The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-15

And he made the futile attempt of
hopping his brow with the foolish lit
tie handkerchief which he somehow
found in his hand.
LET me out of herer' she demanded
Mix" he gr5lffly replied. s'You don't
fool me again. I'm .goana marry YOU
'FYou can't, she told him. "It isn't
legal if 1 don't say 'Yes.'''
''Nou got to say Yes he insisted.
look here, Molly, 1 couldn't let you
marry that pinhead. He's a woman
fusser. He's been mixed up with them
since you were aged, and he'd new
er STOP"
Bert" she f1ared:
81 can't" he informed her 81 kept
my mouth shut, but now L got to spill
what L know. These pretty men are
always worse after they're married.
Bert's a bum! He's got a streak of
yellow the size of a canal. He amt
got the brains of tadpo1e. He can't
make a living unless somebody helps
him. You'd hate his bones in six
months. So don't you marry him!'
ct am the one to decide on that"
Molly Indignantly advised him.
Sledge looked at her a moment con-
templatfvely. then he opened the for
ward window
."Stopr' he ordered Billy, and closed
the window again. "A1 right; go to
it; decide he Unexpectedly told her
as the machine stopped. But be on
the level now. Do you love Bert?"
That's my ~affair, she evaded, flush
Nav, it amt" he insisted. '."It's
mine. Do you lore him enough to be
poor with him? Now. be square,
Molly was silent IS
You DON'T % he concluded. s'Put it
the other way. How about Bert?
Now, don't kid yourself,
Again Molly was silent She could
answer that question if she chose, and
the picture of little Jessie Peters sub
lime alteration of Dieky Reynolds came
before her eyes, linked with the mem
DRY of Bert's face when he had sug-
gested a postponement. Being broke
was an incident with Jessie and Dicky
and entirely aside from their love
With Bert and herself it was the love
which had been incidental
Sledge waited a reasonable time for
her to allege Bert's enthusiasm.
Homer he commanded Billy. "You
head couldn't love anybody enough to
go the distance. can. I'll murder
anybody you name Want anybody
killed ?"
your she tsavage1y retorted and
then, to her own surprise, laughed. !
She had put her hand on the catch of
the door; but, since he made no at
tempt to stop her, she left it there.
i you don't hate me that much,'' he
calmly informed her. "You like me-
Again she laughed, this TING at his
nafvete. ''You see, it's like this,'' he
explained: "Im a big s1ob, and I'm
rough. 1 amt pretty, and I know it, |
but can start something any minute, |
and when do can finish it. You |
don't know it, but you're strong for
that"
With a thrill Molly realized that he |
was right in this. She did admire |
force. She admired Sledge, and, now /
that she had time to think it over, |
something within her responded to his /
direct and simple method of breaking |
up her wedding.
ssBut love is different she replied, |
arguing more to herself than to him.
'sNix!'' he denied. 'Its the strongest I
thing there isl sf
Love cries." Molly unused, remem- I
boring Jessie.
cit hurts,'' he agreed. cit used to
sound like a joke to me-tin 1 got it. /
Now I want TO break chains with my I
chest. Molly, when I think of you /
could holler. I don't dare touch you. f
It makes me weak. You don't want
to go back and Nparry Bert, do your
His voice had In it trembling plea,
so un-Sledge-like that she would have
pitied him had she not been SO abb f
sorbed in her startling attitude toward
the question he had asked her. Moth +
ing seemed more remote and absurd
than that she should go back and
marry Bert.
''Nor' she bluntly confessed.
Sledge opened the front window.
.sHurry up!' he admonished Billy
and Molly laughed +