The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-05-18

Aud then he spoke. "Win you please
sit DOWN. There are things must tell
you"
Gerry had blundered on magic
words. There Is no moment so emo
tionally tense that a true woman will
not drop the immediate issue to sit
down and listen to the untold things
she has wanted to hear. AlX was
true woman. The fare died out Of her
cheeks. She sank into a chair beside
the duly shining mahogany table and
with a nod Of her golden head mo-
toned Gerry to a seat opposite her.
She watched the easy swing OF his
body as he moved across the room.
Gerry's mind was In sore conflict but
body in perfect health has a way OF
taking care of itself.
Gerry sat down and gripped the edge
)f the table with Outstretched hands.
He looked steadily into AliX' eyes.
The moment he had foreseen had come.
Alix sat in judgment. She planted her
bare elbows on the table, laid one
hand, palm down on the other and on
them both rested her cheek. Her head
with its heavy crown of hair was thus
to one side but also tilted slightly for
ward. That slight forward tilt gave
strength to the pose and intensity. A
curious, measuring look came into
Allx' eyes. She was silent and she
was waiting.
Gerry dropped his eyes to the table
and began to talk. "The things have
got to tell you" he said, begin with
that day-our last day. l went out
and walked for hours and realized that
l had been rough and unjust and to
blame. l came over to the avenue and
was standing looking at some flowers
when you passed saw you in the
Iplate-glass of the window. l turned
around to make sure. recognized
your trunk. followed you to the sta
ton. saw Alan signal to you. l
saw you get into the train"
Gerry stopped. His premise was
finished and he found that he had no
tongue to tell the things he had thought
the long argument Of the soul. He
realized that all that must be left out.
He must conf1ne himself to mere phys
ical facts, let them troop up in the
order in which they had come upon
him and file naked before Alix. She
must dress them as she saw fit, as her
sympathies and her justice directed.
He would give her but the ground
work, plain simple words such as he
could command, telling the events that
had come upon him and how he had
met them.
OF the trip out he had nothing to say
but of Pernambuco he told her In de-
tail. Somehow it seemed the least he
could do for the filthy and beautiful
city that had given him an unques
tionlng asylum. He told her Of the
quay, the Lingueta, with Its line Of
tall, stained houses, its vast plano
trees and its cobbled esplanade, the
stage where the city's life was in per
petual review. His words came slow
ly but they left nothing out. UncOn
sciously he created an atmosphere.
light Of interest burned in Alix' eyes
She saw the changing scene. Il
charmed her to restfuIness as It haC
Gerry.
She smelt the stacks of pineapples
the heaped-up mangOes, the frying flRh
and through his eyes she saw the bluE
skies dotted with white, still clouds
and glimpsed the secret, high-wallet
! gardens with their faring hibiscug
trailing fuchsias, fantastic gardeI
| cockscombs and dark-domed mango
and jack trees. She sat with Gerry
and, later, on the long slim cOaStini
craft she listened with him to the creal
of straining masts and stays and to th'
Zap of hurrying waters. She fOllowet
him up the San Francisco, felt his i'm
patience with Penedo, took the Eittl'
stern-wheeler and learned the fascina
ton of river with endless, undiscOv
cred turns. They came to Piranhaa
Here she felt herself on famiiR
ground. Letters from the cOnsuPs en-
voy had made this place hers. UncOn
sciously she nodded as Gerry describes
the tiers of houses, the twisted, climb
ing streets, the miserable little inn.
t Gerry told of the happy days Of pom
I derous canoeing and of the unvaryinl
{ strings of fish He fingered over thOs
z days. Thus far he had brought Ali,
! with him. He felt it. Now he came t
2 the morning when he must leave he
behind. He told her Of the gloriou
2 break of that day, Of the sun 6ghtini
} through swirling mists. She saw hin
t standing stripped on the sandspit, Sh
, saw the canoe nosing heavily agains
t the shore and his pyjamas tossed care
!. lessly across thwart. She knew tina
j, she had come to the moment of revels
ton. She breathed softly lest sh
s should lose word for Gerry wa
t speaking very low. Then he showe
3 her Margarita, Margarita as he ha
D first seen her, kissing and kissed b.
l dawn.
(To BE CoNTINUED0