The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-07-08

to lay II tenderiy against his cheek.
You ought 20 hate me, Joan. I'VE been
a beast TO treat you as i have. But I
couldn't do otherwise. I had to do IL
I can't let you go o n loving me-"
She drew away from him, as IL he
had struck her In the face. Her eyes
grew wide with pain and wonder.
"You-you mean, Eric, you o
want me for you sweetheart any long,
err" h said, scarcely above a whis-
per. That piteous look was more than
he could bear.
Il owe you-Oh, how I love you" he
cried. IT shouldn't "a said that to
you. IL don't know what 1 am say
Ing. ] do want you. / shall always
want you. I shall always wan you.
Don't cry, Joan-please don'tl I1l-Im
get down on my knees and beg you to
forgive "
She came up to him swiftly, her Eyes
cleaning through h tears of van
quished shame. her lips tremulous
with a smile Of p~erplexity. Her hanus,
both OF them, were pressed to his
lips, cutting short the sentence.
II don't understand you, Eric. How
queer you are. Don't o k~now-don't
you know that I want you TO be-to
be what what you said you'd be. My
sweetheart. Oh, Eric, I've been so
miserable. Something has happened.
You must tell me-"
He kissed her fingers hungrily.
Then he clasped her slim, yielding body
in his strong arms n kissed her
lips again and again. Her arm vent
up about his neck n everything was
forgotten.
Slowly he came 10 his senses. He
held her away from him, still painting
from the fervour Of his wild, uncon-
trolled passion.
Listen. JOAN" he began DULY, at a
loss for words. II ought not to hold
you tc your promise. You don't know
She gave him a ravishing smile.
Surely, In all the world, there was M
one so lovely as Joa Bright In that
wonderful moment.
II don't see how you can help your
SELF" she cried. "I shall hold you TO
yours. How can o say such q thing
to me after-after this? ?"
Suddenly her eyes grew dark with
doubt and misgiving. Something In his
white, drawn face smote out the light
In her eyes.
what is 1t, Eric? Tell me-" she
said.
He shook his head, dumb with des-
"Sit down here with me. dear" she
went on. "I don't care what II is, 4
can't change my feeling toward you.
Nothing can do that"
They sank to the soft, green turf, his
arm about her shoulders, his back
time for him to speak. 1t seemed TO
him that she was holding her breath.
"You-you said we were s~weethearts,
Eric" she breathed. II believed you.
Didn't you mean it?"
Unconsciously be gripped her hand 80
tightly that 1t must have hurt her, yet
she did not appear to feel the pain.
He UQa at tho mint ~ hIrrtt,- n,,k
the whole devastating truth. His
honest soul saw no other way out Of
II. it was right n just that she should
know, that she should understand why
he had behaved so strangely toward
her.
Then he remembered his compact
with Adam Carr. He recalled his
friends cold. almost soulless admoni-
ton: Don't let this little accident Of
| yours alter a single purpose or hope YOU
may now cherish. Go on. Just as IL Il
hadn't happened. II wasn't the strength
Of your arm that did 1t. but the weak
ness Of that blamed railing" He was
never to forget that speech. Part Of
It was like Adam Carr, part Of it re-
minded him not a little Of Mr.. Presbrey
incongruous as IL may appear.
"Of course I meant it, he cried, his
handsome young face aglow with the
rebound Of blood. I'm never going
to give o up, Joan. I'm not afraid
any longer. Something happened not
long ago. can't tell you what It was
that made 1t o. as though I couldn't
go on being the same. II almost killed
me. Something that made 1t appear
wrong for me toto 60 on, that's all.
But what's the use going on with any
thing. II 1 can't have you to think of,
to look up to. to wait for and to work
for? You're everything, Joan, every
thing. and always will be-"
She was smoothing his hair with a
timid, loving hand. Somehow, the
gentle caress was rubbing away the
troubles that clogged his brain. The
world was growing brighter.
"Was-was II what happened to Chef
wynd?' she asked softly.
He started guilty. The look in his
eyes passed in a second. however. at
had something to do with It," he said,
with an involuntarily glance toward the
sea.
why should It make any difference
to u.s." she asked quickly. you are
not to blame for the awful things he
did, .@. -
81 know" he admitted uncomfort-
"Was 1t because you thought Tor
father, for that matter-would let that
alter u opinion Of your"
He smiled YEARLY, stroking her hand.
She went on eagerly: 1T couldn't be
so. Eric. Father thinks you are the
finest boy he knows. He never ap-
proved OF Chetwynd. You couldn't pos
sibly be the-the same as he"