Gunnison news-champion., 1915-01-22


sSEse a. rssssliE isti.ssls. She wos kssr
fasbars eon-asss aaa Il Was a wsnsSsr.
fssi1 tsE.Ii.sss aiszas eses asoassssssa.
pam aaa vas.es sssssf resulted ~ s4ad
.sas the e.ss,se az the hsoi.sssd hcuse
aaa sorks.sop of f4.e sfillmaHs.
kssssts sai,se a. -sass. scisser Meade
Eor has fatlses had beard d sse var
Ailes froa aHs aalsitassa- thsssr -
ciis-iun was q barrser from tho eutsr
wssrsd rrof.~-os stilsnsaH wa~ eases
for ne~s and haErif.sd az the -sfsa
ti.n bla he ealssea meeting hsr,sss'e-
fyr he haa bsseH a friend of hes fasses
They were IN the ssiliman siEfsns
roosn the evening af the ARRIVAL of the
SIS traVeisEs when Meade. who had
seeased strangely Affected hy the ar
rival af Ecrnic. ~l,lslesiy eft. mum
bling aa eSlslanatioH.
An hour PASSED and the profes-or
sroNned n wvud.r where that boy
Is ke.ping himseIfr'- he brose cut 4
never saw him aifs,ted like this. Ant
er all he rs Hos a man save la yeaEs
aud e.luontion . have not done by
hin as I ouzht. I suppo-e. is keepsaz
hm by nao. . think perhaps ! had
betfer see II can fnd him.
BerHice rv-e. A sudden Impulse had
seized her. let use = she su- .essted. y
believe 4 understand his feelings. u was
the sutleensess that eveFcame hin
She plovea toward the door 'fh
bring ham back she promised aud
passed out She felt tremor shake
her. now that she had followed the
impulse which had caused her action
aud found herself surprised that there
should have been an impulse
She passed forward and from under
the trees about the house A faint,
new crescent moon had come mp and
hung above the rim of the oasis. Hts
sickle blade giving a faint. glistening
light which made her able to see
where she went with care She was
recalling lines OF the letter Meade had
mailed 10 her from Hite:
To the west OF the house lie the pas
lures. green with lush growing luoerne,
and sometimes when the longing and the
loneliness crowd too close upon me ! rise
and go down and stand In the midst Of the
sleeping vegetation and stretch out my
arms 20 the east. Aud liit up uly face
to the moon N there be one. and try C.
picture II shining ON a wonderful CROW y
Of wonderful hair aud lighting a woman
face
The grasses Of the oasis swept he
feet and ankles as she PASSED aud
went down the little inrline.
Meade Meade stillmaL.' she call
ed softly and paused 10 listen.
A figure rose from among the alfalfa
and stood at distance before her.
Meade" she repeat,~ and started
forward. unconscious that she had ad-
dressed him by his given name Again
the culver of unnamed feeling shook
her body.
Miss Getheids- Bernice." said Stiil
man and came to meet her What b
It? Why Do you come to me heref
Why not father or DarIing?'
Il came because | wanted to and he
cause we wondered whit kept you. I
thought oh. ! thought | understood
bettey how you felt And ! remember
ed what You wrote in the ietter-that
you came here to think
about you." said the man. Well
II was true. ! was thinking about YOU
again just now before you came.
''Bernice- don't take of1ense. for I
mean none. and you are Bernice to NE
II know nothing of the art Of maxi ing
love. but the last year has taught me
much of love itself. for I have been q
lover ever since that night | told you
I would come il you ever asked 1t. and
ran away because l did not dare to say
eOodby for fear I might say something
else. How ! should tell you Of this
do not know
Il believe there are rules to he OBJ
served. but ! do not know them. All
know is that | love you; that ! want
to give you my life: that | want to
guard you and shield you and protect
you; that ! want to work for You. win
for you and bring what I win and lay
II at your feet. as the cave man brought
home his kill to the cave
"Bernice sweetheart woman-cone
to me- He opened his arms to her.
Like one moving in dream she
swayed toward him. reached him.
touched him. felt his arms close about
her. leaned against him. buried her
face ON his breast and ceased to tren-
BILE as the strength of his body struck
through to her own
A sudden. swift sense of peace and
satisfaction filled her and was follow
ed by the recollection of the arms of
another man which had held her and
quivered as she herself had shaken hut
a moment before.
A great wave Of pity sureed in her
breast. but could not drown the com
fort of Meade's arms. She lifted her
face and found his bent above H. Her
own arms crept about him. Meade"
she whispered oh. Meade. my boy
my own boy. She strained him to her
and lifted her lips to his.
He heard her catch her breath.
''Oh. was forgetting. Meade. I was
forgetting. am poor agent. had
forgotten everything else-the war th..