Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-08-05
CHAPTER XIII.
From a Famished Heart.

AS I stood there immediate things
were vague apparitions seen confus.
edly through hurricane chaos of un.
tamable emotion. had assumed that
for an eXperimenter in the unexpected
/ could qualify as tried and seasoned.
Now it seemed that all prior assaults
upon my equanimity had been nero
kindergarten exercises in control.
Weighborne, still too self-absorbed
to see that worlds were crumbling ip
his library, turned suddenly to us with
an apologetic laugh.
Frances, he said, forgive me: /
clear forgot to present our guest.
We've talked of you SO much here
Deprayne, that l had overlooked the
fact that introductions were in order
Pm the unfortunate type of one idea
at time"
Then, as I bowed, somewhat inco-
herently mumbling my acknowledge
ments, he turned his back upon the
room and busted himself again with
the desk.
I wanted to leap for his throat. I
i who had presented her as a god
dess to people under skies that rose
from the ocean and dipped again to
the ocean-needed no Introduction.
The casual fashion of his amenities
was in itself an affront.
OF course, all this was insanely un-
fair to my host. and even while my
thoughts seethed in this unamiable
vortex-so strong is the grip of arti.
fetal conventions was attempting
to smile with the agreeable inanity
Of a drawing room smirk.
But as she stood there could read
in her face the record of the strange
agitation that had evidenced itself at
the door.
The lips knew so well, though only
in one expression, were now grave
and little drawn. Her eyes held
wild questioning. as though my cont
ing brought startling riddle. In
moment she was again the perfectly
poised mistress of herself
She came over and offered her hand
and as I took it she met my eyes,
smiling, though she must have read
In them the rising hunger of man
for woman-a hunger which in me
was so poignant that my soul was the
soul of wolf The touch of her fin
gers electrified me, and the tremor Of
my own hand, before l withdrew 1t,
must have telegraphed whatever my
pupils failed to mirror.
That wordless message told her
how my sanity reeled on the brink of
seizing her and holding her in wild
defiance of this man, across the room,
whose name she bore.
81 won't interrupt business" she
was saying with perfect serenity. "Bui
later hope to see you again."
I bowed. 81 hope So" / answered
politely, while wave OF anger swept
me.
She would not interrupt! She who
had snapped all the thread of life and
let my soul go plunging down the
abysses.
She would not interrupt.
iiO SiOSh hSdiuoL tuc
wall stood at nine-twenty-four. AT
nine-twenty I had been stolidly puff
fing one of Weighborne's Havana's
and listening to his disquisitions on
court decisions and squatters' rights.
The cigar which had dropped on an
ash tray at the first sound of her
voice still held its ash and sent up a
thin spiral of smoke. 1t had out
lived me.
My host plunged afresh into his pa
pers. He might as well have been
reading me ukases from the Roman
off czar in the undiluted Russia. But
as the clock licked out of the erup
tive and into the glacial stage.
felt my lops drawing into stiff
smile. even contriyed to nod my
head in sedulous and apelike agree