Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-08-12

II WISH" said with an intensity
which must. have carried note Of
wildness, 81 wish to God I were back
on that island now!"
The perplexed questioning of her
eyes steadied me again into self-com-
mand.
81 crave your pardon" said. with
disingenious laugh. "Its the call
of the wild"
"Perhaps understand something Of
that CALL" was her enigmatical reply.
wondered. Could she understand?
This woman with the perfect drawing
room poise; this creature Of exqui-
site art? Even If l were absolutely
free to tell her the whole story, from
Suez to the Golden Gate, how much
and how little would it mean to her?
Could she comprehend passion fired
with no touch Of the physical, painted
horizon-wide against canvas of CO.
bait sky? Perhaps not, hut wished
as had never wished any other thing
that might have been privileged to
learn.
Her personality, even in silence,
wove an aura of subtle magic about
her. She wore at her breast several
hothouse orchids. They were pale and
exotic, quicl-wilting and artificial AL
ready the edges of their petals were
curling and darkenin%.
Was she like them? Could she have
carried her splenlid shoulders with
the same grace through jungles and
over mountains? Could she bloom
with the wild splendor of those other
orchids in the sterner environment
of Gods great out-of-doors?
She smiled as she questioned me.
"You are skeptical of my power to
understand things, aren't you?"
~ was wondering" answered, Gust
what you meant by It,"
"I mean," she said slowly, as her
eyes clouded again with her wistful.
ness which had cost me my self-con-
troll, that civilized women lead mar
rover lives than civilized men. May.
be they feel even more strongly than
men the longing for wider, freer
things"
"Eut in these times" namely sug
gested, woman has full measure
of liberty"
She tossed her head with delicious
contempt for my reasoning, and bent
her eyes for moment on the tip of
her satin slipper. about as much
as a canary in a cage" she announc.
ed; "and we are expected to sing joy
ously for our cuttle-bone and hemp
seed"
/ loved this woman. Why, In all
conscience, did my heart leap almost
triumphantly at the hint that she was
restive in captivity? Was it merely
because l was not her captor? Was it
jealousy feeding on the crumbs of a
misery shared?
There was long silence.
She had been toying with a slender
gold ehain, and under an involuntary
emphasis of her fingers it had given
way. She was now trying to close
the broken link with her teeth. ]
stepped forward and, without realiz
ing that l was doing it,. caught her
hand n my restraining fingers. She
looked up quickly.
II beg your pardon" I said hasti'
ly, "but don't bite that with your
teeth"
'Tf bite it at ALL" she replied with
impervious logic, 81 must bite it With
my teeth"
took the chain from her hand and
began the work of repair. The con-
tact OF my fingers had lert me vibat-
ing. and as bent my face over the
chain, my hands were trembling.
"Why," she demanded in soft
voice, leaning back and clasping her
hands behind her head. won't YOU
tell me the story of your Island?"
Because" l answered, "there is q
part of it which l couldn't tell you
and without that, there is nothing to
tell"
"Will you tell me some other time
when you know me better?" she in
quired as naively as little girl plead
ing for favorite fairy tale.
At every turn she flashed new an
gle of herself to view. at one mo-
ment she was queenly: the next
child; one instant her eyes limited
at heart-hunger; the next her lips
knew no curves but those of laughter.
And yet there was thing about it
all that hurt and disappointed me.
With nothing tangible, there was still.
in subtle way, much which was
sheer coquetry of eye and lip. 1t was
invitation.
Why did she challenge me to for
bidden things SO easy to say, so i'm
possible to unsay? she must know
that from the moment saw her had
stood at crisis and that this was
true only because / loved her.
'I'm afraid / shall be denied the
privilege of knowing you BETTER" |