El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-01

them a pressure that seemed to re-
I assure her, though the touch of her
hands had anything but a reassuring
erect on me FIRST and last am
your friend, dear girl, so forget your
doubts on that question
sally" dropping her hands. for I
wanted to say my say dispassiOnately,
you kissed me the other morning
She laughed. "Of course I did"
she said, her eyes tWinkling. You
have such a kissable mouth I have
wanted to do it before But what about
that2 Are you giving me this scold-
ing just because I kissed my dearest
friend2 You are growing more like
a boy every day. I've a good notion"
laughing, ito kiss you once more
You did look so surprised and so
funny, and you were so helpless with
Manette in your arms Really 1 an
tempted to do IL again"
You say I am more like a boy
every day2'
She nodded her head. And a silly
a boy" I resumed. gets little blue
tickets at Sunday school for being
'sThat kiss she interrupted. was
a little blue ticket I gave it to you
But" I continued. gravely, che
prizes the little blue tickets not for
themselves, but because an accumu-
latiOn means something more I be-
lieve in sunday school they call it a
Reward of Merit
Men" I went on, are only boys
grown up"
Not Strong.
you are a good woman. and you
gave me that kiss in ali the inno-
Cence Of your heart. I am a man,
and therefore not good In giving me
that kiss you relied on your innocence
and my strength Sally, dear, I am
not strong. No man is"
at was just as If had kissed my
brother'-she began
Now don't let US. have any eva
siOns," I said angrly, Il am not your
brother; and it is silly TO make the
pretense- I am your friend, and your
husbands friend. but I am not his
friend in the way was before you
kissed me.
You are a good woman. and I am
trying to make you see the mischief
a good woman can do am trying to
make you realize that the goodness
OF the woman doesn't put all thought
Of mischief out of the mans head"
She was crying and I can't stand
If TO see q woman cry
'I don't mean to hurt you" I said
tenderly. for I felt as If I had been
brute; Il just want you to realize
that you are very handsome woman,
a very attractive woman, and alto
gether too lCvable to 90 around put
ting your arms around a mans neck
and expecting him to accept the kiss
you force on him as one that came
from a sister. / don't want to hurt
you. but. Sally. you have hurt me-"
Now, there was where 7 said the
wrong thing, for I appealed to her
sympathies- Instead Of remaining in
her chair and saying she was sorry
and letting it 90 at that, she i'm
pulsively sprang up and came toward
me I had risen and was starting
for the door, but she detained me by
putting a hand on my arm
Il am so sorry, Max she said. Il
didn't realize it. had always thought
of YOU as just Max. my dearest friend"
She lifted her hands and patted me
on the cheeks. You know I love
Jack" she said, land you must al
ways remember that You are a good
man. and you have been picturing
yourself as a bad one just to brighten
me. You silly boy, you
He Couldn't.
''You are my brother-my big, best.
only brOther-and won't let you say
you are not, or that you ever think
of being anything else. Come" lifting
up her lips, give me a brOtherly kiss
to prove it, you goose, you"
For a moment hesitated; the little
blue tickets were a pleasure, even
though I never accumulated enough
for a Reward Of Merit. Then I pushed
her roughly aside and walked out
the door.