumphant strug-
CLING line of them softened and dis
guised in a fresh, exquisite pinkness
of bloom, as delicately nebulous and
as dewy sweet as the cheeks of still.
dreaming, half-awakened dawn The
whole orchard breathed OF them-a
faint. pervading sweet that stirred the
senses like fieeting memory of lost
Eden.
The day was warm, and Nancy had
welcomed II with a dress of some light
soft stun of cloudy turquoise blue, to
me a mystery of marvellous perfec-
tons: for II was cut low at the throat
and caught together there by great,
old-fashioned, gold brooch, leaving
her neck's soft contour free. Her
head, bending over her work, or
raised in happy contemplation of
the beauty about her, was touched
by the leaf-broken sunshine, which
danced and shimmered on the
heavy coils OF hair rejecting coppery
CLEANS among the gold, or making
spun gold OF the dainty tendrils at her
neck's white nape. Her eyes. a deeper
blue than the spring sky, turned some.
times TO the world about her and some
times happily to mine, or bending to
some intricacy of her work were veil
ed beneath the long dark lashes, her
delicate dark brows knit In a pretty
perplexity.
As | looked down at her | forgot
in little while my fear of her In
the wonder OF II all; that she was
here and very lovely, drove all other
thoughts from my mind. She must
have seen something OF this, as she
glanced up at me- for the color
swept up over her white neck. turning
her cheeks a deeper pink. and dyeing
even the little coral ears.
We'll. Mason?" she asked.
II was only thinking" | replied, !
that you are inexpressibly lovely +
and that-well, am glad that l asked !
you yesterday. for | should never dare +
3 to do II now"
oh" said Nancy, very softly. and
bent with sudden industry over her .
work.
you know" said at length. try
ing to speak evenly, that you said
YOU would tell me today" o
Nancy's silk got into an unexpected
snarl. and she set intently about right.
Ing II. | was not sure that she had
heard me. A little breeze whispered
over the blossoms; a sapsucker fiut-
tered from a nearby tree to the one
over our heads, running in dizzy spir- .
ais about big branch, and stopping
TO peer at us with his yellow-striped
head held hesitant.
What have you decided| | re-
peated. Can you find 1t in your heart
10 marry me. Nancy
To my surprise Nancy smiled at
me.
What do you Think" she asked.
Il think" | said, that | want you
more than heaven, that | can give
you such above as only a starved man
can give, that somehow, In some way,
with Gods help, can make you happy.
But think, too, that | am asking too
much of you. | am bound by your {
uncle's terms, which 1t may or may
not be right for me to break, to stay {
here out of the way OF the world L
have nothing to offer you, nothing at /,
ALL To marry me would be, perhaps, {
to bury yourself here with me, to |
lose touch with things, to cramp your {
life In many ways, TO exile yourself I
from all the laughter and little gaieties !
of the world the myriad precious triv- {
ialties that make life for woman :
worth while. You have seen so little !
of the Joy of things that sweetness OF !
things, and the happy, careless fun OF
things, that you are too innocent OF
life itself TO change them for the moth .
ing have to offer. But oh, Nancy,
can't help loving you, loving you and
wanting you"
She got slowly to her feet and stood +
olIdlBHllg plOuu bCiOAC l.
rs that all?' she asked.
"All?" | repeated vaguely.
EYES," said Nancy, because, IL 1t Is, |
| want you to listen. You do not know
very much about women. Mason; moth
ing at all about me. Bury me here, !
you say? Take me away from the light
and joyous and pretty things that wo- c
men love? Offer me nothing in return? I
Do you think. can you truly think, I
that to be here with you would be 7
that? Oh, | know what ! have missed h
in life, little kindnesses. little friend e
ships, little loves; but take them all I
together and what are they worth? c
These things do not spell life to wo- Il
man, Mason. II is the great friend Il
and the great love that she wants. n
Home and a man, whose world she Is,
love and understanding, the laughter o
and tears OF real everyday life, with v
the great life of every day. the Sc
cure tranquility OF night time. hand
to touch in the dark and true eyes TO :.
look into In the light, these are the n,
things to make her horizon. Nothing h
to offer Mason? No man can give a h
woman any more"
She threw out her hands with lit
tie gesture as she finished and