Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-14

most becoming afternoon gown. Just
week remained before the date of
their wedding and she had delayed in
characteristic fashion procuring any
of the clothes she had spent so many
hours planning and dreaming out up
on the divan.
She plunged Immediately to the sub
tect, even before Payne's arms had
relaxed about the waist of her, looking
UP into his face in the tantalizingly
irresistible fashion which he, as well
as her father, always found so ire
sistible.
Now. there's no use telling me why
you came to town; there's no sense
trying to talk to me about food foy
the men. There'll be plenty of time
after you look over a few little things
In the shops with me-"
"But I must have 1t there for sup
perl tell you. Julia, the situation
became so serious there was nearly a
murderous row at the fields
Bother the fields" she exclaimed
oil, oil, oil morning, noon and night,
until I've even ordered the cook to
leave any Of the hateful stuff out of
the cooking"
"But-"
II might as we'll stay right here
an oily sweetheart" she continued
quickly. "Of course If you don't care
to see what I'm planning to wear at
so insignificant an affair as your we'd
ding, can stay right at home" She
laughed a trifle bitterly and turned
away from him. her hand upon the
door knob. "Oh, we'll, what's a mere
wedding in comparison with fussing
round a messy grocery store for a lot
of sweaty, grimy, oily men who would
kill you if the food didn't happen to
be cooked just to their taste"
Payne laughed. despite himself,
laughed and catching her about the
waist, drew her to him, trying to coax
the pretty, pouting face towards his
own.
"All right" he laughingly capitu-
lated. But on just one condition
that we go to the grocery together"
The irresistible music of her
laughter intoxicated him and. as they
swung into the car he wondered how
in the world he had ever for a mo-
ment dreamed OF resisting her lure.
In fact, as they wandered from shop
to shop that afternoon, he felt more
and more the hero for the manful
fight he had put up against her
tempeStuous assaults.
Now and then a picture would rise
before him, picture that persisted
while she was in fitting rooms. And
would frown and glance nervously
at his watch, at the low dropping sun
outside the windows. For he saw a
shambles of a mess hall, broken, over
turned chairs and tables broken
crockery, a mess of vile food and
gravy and--and the blod of men. of
human beings sending its reek over
and above the sweat of human bodies
strained to their utmost with the i'm
pulse to kill and destroy their fellow
men.
And always would the frown be
driven from his face, guiltily driven
away as the radiant vision of the girl
he loved would .reappear before him,
more beautiful than ever woman was
before in all the world, it seemed,
with the child-like desire to please,
to be radiantly beautiful in order that
she might make proud the heart of
the man she was to marry.
And once as he looked at his watch,
to his strained. guilty ear came a
sharp report, the report of a revolver.
He started and moved swiftly toward
Julia, placing his arm commandingly
upon her wrist. She turned the
witchery OF her glance upon him and,
for just an instant, the suspicion of a
frown puckered her brow. 1t cleared
instantly then, with an exquisite, lit
tie whimper she came very close to
him, looking UP into his face with the
perplexed and worried expression of a
child. a
"Tm simply famished," she ex-
claimed. Surely, you won't permit
me to starve, Lee. Just q mouthful
and then we can"
Hungry" He started as she
voiced his thought of the unappeased
hunger of those men he had visualized
throughout the afternoon. mo, really,
Julia"
She had his arm in her two, tiny
hands. Intellectual hands-th seemed,
dainty and blue veined and almond
tipped at the fingers. And yet, like
bands of steel. they drew him despite
himself, despite everything within
himself that cried out aloud against
their pressure.