The Cairo bulletin., 1914-03-18

dcr!nS with crimson shadows. He'
hand vas shielding her eyes, and q.
she s.rovo 10 fill the gaps in theil
somewhat spasmodit conversation
with The trivial impcrgonal things that
belonged to their old intimacy. tbs
tny H.ckaring flames seemed 10 be
dart.ns un.ricad|y fingers plueking at
her secret. Leaning from her nest oi
cushions she thrust the Poker into
the glowing resinous mass till sparks
whi2zcd up the chimncya black nav
in torrent.
B Row they fy'' she said "Ricley
Snyder calls 1t raising a blizzard in
Hades ! used to think they flew M
to the sky and became tho lttlost
stars, What pity we have to grow
Up and learn SO muchl I'd rather
have kept on believing that when the
red leaves in the woods WhirIed about
in a circle the fairies we're dancing,
and that it was the gnomes who put
| the cocklc-burs in the hounds ears.
Sho had been talking at random,
gradually becoming shrinkngly con
ecious of his constrained and STUN.
Bling manner She had, however but
ha'' defined his errand when he came
10 it all in q burst.
'I-I can't get to it, somehow. Shir-
ley he said with sudden desperation,
but here it is. Two come to ask YOU
20 marry me. Don't sop me-" he
Went on hurriedly lifting his hand
whatever yon say mast tell you.
I've been trying to for months and
months!' Now that he had started.
il came with a boyish yehemence that
both chilled and thrilled her Even
in her own desolatiou, and shrinking
almost unbearably from the aloWal,
the hope and brightness in his voice
touched her with pity It seemed to
her that life was a strange tumble of
unacceptable and ircomprehensible
pain. And all the while. in the young
voice vibrant with feeling, her cring-
ing ear was catching imagined echoes
of that other voice grayer and more
selr.contaiaed but shaken by the same
passion, in that iteration Of 4 love
you! love you,"
His answer came 10 him finally IN
her silence, and he released her hands
which he had caught in bis own. They
dropped, limp and unresponsige, in
Her lap Shirley" he said brokenly,
maybe yoI can't care for me-yet.
But il you viii marry me, In be
content with so little, till--you do"
She shook her head, her hair max
ing dim flashes in the freight mo,
Chilly she said. ct makes me
wretched to give you pain, but must
II must! Love isn't like that 1t
doesn't come afterward. | know.
could never give you what you want
You would end by despieing me, as
should despise myself"
Il won't give up" he said incoher-
entity. Il can't give up. Not so long
1s ! know there's nobody else. At the
ball ! thought thought perhaps you
cared for Valiant-but since he told
mo"
He stopped suddenly for she was
looking at him from an ashen face
|o told me there was nc reason why
should not try my luck, he said diff
'icultIy q asked him"
There was o silence. while he gazed
at her, breathing despair. Then he
tried to laugh.
All right" he said hoarsely. ct
t doesn't matter Don't worry"
She stretched out her hand to him |
In gesture of wistful pain, and he !
held it a moment between both of /,
bis, then released it and went hur-
riedly out.
As the door closed. Shirley sat
down. her head dropping into her
hands Ike storm-broken flower. Val |
ant had accepted the fnalty Of tho
situation. With wave Of deeper
nopeiossurss than had yet submerged
her. sllc realized that, against her own
decision. something deep within her
had taken shy and secret comfort in
MS stubborn masculine refusal
Against all fact. in face Of the impos-
iible her heart had been clinging to
his-as though his love might even
utaia the miraculous ard somewhere.
oms eow, reereaie cirousi= auce But
loW tp, toe, had bowed o ,he decree.
\ Kind OF utter apathetic wretched
.css seized upon her. to replace the
harp misery that had so long been