Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-01-20
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She vas silent.

She vas silent.
"You don't believe me?" he cried
wistfully.
"Why should L? I've heard prom
ises before"
"But this is different"
"The proof of the promise is in the
keeping. A year from now-five-ten
years from now, I'll begin to believe
YOU"
He nodded.
81 can't blame you for not trust
ing NE. But I'll convince you!
stopped in to see Ledwin to-day He
says l must get plenty of sleep and
exercise. Pm going to walk to bust
ness in the morning and ride in the af-
ternoon. WilsSou ride with me?"
"If you like
"I'll phone you tomorrow about
the time, then. Good night" he added
slowly.
Good night" said Geraldine.
lie looked at her an instant longer,
turned, and went slowly out. She sat
staring at the door intently, brooding.
"If he only meant it," she whis-
pered. eff he only remembered
and still wanted to-and tried"
And big tears welled up in her
strange gray eyes-and hung, glitter
ing, upon her lashes.
He walked halfway downtown the
next morning, and phoned her enthus
asti,ally later that he had enjoyed it,
and that it had made him feel splen-
didly fit, and that he was working like
beaver. He arranged to meet her
at the Fifty-Ninth Street entrance to
the park at four.
Amt he really did keep The appoint
ment. They rode for an hour, and
then went home and, later, they dined
early enough to take in a theatre aft
erward. Across the house she caught
sight of young Mr.. Merrol in a gay
theatre party and bowed to him, and
Sedge grew jealous of The way Mr..
Melrol had smiled.
And he wanted to know all about
him. but Gerry answered indifferently
that he was merely an acquaintance,
She was in misty gray, with black
and white gau2e frills and fittings,
and she wore jet earrings set with dia-
monds, and many rings. There was a
eweled aigret in her hair. She look
ed distractingly lovely, and the girl
with young Mr.. Merrol was most in
uuis.t tive concerning her and taxed him
with payisg more heed to the opposite
box than to the stage.
The following day Sedge walked
again in the morning and rode in the
afternoon. For four days he kept it
up. Then he rode down on the fifth
day, because there had been a fresh
snowfall and the roads were bad.
After that he continued to ride. 1t
was the same in the afternoon. He
did LOT fancy going out on account
of business-and that was the end Of
II.
Gerry observed all this without COM
n?ent. She had harbored no hopes of
his success. During this time Mr..
Merrol had called once, near tea-time,
Tut she had not been in and SO had
been saved the necessity of denying
herself to him.
When nearly two weeks had passed
since his last ATTACK" Sedge had an
other. They had had company to dim
nell quite large party-and Sedge
was exerting himself to his utmost
to be entertaining.
TIE strain told on him, and he
caught the butler's eye and motioned
for him to fill up his empty glass.
Gerry, from the other end of the table,
cast him warning glance. He smil-
Cd at her brilliantly and nodded conf
GENTLY.
The champagne increased his fund
Of wit, raised his spirits. When he
obs rived Gerry's attention in another
direction he ventured a second glass.
Then he overlooked the necessity to
deceive her.
He drank steadily through the eve
ring. and, when the rest had gone,
was still if the library, drinking by
himself. Gerry begged him to turn in.
he TOASTED" her and assured her that
lie was simply trying out his strength
If resistance-that he could stop when
he chose. And he did not choose.
e. I
At daylight the servants carried him
to bed, and he slept through until
evening. And while he was up there,
sleeping of the effects of his eXcesses,
young Me"rol came again, and the
card ne offered had "On important