The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1913-07-25
cHApTER xII.-fcontInued.)

CnNF j En- Ntts-(SoUttHu00'J
u The acute question pierced deep.
sOut of Stanton's suffering leaped the
truth In a cry of vehement passion
/ and force.
I "I do not know! Jessica, Jessica, |
I do not know! want both. l love
/ you, want you for my wife; left with
him, l would have missed you. II
cared for you because you were like
him. Il see him now in you. what
matter? tell you l want you. but |
shall want him all my life. want the
one who rode beside me. the one who
stood with me through rough or
smooth, the one who knew me and |
him-I want my comrade, Jes Floyd"
The naked strength Of pain, the
fierce outcry of savage bereavement
left the atmosphere swept to primi-
tive clarity, free Of all small things.
The girl drew herself erect. even her
lips colorless in her absolute pallor
but her eyes meeting him on his own
ground of desperate honesty. and
raised her hands to her head.
Stanton saw her lace sleeves fall
back, and a zigzag scar start into
view on her slender left arm. Like
bands of silk ribbon she unwound the
heavy braids of hair and flung them
aside, letting mass Of short, boyish.
bronze curls tumble about her fore
head.
There was no mistake possible. ever
again. He did not know that he spoke.
yet his cry reached the street below.
Floyd! Floyd"
T am Floyd"
You"
81 am Jessica"
The room reeled giddily. his vision
blurred. And as his composure went
down in chaos, her courage rose up to
aid his need.
You're goin' to take 1t hard" COM
passioned her earnest voice. i've
been doin' wrong to you. while
thought was only hurtin' myself. I'm
sorry
The lisp, the soft excitement-born
accent so blent with memories OF
splendid peril and comrade risk. fell
on ready ears.
"God!" breathed Stanton. and sank
into a chair. dropping his face upon
his arm as it rested on the little tea
table.
You've got to bear it; there's only
me. But that's the only way I've de-
ceived 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 l was
little. 1t was for fun he called me Jes
when | had my boy-clothes on, an
played there were two of us. But
when we found that all the country
side, all the factory hands, every one
except my nurse believed Jes and
Jessica twins, we let 1t go on. It
made 1t easier for him in trainin' me
to be his partner. For he said was
man-ht 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 big
house: 1t was SO easy. used to dark
en- my skin a bit; that was all. You're
not listenin'-you want time to think
it out"
He neither moved nor contradicted.
Time for readjpstment he did need,
for realization of this and himself
Standing. slim, upright figure. she
gave it to him, waiting while the little
Swiss clock on the mantle chartered
through many minutes.
when my father died." she re-
sumed. at last. "after l found out that
| wasn't goin' to die. too, | saw Jes
was able to earn his livin' while Jes-
sica 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 rne out Of myself
with speed-fever. Every racer knows
it, you know 1t, that feelin'. So | got
place in the Mercury factory; an
that way met you. don't know how
to make you understand"
He interrupted her ruthlessly. 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. mol" she denied in swift de-
Tense mot that. never guessed that
ycu could believe me dead; thought
you must know me-Jessica."
How should know? You never
came near me. The Floyd l knew
would have come" the bitterness of
those desolate nights and days choked
speech ~
There was a pause, filled with some
strange Significance beyond his faith
oming. ~ r."