The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-03-03

"Oh, you must answer it. He ex-
poets that. Wait, I'll do it for you"
You old dear thing Winifredl
laughed over at her. you never write
to any boys at all. Go ahead. He's
perfectly safe, bound for Australia,
and l don't mind. Hold a star up for
him to see his way by and tell him
to cheer up"
But Dot had answered the letter
in her own way, and it had started
correspondence that had slipped out
of her reach and control before a.
year had passed. Now he was back,
and in the letter she had received the
day before he told her it was her let
ters that had drawn him over the
seas to her, and she must fulfill all
they meant to him.
The evening was rather cool. Clad
in a white wooden dress, with white
sweater and no hat, she watched from
the veranda until she saw a figure
start across the green from the street;
then she went to meet him. Oh, yes
it was he. She knew him in an in,
stant from his picture, and she went,
straight toward him without compro-l
mise.
You are Mr.. Gould, aren't your
She gave him firm hand clasp. Il.
am Winifred's best friend, and she has
gone to Old Point Comfort. Won't
you visit with me awhile? l am Doro-.
thy Page"
Up on the veranda they sat, while,
she listened to him talk of the voy-'
age and trip over the continent.
Couldn't he guess at all of how her,
pulses were beating, how she was
trying to keep her nerve still and lis
ten to him? And all at once some.
thing seemed to snap the tension.
him, at his wide, uncompromising
eyes, so direct and true in their gaze,.
and she told him the truth as she
had intended to do.
And that's all, you see" Her
hands put away from her an imag-
mary something, when she had fin
ished. Il did it, and am not sorry
either. Winifred never needed you
and / dld | never had anyone to-
write to that l liked, and somehow /
could tell you everything"
Except this"
Don't am sorry in a way for
you. but you won't mind. Winifred
has always cared for Bob"
I'm not thinking of them. I'm sure
I only wish them the greatest happi-
ness"
She hasn't been here much the last
term, not since they were engaged.
She was taking postgraduate course
anyway. Oh, l know" She rose and
stood before him, rebellious, worried,
and still in q way penitent. Il know
you must think it was awful of me-
mo, don't He rose, too, and Dot
wondered how he could leave her so
soon, with just a word of ordinary
courtesy. After all, the letters had
been theirs, and they had grown to
know each other so well in them. But
Give continued:
Those letters, whoever wrote them,
/ gave me courage and new grip on
life just when l was worried and los
ing my grip. Remember that line
of Browning
Drop hearts blood where lifes wheels
crate dry
THAT was what they did for r
DID you feel all the time really imp "
sonal toward me, Dot?''
Dot laughed softly, bit unstead-
ily
NO I felt as if you belonged to
me-
Just that. And so did I. They
pulled me back thousands of miles to
you" ~
Not to me. To Winifred."
"Winifred wrote to me six months
ago, as soon as she was engaged to
Bob, and told me the truth" he said,
Il have come back to you"
When you didn't even know what
looked like?"
"Winifred sent me your portrait aft
er had asked her for one"
Dot smiled, a funny, half shy smile
biting her under lip.
Wen miss the letters terribly"
I'm not going back" ne said. mot
for all the letters in the world.
like the original"
Dear old VIM" Dot breathed ten
derly. Wasn't it clever OF her?'
Across the campus the chapel bel
began to chime. Give held her HAND
close in his, drawing her nearer t
him.
Half a world away, dear, and Iv'
come to you for a welcome"
| fCor,5rftsht fQfS hv McClure NRWgnaDe